Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe 2021, 2nd Test: Day 5 - Afghanistan Claim Comfortable Series-Saving Victory Despite Zimbabwe's Desperate Fight

Afghanistan saved the Test series after beating Zimbabwe by 6 wickets in the second or last game of this Test series. This two-match Test series now ended with the 1-1 result as Zimbabwe won the first Test by 10 wickets. While it was Afghanistan’s third Test victory, it was Zimbabwe’s 17th consecutive Test series where they have failed to win the series since September 2011.

Starting the day on their overnight score of 266/7, Zimbabwe were all out on 365 runs in their second innings. While Afghanistan had the fourth innings target of 108 runs, they chased down that target in the early of the last session by losing four wickets.

Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe 2021, 2nd Test: Day 5 – Sean Williams and Donald Tiripano fought hard but that was not enough

Overnight batsmen Sean Williams and Donald Tiripano continued their strong resistance in the first session of this final day of this Test series. Their partnership almost completed the first session as Tiripano was so close to his maiden Test century.

But once again Rashid Khan broke that giant eighth-wicket partnership of 187 runs as he dismissed Tiripano for 95 runs off 258 balls (16 fours). With that wicket, Rashid Khan completed his second 10-wicket haul in his Test career. Meanwhile, Zimbabwe scored 330/8 at the lunch break.

Blessing Muzarabani scored 17 runs before Amir Hamza got his wicket. Captain Sean Williams completed his 150 runs in 308 balls and remained not out on 151 runs off 309 balls as Rashid Khan became the first Afghanistan bowler to claim a 7-wicket haul in a Test innings by dismissing Victor Nyauchi for a golden duck. Rashid Khan ended that innings with bowling figures of 62.5-17-137-7.

Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe 2021, 2nd Test: Day 5 – Ibrahim Zadran and Rahmat Shah denied any big drama in the 4th innings

Chasing down the 108 runs target, opener Javed Ahmadi lost his wicket at a very early stage after scoring just 4 runs. But another opener Ibrahim Zadran and Rahmat Shah assured to have no big drama in that fourth innings with their 81 runs partnership for the second wicket. While Zadran scored 29 runs, Rahmat Shah scored 58 runs off 76 balls (9 fours and only six).

Though Afghanistan lost three more wickets at the late stage as Ryan Burl (2/16) and Blessing Muzarabani (2/25) both got two wickets each, the Asian side finally secured their first Test victory against Zimbabwe in style.

Brief Scores: Afghanistan – 545/4 decl. (Hashmatullah Shahidi 200*; Asghar Afghan 164, Ryan Burl 1/69) & 108/4 (Rahmat Shah 58, Ibrahim Zadran 29; Ryan Burl 2/16)

Zimbabwe – 287 (Sikandar Raza 85, Prince Masvaure 65; Rashid Khan 4/138) & 365 (Sean Williams 151*, Donald Tiripano 95; Rashid Khan 7/137)