Zimbabwe secure draw in high-scoring Test on rain-hit day

Zimbabwe 142 for 4 (Curran 41, Williams 35*, Zahir 2-43) and 586 (Williams 154, Bennett 110*, Ervine 104, Ghazanfar 3-127) drew with Afghanistan 699 (Shahidi 246, Rahmat 234, Zazai 113, Bennett 5-95)

There were three Boxing Day Tests going on simultaneously. The one in Bulawayo, between Zimbabwe and Afghanistan, never had the appeal of Melbourne. But for a brief while on the final evening, it did have some of the thrill from Centurion. Zimbabwe suffered a collapse of 4 for 15 in the second innings, and were still 25 runs behind Afghanistan, who had gone 113 ahead in the first.

However, the prospect of any dramatic finish quickly vanished as Sean Williams and Craig Ervine not only wiped the deficit out, but also ensured no further damage. The game inevitably ended in a draw, but provided plenty of opportunities for players to fill their boots. Hashmatullah Shahidi scored a career-best 246, while Afsar Zazai hit his maiden Test hundred as Afghanistan piled up 699, their highest total in the format.

Afghanistan had themselves lost 6 for 20 to close their innings in search of quick runs. But on what was otherwise a lifeless pitch, Zimbabwe’s spinners Brian Bennett and Williams did get some turn. Bennett bagged five of the six wickets to fall – that followed a knock of 110* – and the fun began when he had Shahidi lbw.

On the fifth ball of the 193rd over, Shahid went across the stumps to try and lap sweep, but was struck in front. Next ball, Azmatullah Omarzai skied one back to Bennett, who was left on a hat-trick. Bennett bowled the hat-trick ball to Shahidullah to start the 195th over, but the batter drove it to deep point.

But Williams had Zia-ur-Rehman caught for 5 next over, as substitute fielder Tadiwanashe Marumani took a great catch while running forward from long-on. AM Ghazanfar then bashed Bennett for six, only for Bennett to be on a hat-trick again. Ghazanfar swung one to long-on, while Naveed Zadran bottom-edged on to the stumps. But Bennett was denied again, as Zahir Khan blocked one safely. Next ball, though, Bennett completed his five-for when he trapped Zahir to wrap the Afghanistan innings up.

Zimbabwe’s second innings began in the afternoon session, when enough time was left for a surprise result. Perhaps seeing the Zimbabwe spinners get help from the surface, Afghanistan asked Ghazanfar to share the new ball with Naveed Zadran. But Ben Curran led Zimbabwe’s counterpunch, as they smashed 32 runs in the first five overs.

That included four boundaries, including three off Ghazanfar. Curran slashed, swept and swung the offspinner for four each, even as Joylord Gumbie also hit a boundary in a much more patient start. Naveen, Zia-ur-Rehman, Omarzai and Zahir Khan checked Zimbabwe’s momentum thereafter, although Zimbabwe still went wicketless to tea.

Zia and Zahir did find turn, though, and after multiple lbw appeals against Gumbie were turned down, Zahir finally had Gumbie edge one to slip. A length ball around sixth stump hinted to turn in, and Gumbie pushed forward only to get an outside edge. The opening partnership of 73 was broken, but just one ball later, the players were off due to rain.

The break last nearly 40 minutes, but that didn’t affect Afghanistan. Third ball into the resumption, Curran was run out for 41 when he tapped Zia towards midwicket and set for a single. But his partner Takudzwanashe Kaitano seemed to have refused the single a little too late, and the throw from Shahidullah found Curran well short at the wicketkeeper’s end.

Next over, Kaitano looked to paddle sweep Zahir, who was bowling from around the wicket. The ball landed on a full length on middle, and didn’t seem to turn, as Kaitano missed his attempted sweep, for which the length seemed a bit too full. But the most aesthetically pleasing dismissal came when Ghazanfar cleaned Dion Myers up in the 25th over.

He drifted one in, and pitched it full on middle and off to draw the batter forward. Myers looked to defend the line of the ball, but it turned away to uproot the off stump. Zimbabwe were 88 for 4 at that stage, and still behind Afghanistan, who smelled a miracle. But the experienced Williams and Ervine took their side to safety by adding 54 in less than ten overs.

They took Zimbabwe past Afghanistan at the start of the 30th over, as Ervine drilled Zahir through the covers, and the batters ran four. There were plenty of footmarks for the Afghanistan spinners to work with, but they couldn’t strike any further, as the game ended in a draw, and the two-match series remained locked at 0-0.

Himanshu Agrawal is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo