ABU DHABI: Hashmatullah Shahidi became the first Afghanistan player to smash a Test double hundred while his team notched up several batting records on a memorable day two of their second and final match against Zimbabwe in Abu Dhabi on Thursday.

Playing their sixth Test match, the Afghans racked up 545-4, their highest total ever, before captain Asghar Afghan declared their first innings. Their previous highest total was 342 when they beat Bangladesh in 2019 to register their first Test victory.

Zimbabwe were 50 without loss in reply after the second day’s play was taken over once again by Hashmatullah and Asghar, who shared the country’s highest partnership in a Test match.

Shahidi remained not out on 200 while Asghar scored 164.

The Sheikh Zayed Stadium pitch continued to hold up for batsmen but Zimbabwe will still need to score 346 to avoid the follow-on and the prospect of facing Afghan leg-spinner Rashid Khan, who is likely to get spin from the third day.

Openers Prince Masvaure and Kevin Kasuza, with 29 and 14 respectively, were at the crease when stumps were drawn, after a day dominated by a 307-run fourth wicket stand between Hashmat­ullah and Asghar.

Resuming at 307-3, they added 121 more runs before spinner Sikandar Raza trapped the Afghan skipper leg-before in the second session.

The 307-run stand is the highest-scoring partnership for any wicket by Afghanistan batsmen in six Tests so far, beating the second wicket stand of 139 between Ihsanullah Khan and Rahmat Shah against Ireland in Dehradun in 2019.

Asghar batted for 370 minutes, hitting 14 boundaries and two sixes in his maiden century.

Hashmatullah added another 117 for the fifth wicket with Nasir Jamal who made 55 not out.

Hashmatullah took a single off Donald Tiripano to bring up his double hundred. He celebrated it with a roar, while team mates gave him a standing ovation and Zimbabwe players walked up to congratulate him.

In all Hashmatullah’s monumental innings lasted 10 minutes short of 10 hours, spiced with 21 boundaries and a six.

Scoreboard

AFGHANISTAN (1st Innings, overnight 307-3):

Ibrahim Zadran c Sikandar b Burl 72

Javed Ahmadi c Williams b Nyauchi 4

Rahmat Shah run out 23

Hashmatullah Shahidi not out 200

Asghar Afghan lbw b Sikandar 164

Nasir Jamal not out 55

EXTRAS (B-16, LB-1, W-5, NB-5) 27

TOTAL (for four wkts decl, 160.4 overs) 545

FALL OF WKTS: 1-6, 2-56, 3-121, 4-428.

DID NOT BAT: Afsar Zazai, Rashid Khan, Amir Hamza, Sayed Shirzad, Shahidullah.

BOWLING: Muzarabani 26-5-62-0 (1w); Nyauchi 24-4-102-1 (1nb, 2w); Tiripano 20.4-1-83-0 (4nb, 2w); Sikandar Raza 31-4-79-1; Williams 30-4-97-0; Burl 20-1-69-1; Madhevere 9-0-36-0.

ZIMBABWE (1st Innings):

P.S. Masvaure not out 29

K.T. Kasuza not out 14

EXTRAS (LB-6, W-1) 7

TOTAL (for no wkt, 17 overs) 50

TO BAT: S.C. Williams, T.K. Musakanda, W. Madhevere, Sikandar Raza, R.P. Burl, R.W. Chakabva, D.T. Tiripano, B. Muzarabani, V.M. Nyauchi.

BOWLING (to-date): Sayed Shirzad 4-0-11-0 (1w); Amir Hamza 8-0-18-0; Rashid Khan 5-1-15-0.

Published in Dawn, March 12th, 2021