Post by : Maya Rahman

Zimbabwe celebrated a landmark victory over Afghanistan, marking their first home Test win since 2013. With a dominant innings and 73 runs, this victory represents their largest Test success and their first innings win since 2001. Richard Ngarava emerged as the star player, capturing his maiden five-wicket haul in Tests and dismantling the Afghan batting order.

The bowlers from Zimbabwe were relentless, as Ngarava's exceptional movement both in the air and off the pitch kept Afghanistan at bay. Early breakthroughs from Tanaka Chivanga further unsettled the opposition, while Blessing Muzarabani's accurate final spell ensured the match wrapped up in under three hours on day three. The contributions of Craig Ervine and Sikandar Raza earlier in the game set the stage for Zimbabwe's dominance.

Afghanistan struggled to build any momentum during their innings. Players such as Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, and Hashmatullah Shahidi fell early, failing to form lasting partnerships. Even as Bahir Shah showed some resistance, Zimbabwe’s bowlers quickly closed out the innings. The Afghan team's lack of experience in Test cricket played a crucial role in their downfall, allowing Zimbabwe to assert their dominance with relative ease.

Ngarava’s five-wicket haul, alongside the speed of Chivanga and the finishing touches from Muzarabani, underlined the formidable nature of Zimbabwe’s bowling unit. Ben Curran's impressive 121 runs on day two earned him the Player of the Match award, with Sikandar Raza contributing a solid 65 to the total. These performances demonstrated the team's capability to seize opportunities and maintain pressure throughout the contest.

Craig Ervine, the captain of Zimbabwe, expressed his pride in the team's overall performance and highlighted the resilience shown, especially after a challenging start on the first day. He pointed out their adaptability and execution under testing conditions, marking this victory as a rewarding end to a challenging year of Test cricket.

Afghanistan's captain Hashmatullah Shahidi reflected on the early collapse as a critical moment in the game. He acknowledged that losing momentum on day one severely affected their prospects and stressed the necessity for more experience in Test cricket. The team recognizes the need to enhance their batting strategy and learn from this setback ahead of upcoming matches.

Looking ahead, both teams are set to face off in a series of three T20I matches starting October 29. Zimbabwe will be eager to leverage the confidence from this iconic Test win into the shorter format, while Afghanistan aims to regroup and address their batting pitfalls.

This victory firmly reinstates Zimbabwe’s authority in home Test cricket and showcases the prowess of their bowling unit, heralding a promising future for the team in the world of international cricket.

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