afghanistan tour of zimbabwe 2025

Brad Evans to Ziaur Rahman Sharifi, out Bowled!! Fifer for Brad Evans and the innings is done too. A searing inswinging yorker and it's at the toes of Ziaur Rahman Sharifi, he can't keep it out, past the bat as it comes down, flicks the back boot I think and then uproots off-stump. Cracker that and no wonder Brad Evans is pumped. He is roaring in delight. Ziaur Rahman Sharifi b Brad Evans 0(1)

Brad Evans to Khalil Gurbaz, out Caught by Tafadzwa Tsiga!! Right at Khalil Gurbaz and this time he edges it behind. Rising at the batter who is backing away to leg, right at his face, he can only feather it to Tafadzwa Tsiga. Clear edge and Brad Evans has four. That was well-directed and Gurbaz had no clue to that one. Khalil Gurbaz c Tafadzwa Tsiga b Brad Evans 2(13)

Brad Evans to Sharafuddin Ashraf, out Caught by Tanaka Chivanga!! Good catch that from mid-off. Chivanga goes to his left and dives to snaffle that just inches from the turf. Length delivery outside off, Sharafuddin Ashraf gets forward to loft, totally miscues it and it seems to be landing safely till Chivanga came into the picture. Fine catch that and wickets falling in a heap for Afghanistan. Sharafuddin Ashraf c Tanaka Chivanga b Brad Evans 0(3)

Muzarabani to Ismat Alam, out Caught by Tafadzwa Tsiga!! Appeal for a caught behind down leg. Given by umpire Nitin Menon. Ismat Alam doesn't want to go. But he has to. No DRS here. It's a short of length delivery down leg, Ismat Alam flicks and did he glove or feather that? The finger went up very quickly. Need technology to detect if there was anything on this. Ismat Alam c Tafadzwa Tsiga b Muzarabani 8(16) [4s-1]

Muzarabani to Bahir Shah, out Caught by Brian Bennett!! Caught at gully. A tentative poke that. A rising short of length delivery outside off, Bahir Shah pokes away fromt the body, low percentage shot that and he gives Bennett a sharp chance to his left, who dives and reverse-cups well. That was travelling and he took it two-handed. Early wicket after lunch for Zimbabwe. Bahir Shah c Brian Bennett b Muzarabani 12(30) [4s-1]

Brad Evans to Zazai, out Caught by Tafadzwa Tsiga!! Edged and Tafadzwa Tsiga completes a fine one-handed catch, diving to his right. Afghanistan are crumbling on the first morning - was a back of a length delivery outside off and held its line, Zazai didn't need to play at that, but he's strode forward and that makes him feel for the ball, the outside edge is found and it goes low to the keeper's right - Tafadzwa Tsiga dives across, goes one-handed and takes it cleanly, inches above the turf. Second wicket of the over and the hosts have edged ahead. Zazai c Tafadzwa Tsiga b Brad Evans 1(3)

Brad Evans to Shahidi, out Caught by Nick Welch!! .. and he strikes immediately, pitched up in that channel wide of off - held its line and lured Shahidi into the big drive, he can't resist and goes with hard hands, the bottom-hand comes off and he has no control over the shot. the edge flies to the left of gully where Welch threw himself and completed a fine two-handed catch. Fourth wicket inside the first session and Zimbabwe are fighting back with vigour. Shahidi c Nick Welch b Brad Evans 7(14) [4s-1]

Tanaka Chivanga to Abdul Malik, out Abdul Malik Run Out!! Oh dear! A massive mix-up, both batters end up at the same end and Malik has been sold down the river by his captain, he throws himself on the dive, but he's yards short of the ground. OUT and Afghanistan lose their third wicket. A waste of a wicket and the set batters departs - was a yorker length delivery on off and Malik squeezed it to the off-side, the ball rolled towards cover and he set-off for a quick single, his partner responded and then stopped, Malik stalled and then continued to run, but Shahidi has already turned his back onto him. Welch picks up the ball, has a look and then lobs the throw to the keeper - Tafadzwa Tsiga made his way to the stumps and broke the stumps, catching Malik well short despite his dramatic dive. Abdul Malik run out (Nick Welch/Tafadzwa Tsiga) 30(40) [4s-2]

Tanaka Chivanga to Gurbaz, out Caught by Raza!! A poor shot and Zimbabwe have their second wicket. Was pitched up in that corridor outside off - Gurbaz was always playing his shots, took a couple of steps down the pitch, his eyes lit up as he shaped for the big drive, but he ended up slicing it in the air and straight down Raza's throat at backward point - a reverse cupped catch and the partnership has been broken. Gurbaz c Raza b Tanaka Chivanga 37(37) [4s-3]

Muzarabani to Ibrahim Zadran, out Caught by Nick Welch!! Edged and caught! Muzarabani strikes for Zimbabwe, but this is a poor shot from Zadran - back of a length and well wide of off, straightened onto the right-hander, but Zadran plays a nothing shot, a half-hearted poke away from his body, gets a thick edge and it flies to Nick Welch at third slip - a simple catch and the home team have struck early. Ibrahim Zadran c Nick Welch b Muzarabani 19(23) [4s-4]

