Rashid's 11 wickets help Afghanistan level series against Zimbabwe

Abu Dhabi - Playing their sixth Test match, the Afghans posted 545-4, their highest ever total, before captain Asghar Afghan declared their first innings

Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan picked up his second 10-wicket haul in Test cricket to help his side beat Zimbabwe by six wickets for a series-levelling win in the second test in Abu Dhabi on Sunday.

Afghanistan, who played their first Test against India in 2018, chased down a target of 108 against the African nation in the final session of the match to square the two-match series at 1-1.

The 22-year-old Rashid, who had taken 11 wickets against Bangladesh in 2019, picked up 7-137 in the second innings against Zimbabwe for a match haul of 11-325.

Playing their sixth Test match, the Afghans posted 545-4, their highest ever total, before captain Asghar Afghan declared their first innings.

That was built on the first double hundred by an Afghanistan player when Hashmatullah Shahidi scored 200 not out. The skipper made 164.

The Asian side seemed headed for quick revenge for losing inside two days in the opening Test when they dismissed Zimbabwe for 287 in the first innings and reduced them to 142-7 in the second after enforcing the follow-on.

But Zimbabwe captain Sean Williams, who remained unbeaten on 151, and Donald Tiripano showed fight to add 187 for the eighth wicket and help Zimbabwe avoid an innings defeat.

Rashid broke the resistance with his sixth wicket of the innings and he denied Tiripano a maiden Test hundred when he trapped him lbw for 95 shortly before the lunch break.

Rashid also removed number 11 batsman Victor Nyauchi, before he had scored, as Zimbabwe were dismissed for 365 in their second innings.

Scoreboard

Afghanistan 1st innings 545-4 dec (Hashmatullah Shahidi 200 not out, Asghar Afghan 164)

Zimbabwe 1st innings 287 (Sikandar Raza 85; Prince Masvaure 65; Rashid Khan 4-138, Amir Hamza 3-73)

Zimbabwe 2nd innings (overnight 266-7)

P. Masvaure c and b Ahmadi 15

K. Kasuza c Rahmat b Rashid 30

T. Musakanda lbw b Rashid 15

S. Williams not out 151

W. Madhevere c Zazai b Shirzad 0

Sikandar Raza c Jamal b Rashid 22

R. Burl lbw b Rashid 0

R. Chakabva lbw b Rashid 0

D. Tiripano lbw b Rashid 95

B. Muzarabani c Zazai b Hamza 17

V. Nyauchi lbw b Rashid 0

Extras: (b12, lb7, w1) 20

Total: (Overs 148.5; all out) 365

Fall of wickets: 1-44 (Masvaure), 2-46 (Kasuza), 3-101 (Musakanda), 4-102 (Madhevere), 5-140 (Raza), 6-140 (Burl), 7-142 (Chakabva), 8-329 (Tiripano), 9-362 (Muzarabani)

Bowling: Shirzad 27-7-49-1 (1w), Rashid 62.5-17-137-7, Hamza 34-7-104-1, Ahmadi 16-5-40-1, Shahidullah 5-1-6-0, Asghar 1-0-1-0, Rahmat 3-0-9-0

Afghanistan 2nd innings

Javed Ahmadi b Muzarabani 4

Ibrahim Zadran c Musakanda b Burl 29

Rahmat Shah b Burl 58

Shahidullah Kamal c Kasuza b Muzarabani 0

Nasir Jamal not out 4

Hashmatullah Shahidi not out 6

Extras (b4, nb2, w1) 7

TOTAL (Overs 26.1, for four wkts) 108

Did not bat: Asghar Afghan, Afsar Zazai, Rashid Khan, Amir Hamza, Sayed Shirzad

Fall of wickets: 1-8 (Ahmadi), 2-89 (Zadran), 3-91 (Kamal), 4-101 (Rahmat)

Bowling: Muzarabani 9.1-1-25-2, Nyauchi 6-1-28-0, Williams 3-0-18-0, Tiripano 4-0-17-0 (1nb, 1w), Burl 4-1-16-2

Result: Afghanistan win by six wickets

Toss: Afghanistan

Umpires: Aleem Dar (PAK) and Ahmed Shah Pakteen (AFG)

TV umpire: Ahmed Shah Durrani (AFG)

Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle (SRI)