BULAWAYO, Zimbabwe — In a thrilling exhibition of batting prowess, Zimbabwe and Afghanistan achieved remarkable milestones in their recent test match, which concluded in a draw on Monday.
Zimbabwe set a new high by amassing a total of 586 runs in their first innings, surpassing their former record of 563-9 established on home soil against the West Indies in 2001, as noted by Cricinfo.com.
Afghanistan responded with even more extraordinary play, finishing their innings at 699 runs, with the standout performances from Rahmat Shah, who scored 234, and skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi, who contributed 246 runs. The pair forged a formidable partnership, combining for 364 runs for the third wicket, which marks a new record for Afghanistan across all wickets in test cricket. This impressive total also eclipsed Afghanistan’s previous record of 545-4 set against Zimbabwe in 2021.
By the end of the match, Zimbabwe had responded in their second innings, managing to score 142 runs for the loss of four wickets.
The excitement continues as the second and final test is set to commence on Thursday, also in Bulawayo. Meanwhile, it’s worth noting that Sri Lanka holds the all-time record for the highest runs scored in a single test innings, with a declaration of 952-6 against India during a drawn test match in Colombo in 1997.
