HARARE – Ben Curran's magnificent maiden Test century headlined Day 2 of the one-off Test against Afghanistan, further strengthening Zimbabwe's commanding position at the Harare Sports Club. The home side ended the day with a massive 232-run lead, having bowled out Afghanistan for 127 on Day 1.
Curran builds on Day 1 heroics
After resuming on 52 not out, Curran continued his composed innings, reaching the triple-figure mark before being dismissed for 121. The gritty knock provided the backbone for Zimbabwe's formidable total of 359 all out, surpassing Afghanistan's first innings score by a significant margin.
A mixed day for the Afghan bowlers
While Afghanistan's bowlers toiled hard, the day was marked by some individual breakthroughs and records. Debutant Ziaur Rahman Sharifi impressed with figures of 7/97, setting a new record for the best performance by an Afghan on Test debut, bettering Amir Hamza's 5/74 against the West Indies in 2019.
Zimbabwe's big lead sets up potential victory
Zimbabwe's dominant performance leaves them in a strong position, with Afghanistan now tasked with a challenging second-innings recovery. The visiting team ended the day on 34/1, still trailing Zimbabwe by a significant margin and requiring a monumental effort to save the match.
Match Summary
Innings Team Score
First Afghanistan 127 all out
First Zimbabwe 359 all out
Second Afghanistan 34/1 (at stumps)
Notable Player Performances
Player Team Performance (Day 2)
Ben Curran Zimbabwe 121
Ziaur Rahman Sharifi Afghanistan 7/97
Sikandar Raza Zimbabwe 65
