243/10 (73.3)
CR : 3.31
157/10 (44.3)
CR : 3.53
Afghanistan won by 72 runs 🏆
Player of the Match
Rashid Khan
4/94 & 7/6625(20) & 23(27)
Player of the Match: Rashid Khan
Rashid Khan (Player of the Match): "First of all, I want to thank Almighty Allah for this performance, especially after returning to Test cricket after three years. It was challenging for me to come back after back surgery and play the longer format, but I’m quite happy with my performance.
That being said, I don’t see this as an individual achievement. It was a complete team effort. The way the guys batted in the second innings was incredible—it brought us back into the game and gave us the opportunity to push for the win.
When there’s a collective team effort, your chances of winning games increase significantly. This was one of those moments where everyone contributed, and I’m grateful to be a part of it.
Rahmat Shah and Ismat Alam made it clear that batting wasn't easy out there. Alam, who was dismissed for a duck on debut, showed great determination. Despite taking a hit, he remained eager to bat long, which was inspiring for the team. Watching him set such an example motivated us and gave us the opportunity to step up and give our best.
As for my own performance, I just kept things simple. I had to adjust to the conditions, especially since I hadn’t bowled with the red ball for three years. But having played international cricket for 10-11 years, I know the importance of length and maintaining pressure by sticking to the right line and length.
Now, I’ll be heading to SA20 tomorrow, which presents a new format and a fresh challenge for me."
That being said, I don’t see this as an individual achievement. It was a complete team effort. The way the guys batted in the second innings was incredible—it brought us back into the game and gave us the opportunity to push for the win.
When there’s a collective team effort, your chances of winning games increase significantly. This was one of those moments where everyone contributed, and I’m grateful to be a part of it.
Rahmat Shah and Ismat Alam made it clear that batting wasn't easy out there. Alam, who was dismissed for a duck on debut, showed great determination. Despite taking a hit, he remained eager to bat long, which was inspiring for the team. Watching him set such an example motivated us and gave us the opportunity to step up and give our best.
As for my own performance, I just kept things simple. I had to adjust to the conditions, especially since I hadn’t bowled with the red ball for three years. But having played international cricket for 10-11 years, I know the importance of length and maintaining pressure by sticking to the right line and length.
Now, I’ll be heading to SA20 tomorrow, which presents a new format and a fresh challenge for me."
Player of the Series: Rahmat Shah
Craig Ervine (Zimbabwe Captain): "I think there were definitely times in the game when we could have capitalized better. Unfortunately, we didn’t. That first-innings lead of 86 could have probably been extended further. There are certain areas where we could have performed much better. Unfortunately, Afghanistan played really well in this Test.
Yeah, I think looking back at the first innings, the bowling performance from the guys was crucial in getting them out for 157. That was the opportunity to really capitalize and push for a score above 300-350.
A lot of credit has to go to Rahmat and Ismat for the way they batted and worked their way back into the game. Then, Rashid putting his hand up at the end and taking a 7-wicket haul was outstanding.
It hasn't been easy—it's been a tough grind. Having only two days between Tests was challenging, and the guys weren't accustomed to such a rigorous schedule. But we’ll focus on the positives moving forward.
There will be some franchise cricket, followed by a break. After that, the guys will play one round and then prepare for the Ireland series with a camp."
Yeah, I think looking back at the first innings, the bowling performance from the guys was crucial in getting them out for 157. That was the opportunity to really capitalize and push for a score above 300-350.
A lot of credit has to go to Rahmat and Ismat for the way they batted and worked their way back into the game. Then, Rashid putting his hand up at the end and taking a 7-wicket haul was outstanding.
It hasn't been easy—it's been a tough grind. Having only two days between Tests was challenging, and the guys weren't accustomed to such a rigorous schedule. But we’ll focus on the positives moving forward.
There will be some franchise cricket, followed by a break. After that, the guys will play one round and then prepare for the Ireland series with a camp."
Hashmatullah Shahidi (Afghanistan Captain): "First of all, congratulations to the entire team. I’m very happy with the way we performed. As you saw, the first day was difficult for us, and coming back from that was not easy.
However, the team showed great spirit, which proves we are mentally strong. Hopefully, this will work for us in the future as well. I know it wasn't easy, but credit goes to the whole team, especially to Rahmat, Ismat, and Rashid. The way they performed in this innings was fantastic.
First of all, I want to talk about Rahmat. He’s a senior player who has always shown his talent whenever the team has needed him. That was one of the best innings I’ve seen from him.
Ismat has scored a lot of runs in first-class cricket. This year, we played a lot of first-class cricket domestically, and that helped us identify players and contributed to their growth and maturity. Coming here, the first innings was difficult for him, and he was dismissed for zero. But he showed great resilience in coming back from that, which makes me very happy.
If you look at his story, his father was one of the founders of Afghanistan cricket and made significant contributions. Now, his son has risen up to play for the country, which makes this moment even more special for him. I’m happy for him, and once again, I’ll say that all the credit goes to the team, especially to Rashid, Ismat, and Rahmat Shah.
We played good cricket throughout the series. The first innings here was tough, but we fought back strongly after that. Moving forward, we know we have the talent to beat any side in any format, and we’ll continue to believe in ourselves. Many of our players will be involved in franchise cricket, but our next big challenge is the Champions Trophy. It’s a crucial tournament for us, and we’re really looking forward to it. We’ll have a camp before the tournament begins to prepare."
However, the team showed great spirit, which proves we are mentally strong. Hopefully, this will work for us in the future as well. I know it wasn't easy, but credit goes to the whole team, especially to Rahmat, Ismat, and Rashid. The way they performed in this innings was fantastic.
First of all, I want to talk about Rahmat. He’s a senior player who has always shown his talent whenever the team has needed him. That was one of the best innings I’ve seen from him.
Ismat has scored a lot of runs in first-class cricket. This year, we played a lot of first-class cricket domestically, and that helped us identify players and contributed to their growth and maturity. Coming here, the first innings was difficult for him, and he was dismissed for zero. But he showed great resilience in coming back from that, which makes me very happy.
If you look at his story, his father was one of the founders of Afghanistan cricket and made significant contributions. Now, his son has risen up to play for the country, which makes this moment even more special for him. I’m happy for him, and once again, I’ll say that all the credit goes to the team, especially to Rashid, Ismat, and Rahmat Shah.
We played good cricket throughout the series. The first innings here was tough, but we fought back strongly after that. Moving forward, we know we have the talent to beat any side in any format, and we’ll continue to believe in ourselves. Many of our players will be involved in franchise cricket, but our next big challenge is the Champions Trophy. It’s a crucial tournament for us, and we’re really looking forward to it. We’ll have a camp before the tournament begins to prepare."
Most scalps in first six Test matches:
50 - Charlie Turner
45 - Vernon Philander
45 - Rashid Khan
43 - Alf Valentine
43 - Prabath Jayasuriya
50 - Charlie Turner
45 - Vernon Philander
45 - Rashid Khan
43 - Alf Valentine
43 - Prabath Jayasuriya
Hashmatullah Shahidi collects the trophy and joins his teammates for the photo sessions. Afghanistan won the 2-match Test series 1-0.
Afghanistan began their Zimbabwe tour with a defeat in the first match of the T20I series, but from that point onward, they never looked back. They went on to win the series in all three formats, ending 2024 on a high note and starting the new year in the same fashion. Time to conclude this coverage, folks. For now, it's me Deepak Prakash signing off on behalf of scorer/analyst Raju Khariya. CHEERS!