জিম্বাবুয়ে 504 and 164 for 3 (Taylor 82, Bennett 49*, Zia-ur-Rehman 2-65) lead আফগানিস্তান 514 (Shah 173, Rahmanullah 113, Atal 105, Nyamhuri 5-82, Cremer 3-177) by 154 রান
জিম্বাবুয়ে 504 and 164 for 3 (Taylor 82, Bennett 49*, Zia-ur-Rehman 2-65) lead আফগানিস্তান 514 (Shah 173, Rahmanullah 113, Atal 105, Nyamhuri 5-82, Cremer 3-177) by 154 রান। All আফগানিস্তান required was a defiant অনবদ্য জুটি when the play resumed on Sunday, 102 behind জিম্বাবুয়ে with only three উইকেট in hand. And it arrived in the form of a record eighth-উইকেট stand between অধিনায়ক Rahmat Shah and Zia-ur-Rehman.। The pair made জিম্বাবুয়ে toil under the scorching Sharjah sun for almost three hours across the morning and afternoon sessions, adding 92 রান - the highest for the eighth উইকেট for আফগানিস্তান. Shah made 173 off 347 balls, his second-highest Test score, while Zia contributed with a gutsy 15 off 99 balls as আফগানিস্তান overhauled জিম্বাবুয়ে's first-innings 504 and took a slender lead of 10 রান.।
However, by stumps জিম্বাবুয়ে were back in control after Brendan Taylor scored a breezy 82 and their অধিনায়ক Brian Bennett made an unbeaten 49.। The চতুর্থ দিন's play in Sharjah panned out pretty similarly to the third as আফগানিস্তান dominated the first session before জিম্বাবুয়ে came back into the contest across the afternoon and evening sessions.। It started with Shah bringing up his শতক with a slash behind point off Newman Nyamhuri in the second over. The scoring rate, however, remained sluggish through the morning session as Shah and Zia frustrated the opposition bowlers to stretch their overnight stand into the afternoon session.।
Only 63 রান were scored at 2.10 in the first session. জিম্বাবুয়ে attacked whenever they could bowl at Zia. Blessing Muzarabani fired full into the tailender's pads on four consecutive deliveries in an over but all the four appeals for lbw were turned down by the umpire. Zia was enticed with the loopy deliveries from the স্পিনাররা and Bennett swarmed him with close-in catches whenever he took the strike, but Zia continued to defend resolutely.। As for Shah, he is already considered as আফগানিস্তান's best ব্যাটার - he is the only player to score more than 1000 রান in the format from his country. He farmed the strike for most of the morning session, looking to rotate the strike in the last few balls each over. At the same time, he also picked up his deliveries to attack জিম্বাবুয়ে's স্পিনাররা. With Graeme Cremer coming around the উইকেট to him to access the rough around his leg stump, Shah opened his stance to smoke the legspinner out of the stadium with the slog-sweep, which led the umpires to seek a replacement ball. He also skipped down the pitch the next over to thump Antum Naqvi for a boundary in back-to-back overs.। On a pitch which remained unresponsive, জিম্বাবুয়ে's only hope was the new ball, which arrived before drinks in the afternoon session. The introduction of Muzarabani with the new ball reaped rewards as he had Zia caught behind with a back-of-the-length ball. Encouraged by the breakthrough Bennett brough Nyamhuri into the attack from the other end.।
Muzarabani continued to create chances as he induced Shah into a slash which was shelled at point by Craig Ervine and a leading edge off Mohammad Saleem landed just before the fielder at the first slip. However, the crucial উইকেট of the আফগানিস্তান অধিনায়ক arrived right after drinks as Shah misjudged a flighted delivery from Cremer to be stumped.। Moments later Nyamhuri led his team off the field after hitting the top of Mohammad Saleem's middle stump - a dismissal that brought him his maiden five-উইকেট haul.। After his heroics with the bat now it was time for Zia to make an impact with the ball. He sent Innocent Kaia back in just the fourth over with an arm ball that trapped him lbw. He then had Ben Curran caught at mid-on after tea, leaving জিম্বাবুয়ে at 38 for 2.।
Tossed up full around middle and leg, goes down and attempts to go for a sweep towards fine leg and ends up getting back of the bat and it goes to Atal at first slip, gets out in an unfortunate fashion as আফগানিস্তান rejoice after finally managing to pick their first উইকেট। Cleaned him up with a JAFFA and Saleem screams in the face of Curran। A ferocious yorker angles in on the stumps with pinpoint line and length, completely baffling Curran. The ব্যাটার attempts to block inside the line of the ball but fails to get behind it in time and loses his balance a bit as his front foot goes up in the air. Saleem sprints forward, throwing punches in the air and screaming his lungs out in joy, shooting a few fiery glances toward Curran. The ব্যাটার turns around, shakes his head and mutters to himself in disappointment.।
Taylor bites the dust। A brilliant innings finally comes to an end. Floated a length ball around off, tries to play it inside-out over extra cover, but fails to get inside the line of the ball properly and miscues it towards long off, doesn't get quite hold of it and picks out the fielder there. Massive round of applause from the dressing room and the gallery, as Taylor trudges back.। Bennett loses his cool and throws his উইকেট away।
A harmless, floated fuller delivery in the slot wide outside off is chased as he tries to send it downtown, but he miscues the slog. Failing to get underneath the line of the ball, he mistimes it toward the cover region, where Zia-ur-Rehman tracks back and gobbles it up while tumbling down. Bennett knew what he had done the moment he played the shot, his head dropping instantly in disappointment.। Massive appeal and the finger goes up straight away। Flighted a good length ball pitching around middle-off, plays off the front foot and gets deceived by the slight turn, strikes the back pad and looks quite adjacent to me from here.।
