Zimbabwe and Afghanistan played out a high-scoring 1st match draw after five days of Test cricket in which the bat dominated for long periods.
Zimbabwe became the first team in their Test history to score 500 or more runs in both innings of the same match. They also crossed 1,000 aggregate runs in a Test for the first time.
Afghanistan spent significantly more time in the field than Zimbabwe, which placed a considerable workload on their players with the second Test only four days away.
Their batters, however, produced a strong response.
Sediqullah Atal and debutant Rahmanullah scored centuries, continuing a partnership that dates back to their Under-19 days.
Captain Rahmat Shah then added 173, guiding Afghanistan past Zimbabwe’s first-innings total of 504.
Afghanistan’s bowling attack had fewer options throughout the match. Their use of several all-rounders left them with limited specialist choices.
Mohammad Saleem produced useful spells in both innings, while Qais Ahmad took wickets but was inconsistent with his line.
Debutant Zia-ur-Rehman also bowled extended spells as a holding option and provided control during a demanding Test.
Zimbabwe’s first innings featured centuries from Brendan Taylor and captain Brian Bennett, while Wessly Madhevere contributed a half-century.
The batting continued to dominate in the second innings of 1st Test Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe.
Taylor and Bennett both made fifties, while Craig Ervine scored a career-best double century. He also became Zimbabwe’s oldest Test centurion.
Madhevere followed with his maiden Test century, further extending Zimbabwe’s total.
Zimbabwe eventually became the first team in their Test history to score 500 or more in both innings of a match.
Their combined score also took them beyond 1,000 runs for the Test.
Zimbabwe’s bowlers found limited assistance from the surface, but Newman Nyamhuri delivered an important individual performance.
The seamer claimed his maiden five-wicket haul in Test cricket despite the conditions offering little help to the pace attack.
His effort was one of the few major bowling highlights in a match largely dominated by batting.
With three innings passing 500 runs, neither side had enough time to force a result on the final day.
Afghanistan and Zimbabwe eventually agreed to end the 1st Test contest as a draw.
Zimbabwe’s record-breaking batting performance was the main feature of the match, while Afghanistan’s centuries from Atal and Rahmanullah, along with Rahmat Shah’s 173, kept them competitive.
The teams will now turn their attention to the second Test, which begins only four days after the conclusion of this match.
