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Ismat Alam’s debut century and Rashid Khan’s six-wicket haul highlighted a dominant day for Afghanistan, leaving them just two wickets away from victory against Zimbabwe in the final Test. Ismat, who entered the match with a stellar first-class record, continued his remarkable conversion rate by turning his maiden Test fifty into a hundred. His innings […]
Ismat Alam’s debut century and Rashid Khan’s six-wicket haul highlighted a dominant day for Afghanistan, leaving them just two wickets away from victory against Zimbabwe in the final Test. Ismat, who entered the match with a stellar first-class record, continued his remarkable conversion rate by turning his maiden Test fifty into a hundred. His innings anchored Afghanistan’s second innings total of 363, setting a challenging target of 278 for Zimbabwe.
Rashid then took center stage, weaving his magic to dismantle Zimbabwe’s batting lineup. While the visitors struggled against his skillful variations, a determined fifth-wicket stand between captain Craig Ervine and Sikandar Raza kept Zimbabwe in the fight. Ervine’s unbeaten 53 has kept their hopes alive, but with only two wickets in hand and 73 runs still needed, the odds are stacked against them heading into day five.
Zimbabwe began their chase brightly, with Ben Curran showcasing flair through elegant late cuts that yielded 12 runs off Fareed Ahmad’s first over. However, Afghanistan’s bowlers quickly adjusted, finding discipline and drying up the runs. Despite some movement with the new ball, the Afghan pacers couldn’t unsettle the Zimbabwean openers, leaving the spinners to apply pressure. As day five looms, Afghanistan stands poised for a series-clinching triumph.
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Spin entered the equation in the 10th over through Zia-ur-Rehman, and the left-arm spinner made an immediate impact. After Joylord Gumbie reverse-swept him for four, a second attempt at the shot proved costly as he gloved the ball to first slip. From that point, Rashid Khan took over, starting with a peach of a delivery from the rough to bowl Ben Curran. Zimbabwe’s scoring slowed drastically, with just 14 runs in the next 37 balls, though Takudzwanashe Kaitano briefly countered by pulling Fareed Ahmad for a six.
Rashid switched ends and struck again, coaxing a top edge from Kaitano’s sweep that Abdul Malik expertly caught down the leg side. Zimbabwe suffered further setbacks after tea as Dion Myers slashed a wide delivery for four but fell next ball, trapped by Rashid’s wrong’un, marking Rashid’s milestone 400th international wicket. At 99 for 4, Zimbabwe found themselves in deep trouble, though the experienced duo of Sikandar Raza and Craig Ervine steadied the innings with a 58-run partnership built on singles and caution, avoiding risk in the absence of close-in fielders.
The breakthrough finally came courtesy of Rashid, though not with his usual magic. Tempted into a drive by a rare half-volley, Raza mistimed his shot and found the cover fielder, ending a crucial resistance. Despite their efforts, Zimbabwe now faces an uphill battle, with Rashid’s dominance and Afghanistan’s sharp fielding keeping them firmly in control.
Sean Williams, battling a back injury from earlier in the Test, became Rashid Khan’s next victim. Rashid delivered another gem from the rough, spinning the ball sharply to crash into Williams’ off stump as he missed a sweep. This wicket marked Rashid’s fifth five-wicket haul in just eight Tests. One ball later, he bowled a quick, flat legbreak that zipped past Brian Bennett’s outside edge to rattle the stumps. Zimbabwe’s collapse continued as Zia-ur-Rehman trapped Newman Nyamhuri lbw in the next over, with three wickets falling in just seven deliveries and Zimbabwe still 100 runs from their target.
Despite the chaos, Zimbabwe captain Craig Ervine stood tall, counterattacking to keep his team’s hopes alive. He struck Rashid for consecutive boundaries and smashed Zia over midwicket before a cover drive took Zimbabwe past 200. Aided by a misfield at long-on, Ervine reached his second half-century of the match. However, Zimbabwe’s struggles deepened when No. 10 Richard Ngarava pulled up with a calf injury, and with fading light, stumps were called. Zimbabwe ended the day needing 73 runs with only two wickets in hand, leaving Afghanistan in the driver’s seat.
Earlier in the day, Afghanistan had resumed their innings 205 runs ahead and looked to score quickly. Ismat Alam and Rashid Khan found the boundary regularly before Rashid was undone by a Blessing Muzarabani bouncer, gloving a catch to give the Zimbabwe pacer his maiden Test five-wicket haul. Ismat carried on impressively, surpassing Ibrahim Zadran’s record for the highest score by an Afghan batter on Test debut. He played maturely, hitting three fours in four overs after Rashid’s dismissal before Zimbabwe’s spread-out field forced him to slow down.
Partnered by Yamin Ahmadzai, Ismat celebrated a historic century with spirited fist pumps, a stark contrast to his two-ball duck in his first international innings. His innings ended on 101, miscuing a pull off Muzarabani, after which Afghanistan added just seven more runs. Despite the modest total, the combination of Ismat’s heroics and Rashid’s brilliance with the ball has left Afghanistan on the brink of sealing a series victory.
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