Brendan Taylor fell four runs short of a century and Innocent Kaia matched him run for run as Zimbabwe reached 250 for 5 at stumps on day one of the second Test against Afghanistan in Sharjah, in a match that will decide the series after the first Test ended in a draw.
Zimbabwe captain Brian Bennett won the toss and chose to bat, and his openers made the decision look right. Ben Curran and Kaia put on 98 for the first wicket before debutant Naseer Khan Maroofkhil broke through, trapping Curran for 44. Kaia and Taylor then added 102 for the second wicket, taking Zimbabwe past 200 with only one wicket down and the innings seemingly heading for a huge total.
Kaia’s innings ended four short of a hundred too, lbw to Naseer for 96 from 167 balls, and the debutant left-arm spinner suddenly had the match in his hands. Zimbabwe slipped from 200 for 1 to 212 for 4, and then to 247 for 5, as Naseer finished the day with 4 for 118 from 34 overs on his Test debut. Antum Naqvi made 8 before falling to Ziaur Rahman Sharifi, and Tafadzwa Tsiga was unbeaten on 2 at stumps.
Taylor, though, was still there. The veteran, who made 131 and 82 in the drawn first Test and was named player of the match, batted for 250 minutes for his unbeaten 96 from 163 balls, with 12 fours and a six. It was his third score past 80 in three innings of the series, and he will walk out on Saturday morning four runs from a century, with the second new ball due for Afghanistan.
Play ended early, with the umpires calling stumps at 17:12 local time because of bad light after 82 overs. Zimbabwe will feel they let Afghanistan back in after dominating most of the day, but with Taylor set and the pitch still flat, a total past 350 remains well within reach.
The first Test at the same ground was a run-feast: Zimbabwe became the first team in Test history to score more than 500 in both innings of a match, with Craig Ervine making an unbeaten 206, and the game produced seven centuries and 1,541 runs for just 25 wickets. Taylor’s 131 in that match made him the second-oldest player to win a player-of-the-match award in a Test. The winner of this second Test takes the series.
Related:
- After Historic Run-Fest, Afghanistan and Zimbabwe Head to Sharjah Decider on a Fresh Pitch — https://t20star.com/after-historic-run-fest-afghanistan-and-zimbabwe-head-to-sharjah-decider-on-a-fresh-pitch/
- Craig Ervine’s Maiden Double-Century Seals Historic High-Scoring Draw as Zimbabwe and Afghanistan Share Seven Centuries in Sharjah — https://t20star.com/craig-ervines-maiden-double-century-seals-historic-high-scoring-draw-as-zimbabwe-and-afghanistan-share-seven-centuries-in-sharjah/
