Going into the first test match between Zimbabwe and Afganisthan, it was pretty clear that one side had a complete advantage, while looking much closer to finishing this game much earlier than expected. Seeing that it was the Chevrons who were dominant in all phases, this is big for them considering all the problems they deal with in the summer after playing some very tough teams.
A group that doesn’t have Sean Williams or Tinotenda Maposa playing due to rest issues, they had to rely on many young pieces to show up and gain more experience. With Craig Ervine leading the way, his captinancy has been something very recongizable as he always makes it much more easier for his players to gain confidence.
Meanwhile, Afgnaisthan really had a match to forget so far with them getting dominated in both the batting and bowling areas. Seeing that their side looks very weak in this red-ball format, a lot of it has to do with their lack of playing test matches, as this is their first one since almost 8 months ago.
A side that has completely looked out of it and without much confidence, they are also missing many vital pieces like Rashid Khan and Rahmat Shah, which has seemed like much bigger losses than expected. Captain Hasmutullah Shahidi has been a very strong captain and hopes to help drag his team out of this very tough situation, which they have been stuck in for a while.
Afganisthan Had Trouble Getting Anything Going In That First Innings
When looking at the first innings for Afganisthan, things became an absolute mess as there was no consistency in the top or middle order. Opener Ibrahim Zadran hit 19 runs from the right-end with four boundaries, but was a key wicket that departed after being removed at 23/1.
Seeing such a fast start end like that, one key partnership between Rahmunllah Gurbaz and Abdul Malik had given this side a lot more hope. Scoring over 50 combined runs together, it felt like things would be very positive for this attack once again, but Malik had been run-out on a mix up which caused him to depart for 30 after Gurbaz was already caught out at 37.
Being 88/3, their loss of Gurbaz was quite huge as well because he hit three fours and seemed to go pretty well at a 100 strike rate, while finding several open areas around the ground. With Hashmutullah Shahidi being shocked on a delivery by Brad Evans that resulted in another catch, the captain had to leave for 7 runs and not much impact.
Things from here kept becoming worse as Bashir Shah, 12 runs with one boundary, and Asfar Zazai were removed after quick knocks. Knowing that the bottom order didn’t favor the normal batsmen who tend to score high-flying shots and can provide deep innings, they end up losing their final 4 wickets, while just scoring 13 runs within that period.
Zimbabwe Kept On Building Strong Attack With Pace and Spin
For Zimbabwe, it was clear that their bowling unit was on fire throughout and kept finding ways of easily changing this game in their own hands. Top pacer Blessing Muzarabani had another very strong performance after picking up three wickets and being a bouncer threat, which makes him so special. Knowing that his economy was held around 4.27 during the 11 overs, his accuracy on quick deliveries really made it tough for batsmen to track the ball in time, while he also created a lot of thick edges.
As Richard Ngarva was also close to a few wickets on the left side, he kept hitting the same line and length, while creating a lot of confusion from a very unique angle.
Someone that is clearly built on speed more than worrying about bowling the slower ball in this longer format, he showed that today and was consistent during his 6 overs with an economy that was barely over 4 runs an over. Seeing that Tanaka Chivanga picked up a wicket of his own, this was someone who delivered on time and seemed absolutely stable under pressure, despite batsmen trying to take him.
A guy that has been terrific with his effort of trying to pitch the ball a little outside, it gave their last pacer in Brad Evans a chance to have one of the most masterful performances. Taking 5 wickets and bowling 2 maidens in his 9.3 overs, it was tremendous to see how he was able to consistently not miss his line despite taking a huge chunk of overs.
Zimbabwe Started Their Innings Very Strong After Creating A Small Amount To Chase
On the batting side, Zimbabwe were able to start their innings quite fast and haven’t seemed to look back yet. With this unit currently leading by three runs, the production they got out of their top four batsmen today was absolutely phenomenal. With Brian Bennett starting to look very strong during his first couple balls, including one four, he was a key wicket lost early on, but that didn’t seem to bother this Chevrons unit much.
With Nick Welch up next, him and opposing opener Ben Curran were able to create a great partnership with both pieces being able to bat at a top level from either end. Helping this side go over 100 runs, their duo nearly went for that much as well, while things seemed nearly unstoppable.
Seeing that Nick Welch was the second batsmen to depart after getting clean-bowled, his innings was fantastic with a knock of 49 runs off 89 balls, while also being able to hit one six that went well with the four wonderful boundaries hit. Knowing that he has remained lethal in this format, he was very close to finally breaking a half-century, but an unfortunate wicket put Brendan Taylor in.
As Taylor was able to hit 18 runs of 21 balls before days end, he started of quite fast with three boundaries. Across him, Ben Curran crossed the 50 run mark and ended at exactly 52, while hitting 5 boundaries which helped him run up their scored to 130/2 in 38 overs.
What Lies Ahead On Day 2
With tommorow’s innings being quite important for Zimbabwe to completely take control of this match, they will need some big-time knocks from the remaining batsmen. Seeing that Ben Curran is already set and in, he should try scoring his 2nd century, while Taylor hopes for another legendary innings that further extends the lead.
Knowing that Sikandar Raza and Craig Ervine are still yet to come, this team could really put themselves in a very convicing positon. For Afganisthan, their group will be a little less excited for tommorow due to how much they have been hit for, while just hoping to pick up one wicket at a time to create some time of suprise in this match.
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