Afghanistan might still be trailing by 161 runs at the end of the third day’s play. However, Day 3 belonged to them in every possible sense.
Rahmat Shah got to his half-century in the very first over of the day. The first boundary of the day came in the 12th over. Although the visitors were a little slow to start, they were looking assured nonetheless.
Skipper, Hashmatullah Shahidi, registered his first boundary of the day in the subsequent over. The two batters continued to bat out time and tick over the scoreboard. Rahmat brought up his second Test ton just before Lunch.
The second session was when the two batters established themselves firmly. There was an opportunity to get rid of Rahmat before the availablility of the second new ball. However, the fielder at long-on misjudged the chance, eventually managing only a fingertip to the ball.
Not even a short delay due to rain could overturn Zimbabwe‘s fate. Milestones kept on flooding in as Rahmat got to his 150. Another opportunity chance went abegging as Blessing Muzarabani dropped a sitter off his own bowling. The final couple of deliveries before Tea were dispatched to the boundary by Shahidi, who was just a strike away from getting to his ton.
The two batters came out even fresher for the final session. The flow of boundaries became more consistent and ticking over the strike more regular. They even surpassed the highest partnership for any wicket by Afghanistan. Rahmat (231*) became the second Afghan batter to score a double-hundred in Tests, the first being Shahidi. The skipper ended the day on 141, as the duo remained unfazed the entire day.
Check out how X reacted to Day 3 of the first Test between ZIM and AFG:
Rahmat Shah and Shahidi today #ZIMvsAFG pic.twitter.com/vo7Fm8boam
— Utsav Arora (@UtsavArora45) December 28, 2024
Extraordinary test batting with incredible application and discipline by the inexperienced Afghan side #ZIMvsAFG
(2/2)
— Ambika (@apmahapatra) December 28, 2024
In Bulawayo test, Zimbabwe scores 581 n Afghanistan replies with 425/2 that includes a 361* unbeaten 3rd wicket partnership between Rahmat Shah and Captain Hashmattulah Shahidi who bat through an entire day to finish at 231* n 141* respectively. #ZIMvsAFG
(1/2)
— Ambika (@apmahapatra) December 28, 2024
Damn!!! What is going on here #ZIMvsAFG #TestCricket pic.twitter.com/gY78yDNHKh
— Manoj Jaiswal (@manojjaiswal90) December 28, 2024
Highest Individual score by Afghanistan batsman in test cricket
231* – Rahmat Shah vs ZIM, 2024, Today
200* – Hashmatullah Shahidi vs ZIM, 2021
164 – Asghar Afghan vs ZIM, 2021#ZIMvsAFG #ZIMvAFG #Cricket #Afghanistan
— Vishwesh Gaur (@iumvishwesh) December 28, 2024
Rahmat Shah 231* off 416
Hashmatullah Shahidi: 141* off 276
Partnership: 361* off 618
First time since 2019 that there has been no wicket lost across a whole day of a Test match 😮 Love from India ♥️ #RahmatShah #HashmatullahShahidi #INDvsAUS #AFGvsZIM #ZIMvsAFG pic.twitter.com/EIdArrPVJR
— UTTAM KUMAR (@ERUTTAM18) December 28, 2024
Half the 🏏 world is after #AUSvsIND . Zimbabwe put there highest total in Test of 586 with 3 centurions, where as Afgan made there highest partnership exceeding 350 runs. #ZIMvsAFG day 3 with 0 wickets. 125 over bowled. #TestCricket #CricketTwitter
— sumesh pradhan (@sumeshpradhan) December 28, 2024
Rahmat Shah is playing on 213 runs off 379 balls against Zimbabwe 🔥🔥🔥
Hashmatullah Shahidi has also got his century, playing on 124 runs.
Records galore. #ZIMvsAFG
— vishal kumar (@vishalsah1986) December 28, 2024
Afghanistan are now 416/2 at Bulawayo. The last time a visiting team’s 3rd wicket fell at a higher score in a Test innings was more than a decade back – NZ being 464/3 vs PAK at Sharjah in Nov 2014.
(considering UAE at PAK’s home)#ZIMvsAFG
— Rhitankar Bandyopadhyay (@rhitankar8616) December 28, 2024