Seven-wicket Rashid leads Afghanistan to Test series win over Zimbabwe

Rashid Khan takes 11 wickets in the match to give Afghanistan a 1-0 win in the series after the first Test ended in a draw.

Afghanistan needed only 15 balls on the final day of their second Test against Zimbabwe to wrap up a 72-run victory and take the two-match series, with star leg spinner Rashid Khan bagging seven wickets in the second innings.

Zimbabwe were dismissed for 205 on Monday at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo, with captain Craig Ervine the last wicket to fall as the hosts failed to add to their overnight score and lost their last two wickets in only 13 minutes.

Richard Ngarava was run out for three before player of the match Rashid trapped Zimbabwe’s top scorer Ervine (53 runs off 103 balls) leg before to finish with 11 wickets in the match.

Rashid tormented Zimbabwe throughout a match interrupted several times by rain.

The 26-year-old deflected attention from himself after receiving the player of the match award, praising second-innings centurions Rahmat Shah (139) – named player of the series – and debutant Ismat Alam (101) instead.

“The way they performed second time round got us back into the match,” he said, referring to the 86-run deficit the tourists faced after the first innings.

“The way Ismat shrugged off the disappointment of being out for nought in his first innings was amazing. He was hurt during the second innings but carried on for the sake of his country.

“I am recovering from back surgery so taking 11 wickets was very encouraging. It was all about adapting to the conditions, which initially favoured the bowlers, then the batters.”

The first test, also in Bulawayo, ended in a high-scoring draw.

Afghanistan have now won four of 11 Tests played since winning Test status in 2017 – two of them against Zimbabwe.