Ziaur Rahman Sharifi to Tanaka Chivanga, out Lbw!! That's plumb and Rahman finishes with 7 for 97. The nip-backer and Chivanga is caught on the move, plays down the wrong line and is beaten on the inside edge, struck adjacent to middle and would've gone on and hit the leg-stump. Tanaka Chivanga lbw b Ziaur Rahman Sharifi 5(16) [4s-1]

Ziaur Rahman Sharifi to Muzarabani, out Bowled!! Cleaned up! Rahman has the stumps cart-wheeling once again and he has 6 for the innings - full and straight, Muzarabani cleared his front-leg on the hoick and missed the line completely - turns around to watch his stumps in a mess. Muzarabani b Ziaur Rahman Sharifi 5(10) [4s-1]

Ziaur Rahman Sharifi to Ngarava, out Bowled!! A first-ball duck for Ngarava and Rahman has 5 - he's bowled beautifully and has certainly deserved this, accolades all-around as he jumps around in joy. On a good length and angling across the left-hander - Ngarava's feet went nowhere as he went for the drive, doesn't cover for the away going angle, gets beaten on the outside edge and the off-stump is sent cart-wheeling once again. Ziaur Rahman Sharifi is on a hat-trick now. Ngarava b Ziaur Rahman Sharifi 0(1)

Ziaur Rahman Sharifi to Tafadzwa Tsiga, out Lbw!! A big appeal for LBW and Tafadzwa Tsiga's troubled stay comes to an end, was this nipping down leg? Was the big nip-backer and Tsiga played all-around it, the ball smashed into the front-pad, in front of middle and leg - umpire Nitin Menon reckons that it was at least clipping the leg-stump and sends Tsiga on his way. Tafadzwa Tsiga lbw b Ziaur Rahman Sharifi 17(52) [4s-2]

Ismat Alam to Ben Curran, out Lbw!! Afghanistan do have a wicket to end the session and it's not a no-ball this time around. Slightly lazy from Curran and he departs after a fine innings - the players walk off for tea with the home team in complete control - was a nip-backer and Curran lazily brought the bat down, beaten on the inside edge and he's pinned in front of middle, would've been crashing into the middle-stump - Curran's lengthy vigil comes to an end. Ben Curran lbw b Ismat Alam 121(256) [4s-15]

Sharafuddin Ashraf to Raza, out Caught by Ahmadzai!! Oh dear, this is a top edge that has gone straight up. Man at deep square leg runs in and completes a fine catch. Seems like it bounced extra than Raza expected. Ball turned as well to force the mishit as Raza went for the slog-sweep. End of a very good hand from Raza and the 99-run stand ends. Also the first Test wicket for Ashraf, must be a good feeling. Raza c Ahmadzai b Sharafuddin Ashraf 65(88) [4s-7]

Ismat Alam to Ervine, out Lbw!! A second wicket of the day and another Zimbabwe batter has been pinned in the crease - a simple call as umpire Nitin Menon raises the dreaded finger. On a good length and angling back into the left-hander - Ervine pressed forward and then tried to play with his bat around the pad, beaten on the inside edge and is struck just above the knee-roll - the impact was in front of middle and[ the ball would've gone on to hit the top of middle and leg-stump - a failure for the skipper and AFG continue to chip away. Ervine lbw b Ismat Alam 5(8) [4s-1]

Ziaur Rahman Sharifi to Brendan Taylor, out Bowled!! Cleaned up! Rahman has sent another Zimbabwe batter's stumps cart-wheeling - he's up in joy with his arms gheld aloft, AFG needed this wicket badly, a well-set Brendan Taylor could've pushed the score ahead at a brisk rate - was the nip-backer, kept coming back into the right-hander, Taylor was pinned onto the crease as he played forward, gets beaten on the outside edge and the off-stump goes for a walk. Brendan Taylor b Ziaur Rahman Sharifi 32(43) [4s-6]

Ziaur Rahman Sharifi to Nick Welch, out Bowled!! Finally Afghanistan get Nick Welch. A patient knock but full of luck. A cracker of a delivery, wide of the crease and nips back in from a good length, Welch gets forward to defend, but leaves a gap between bat and pad, the ball sneaks through and uproots middle-stump. Sends the stump cartwheeling much to the delight of Ziaur Rahman Sharifi who is pumped. Welch battled on and even survived a catch off a no-ball, had his fair share of luck but that has now run out. Falls a run short of his fifty. Nick Welch b Ziaur Rahman Sharifi 49(89) [4s-5 6s-1]

Ziaur Rahman Sharifi to Brian Bennett, out Bowled!! That's an absolute corker and the debutant has struck early - this is a ripper, angles into the right-hander and then held its line around off, Bennett was playing for the angle, plays down the wrong line and the ball crashes into the top of off-stump - it's sent cart-wheeling towards the keeper and Afghanistan have drawn first blood. Brian Bennett b Ziaur Rahman Sharifi 6(9) [4s-1]