Twitter Reactions: Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi drain Zimbabwe on wicketless Day 3
The monumental day was the 26th time a wicketless day materialized in the history of Test cricket.
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:
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