Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe, 2021: 1st Test - Sean Williams’ milestones, Abdul Malik’s pair on debut and more stats

Zimbabwe decimated the Afghanistan team in the first Test by defeating them in only two days. In the first innings of the match, Afghanistan were bowled out for 131 runs with Zimbabwe bowler Blessing Muzarabani picking four wickets for 48 runs. Captain Sean Williams hit a brilliant hundred for his team in the first innings scoring 105 runs off 174 balls with the help of 10 fours. Zimbabwe posted 250 runs in the first innings taking an important lead of 119 runs.

In the second innings for Afghanistan, opener Ibrahim Zadran played a gutsy knock of 76 runs off 145 balls. However, Afghanistan could only score 135 runs setting a target of just 17 runs in the fourth innings. Zimbabwe chased the total without any difficulty in 3.2 overs. Sean Williams was given the Player of the Match award for his wonderful ton.

Let’s look at important stats and numbers after the end of the first Test between Afghanistan and Zimbabwe:

2 – This was the third instance of a Test match getting over in 2 days on Asian Soil. In two of these matches, Afghanistan have been involved as the losing team. They earlier lost to India in two days in the Bengaluru Test, 2018. The India-England Test recently played at Ahmedabad too got over in two days.       

10 – This was the first time in International cricket that Zimbabwe were able to win a match by 10 wickets.

2 – In terms of teams losing most Tests in two days in the 21st century, Afghanistan is at the second spot after Zimbabwe (3 times).

5 – Afghanistan opener Abdul Malik got out for a duck in both innings of the match on his debut. He is the sixth opener to bag a pair on Test debut.

4 – Sean Williams became the fourth batsmen to hit a century against Afghanistan in Test cricket. This was just the fifth match of the Afghanistan team in the longest format.

131 – Afghanistan’s total of 131 runs in the first innings is the lowest first-innings total at Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi.

8 – The fast bowlers of Zimbabwe took 8 wickets in the first innings. This was the first time since 2013 that pacers of the Zimbabwe team took 8 or more wickets in an innings in Tests.

2 – Ibrahim Zadaran’s score of 76 runs is the second-highest individual score by an opener for Afghanistan in Tests. The top score of 87 runs also belongs to Zadaran which he registered against Bangladesh in 2019.

2 – This was the second ton of Sean Williams as captain of the team. He is only the third captain of Zimbabwe to hit more than one century.