Naqvi departs after getting strangled down the legside। Soft dismissal and brilliant glovework behind the stumps. Floated a length ball pitching well outside the leg stump and spins back in, tries to help it away against the turn, gets a tickle off the bat and Alikhil grabs it cleanly and makes no mistake. Naqvi was looking solid with the bat in his short stay on his international debut, but gifted his উইকেট away in the end against a loose delivery.। Madhevere is on the floor; he is completely bamboozled and outclassed by the bumper delivery।
আফগানিস্তান continue to utilize short ball tactics. This one was darted short on the stumps, getting too big on Madhevere, who tries to leave it alone. He fails to get away from the line of the ball, losing his shape inside the crease with his bat face still extended involuntarily, connecting to a top edge and a regulation catch for the keeper behind the stumps. Madhevere lies down on the ground, helpless, beaten, defeated, with both eyes open and watching the sunny sky.। Trapped in front and gone। Misjudging the line and length, this one is quicker through the air on a length and traps Tsiga on the back leg. The ব্যাটার moves onto the back foot to work it across the line, misses a straight delivery, and it looks dead plumb to the naked eye. Tsiga walks away immediately, undone by playing down the wrong line.।
Good length ball nips back in just a wee bit on middle-leg. Nyamhuri fails to get behind the line of the ball and misses the delivery, thuds the pad in front of the stumps and the umpire raises his finger right away.। Cleaned him up with a straightner। Hard length ball darted on the off stump channel. Muzarabani backs away too early, expecting another yorker or bouncer delivery. But this one is a seamed-up delivery right on the channel, catching Muzarabani off-guard, and he fails to defend inside the line of the ball, knocking over the off stump.।
And there is a উইকেট। He is caught behind on the most innocuous ball that Cremer could have bowled all day. Short and wide, a gentle leg-break. He looks to carve this through the point by opening the face of his bat but is too lazy as he extends his arms without any foot movement. It takes a tickle off his inside edge on its way to the keeper's gloves.। Short and angled outside leg-stump, a harmless delivery and he fiddles with it, gets a faint tickle on it and it has been pouched splendidly by the keeper while diving to his left।
Malik departs early in the piece and it's turning out to be a fabulous start by জিম্বাবুয়ে। Is that the end of Rahmanullah। Tossed up in stumps and Rahmanullah scampers to the other end right away as he taps it to the mid-on. Madhevere gathers the ball and hurls it to the non-striker's end where Zadran is found short of the crease by the third umpire. Both centurions are back in the pavilion now. Excellent fielding।
Has he been able to collect the ball cleanly। Shah jumps out of the crease and is beaten by the lack of pace in that flighted delivery. Tsiga fumbles but seems to have gathered the ball eventually and dislodges the bails with Shah way outside the crease. That brings to an end to an incredible marathon innings which has pushed this contest towards the draw.। Three-quarter length ball pitching well outside off, plays the square drive away from the body and keeps the full face of the bat planted, connects the sticker part of the bat and edges it to the gully fielder.।
Soft dismissal once again। Length ball darted wide outside the leg stump line, Shahidullah takes the bait and tries to glance it away, tickles off the bat and Tsiga grabs a well judged catch diving full stretched to his right side। And Ikram throws away his উইকেট. Short and wide from round the উইকেট, it turned into stumps, and Ikram rocked back to drill it through the covers but ended up handing a low catch to Ben Curran at cover. জিম্বাবুয়ে bag another crucial উইকেট.।
Nyamhuri is pumped up and he deserves all the credit। Full and overpitched, well outside off, tempting Qais into a false stroke. With zero foot movement, he flashes at an expansive cover drive away from his body, managing only an outside edge. Tsiga takes a brilliant low catch, diving to his right, leaving Rahmat Shah standing utterly baffled, astonished and shell-shocked, fixing a stern glare on Qais from the non-striker's end.। He had been looking for an edge and he gets it।
Banged on a length in the corridor outside off and Zia looked to carve it behind point without any foot movement. The ball took a faint edge of his bat on its way to the keeper who made no mistake. Brings to an end a brilliant innings.। That's his maiden five-fer in the format. Hits the top of his middle stump with the length ball from round the উইকেট. Saleem went for a pull but it was too full for that kind of the shot. He leads his teammates off the field as he salutes his teammates in the dugout with the ball.। Kaia bites the dust।
Flighted a good length ball angling in and straightening just enough to beat the front foot defensive stroke of Innocent Kaia, misses the length and thuds the front pad in front of the stumps. The umpire nods his head and raises his finger immediately.। Tossed up outside off and it is thumped to the man at mid-on. That - many in the জিম্বাবুয়ে dressing room would say - was unnecessary. He was looking to clear the man but did not quite get the elevation for it as Shahidullah reverse cupped it from his right shoulder.। What is happening out there।
A length ball on the stumps is tucked away to the on-side just to the right of midwicket. A single is called immediately, and Bennett steps out of the crease, walks a few paces, and then abruptly sends his partner back. But it is far too late for BT to turn and recover his ground; the ring fielder pounces on the ball, whips a sharp throw in to the wicketkeeper, and Alikhil does the rest. Taylor is left absolutely furious with his skipper, even though it should have been an easy single. A fine innings comes to a close in the most unfortunate fashion।
এখনো কোনো মন্তব্য করা হয়নি। আপনার মতামত দিয়ে প্রথম হোন!