ZIM vs AFG, 1st Test, Day 5 Live Score: Shahidi eyes double century as Afghanistan resumes from 515/3
ZIM vs AFG, 1st Test, Day 5 Live Score: Shahidi eyes double century as Afghanistan resumes from 515/3
Captain Hashmatullah Shahidi was unbeaten on 179 as Afghanistan trailed Zimbabwe by 71 runs after a rain-shortened fourth day on Sunday.
He and double-centurion Rahmat Shah put on 364 for the third wicket before the latter was out having made a career-best 234 at the Queens Sports Club.
Zimbabwe won the toss and posted a record 586 in its first innings. Afghanistan was 515-3 in reply when rain intervened, preventing any play after 1pm local time.
The umpires waited nearly four hours before calling the play off, strengthening the likelihood of a draw in a match dominated by batters.
More rain is predicted for the final day on Monday as both teams chase a first Test victory since beating each other three years ago in a series in Abu Dhabi.
Shah, 231 overnight, added three runs to his personal best before getting an outside edge off Test debutant Newman Nyamhuri’s bowling. Ben Curran caught the ball in the gully.
The departure of Shah, who struck three sixes and 23 fours in a 424-ball stand, brought no respite for the six-man Zimbabwe attack.
Cautious Shahidi continued to bat effectively while hitting 18 fours. He is 22 runs short of a career-best Test total after making an unbeaten 200 against Zimbabwe three years ago.
The skipper received good support from Afsar Zazai, who was unbeaten on 46. The wicketkeeper faced 87 deliveries and scored a six and three fours.
Medium-pacer Trevor Gwandu took the wicket of opener Sediqullah Atal for three. But he was the most expensive of the home bowlers, conceding 107 runs.
Afghanistan won the Twenty20 and one-day international series in Zimbabwe ahead of the first of two Tests. The second is set to start on January 2.
Craig Ervine (c), Brian Bennett, Johnathan Campbell, Takudzwa Chataira, Ben Curran, Joylord Gumbie, Trevor Gwandu, Takudzwanashe Kaitano, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Brandon Mavuta, Nyasha Mayavo, Blessing Muzarabani, Dion Myers, Richard Ngarava, Newman Nyamhuri, Sikandar Raza, Sean Williams.
Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Abdul Malik, Afsar Zazai, Azmatullah Omarzai, Bahir Shah, Bashir Ahmad, Fareed Ahmad, AM Ghazanfar, Ikram Alikhil, Ismat Alam, Naveed Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Rashid Khan, Riaz Hassan, Sediqullah Atal, Yamin Ahmadzai, Zahir Khan, Zahir Shehzad, Zia-ur-Rehman.
