One-Off Test
Day-3 Highlights:
Rahmat Shah and Hashmatullah Shahidi has secured a wicketless day for Afghanistan on Day 3
At The Stumps of Day-3:
Zimbabwe scored 586 (1st Innings), where as Afghanistan scored 425/2 (1st Innings).
So, finally Zimbabwe lead by 161 runs.
Rahmat Shah’s double century, the highest individual score for Afghanistan in Tests, and Hashmatullah Shahidi’s century were the standout performances on a wicketless Day 3 of the first Test in Bulawayo.
The duo put together a record-breaking partnership, leading Afghanistan’s solid response to Zimbabwe’s mammoth total of 586.
Rahmat (231*) and Shahidi (141*) shared an unbroken 361-run stand for the third wicket, leaving Afghanistan at 425 for 2 at the close of play, still trailing by 161 runs.
Starting the day at 95 for 2, Afghanistan needed a significant partnership to challenge Zimbabwe’s formidable score.
Rahmat and Shahidi played cautiously early on, focusing on singles and twos, while defending solidly against any threats.
The first boundary came 68 balls into the day, and after that, they began to score more freely.
Shahidi reached fifty, while Rahmat brought up his second Test century, with the pair adding a century stand to take Afghanistan to 191 for 2 at Lunch.
In the second session, the Afghanistan batters became more aggressive, regularly finding the boundary.
Rahmat even launched Brandon Mavuta for a six over midwicket.
He also received a stroke of luck when Newman Nyamhuri failed to hold onto a catch at deep mid-on.
Zimbabwe tested the batters with the second new ball, but they were unscathed as Rahmat reached his maiden 150-plus score, and the partnership stretched beyond 200 runs.
Zimbabwe’s catching woes continued as Rahmat was dropped twice in the 93rd over, first by wicketkeeper Joylord Gumbie and then by bowler Blessing Muzarabani.
Shahidi then hit two fours off Nyamhuri just before the Tea break to move into the 90s, and Afghanistan added 107 runs in 29 overs during the session.
After Tea, Rahmat resumed with a boundary off Trevor Gwandu, quickly taking Afghanistan past 300.
He followed it with two more fours in the same over.
As Rahmat continued to find the boundary, Shahidi brought up his second Test century with a single off Nyamhuri.
The partnership soon crossed 300 runs, making it Afghanistan’s highest-ever stand in Test cricket, surpassing the 307-run partnership between Shahidi and Asghar Afghan against Zimbabwe in 2021.
Rahmat then reached his double century in style, hitting a four off Brian Bennett to become only the second Afghanistan player to score a double century in Test cricket.
He celebrated with a six off Sean Williams in the following over.
Afghanistan’s score quickly climbed past 400, and the partnership grew beyond 350, with Zimbabwe bowlers struggling to find any relief on a deck offering little assistance.
By the end of Day 3, Rahmat had struck 23 fours and three sixes, while Shahidi had hit 16 fours.
The third session proved the most productive, with Afghanistan scoring 127 runs in 31 overs against a tiring Zimbabwe attack.
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