New Delhi: Afghanistan cricket team re-wrote the history after monumental knocks from batter Rahmat Shah and skipper Hasmatullah Shahidi have led their fightback in the ongoing first Test match against Zimbabwe at the Queen’s Sports Club in Bulawayo on Saturday (December 28).
The pair of Rahmat and Shahidi batted the whole day on the third day as Afghanistan befittingly responded to Zimbabwe’s mammoth 586 in the first innings. The visitors ended the day at 425 for 2 after the duo resumed from the overnight score of 95 for 2, it was an arduous task to cut out with a 491-run deficit to cut was never a cakewalk for any batting unit. The pressure sounds different.
Rahmat and Shahidi toiled the Zimbabwe bowlers throughout the day to compile 330 runs from 95 overs on the placid wicket of Bulawayo. Apart from the solid defensive batting from the Afghanistan batters, the Zimbabwe bowlers were made to pay for their sloppiness in the field with as many as four catches were dropped, as per reports from ESPNcricinfo.
Rahmat smashes Shahidi’s record for Afghanistan
Rahmat Shah became only the second batter from the country to record a double-ton with the help of 23 boundaries and three sixes. The 31-year-old went on to break his captain Shahidi’s record for the highest individual Test score by an Afghanistan batter after being unbeaten at 231 at the end of the third day. The fact that Shahidi can still reclaim the record given that he is also batting at 141 not out and will have the opportunity to outsmart Rahmat’s score on Sunday.
Rahmat and Shahidi have emulated England batters Jack Hobbs and Herbert Sutcliffe as a batting pair to play a complete day of Test cricket without being dismissed after almost 100 years, as per ESPNcricinfo. It was also first time since 2019 that the whole day went without any dismissal in Test cricket.
Afghanistan are still 161 runs away from taking a lead in the first innings. They will need to post a massive lead in order to force a desired result with just two days’ action left in the match.
Rahmat Shah smashed a record-breaking 231*, surpassing his captain Hasmatullah Shahidi’s previous highest individual Test score for Afghanistan. The duo played an entire day without being dismissed, emulating a feat last achieved nearly 100 years ago. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
