Zimbabwe Take Command as Afghanistan Struggle at 46-3 in Second Test
Zimbabwe seized the upper hand on Day 2 of the second Test against Afghanistan at Queens Sports Club, with the visitors reeling at 46-3 in their second innings. Still trailing Zimbabwe by 40 runs, Afghanistan faced a challenging situation when bad light brought play to an early close on Friday.
Zimbabwe’s pacer Blessing Muzarabani led the charge in the evening session, removing both openers Abdul Malik and debutant Riaz Hassan cheaply. Adding to Afghanistan’s woes, captain Hashmatullah Shahidi was clean bowled for 13 runs by Sikandar Raza, leaving the visitors in a precarious position.
Earlier, Zimbabwe capitalized on their first-innings advantage, posting 243 runs after bowling out Afghanistan for just 157 on Day 1. The hosts secured an 86-run lead, thanks to a solid batting effort led by captain Craig Ervine, who top-scored with a gritty 75 runs. Ervine was well-supported by Sikandar Raza (61) and Sean Williams (49), who built valuable partnerships.
Afghanistan’s ace spinner Rashid Khan, who returned for this match after missing the first Test, spearheaded his team’s bowling attack with figures of 4-94.
The surface for the second Test at Queens Sports Club offered a stark contrast to the batting-friendly wicket in the first match, where records tumbled, and both sides amassed massive totals — Zimbabwe scoring 586 and Afghanistan replying with their highest-ever Test score of 699. Only 24 wickets fell over five days in the first Test, which ended in a draw. However, the second Test has already seen 23 dismissals in just two days, promising a result-driven contest.
As the match heads into Day 3, Zimbabwe holds a firm grip, while Afghanistan will need a remarkable effort to avoid defeat and turn the game around.
