১৩১, '-এর অপরাজিত ৭১ রান - জিম্বাবুয়ে

জিম্বাবুয়ে 326 for 5 (Taylor 131, Bennett 71*, Zia-ur-Rehman 2-118) vs আফগানিস্তান

জিম্বাবুয়ে 326 for 5 (Taylor 131, Bennett 71*, Zia-ur-Rehman 2-118) vs আফগানিস্তান। জিম্বাবুয়ে made a strong start on the opening day of the first Test against আফগানিস্তান in Sharjah, posting 326 for 5 in 87 overs with significant contributions from Brendan Taylor and Brian Bennett. আফগানিস্তান did hit back in the last session, reducing জিম্বাবুয়ে from 262 for 2 to 287 for 5, but before and after that, it was all জিম্বাবুয়ে.। Taylor and Bennett got together in the 35th over with জিম্বাবুয়ে well placed at 125 for 2, but it was their 137-রান stand, in which Taylor got to face more balls - 123 to 77 - and scored many more রান than his partner - 88 to 49 - that gave জিম্বাবুয়ে the advantage.।

They had the platform, of course. Openers Innocent Kaia and Ben Curran had put up 60 রান for the first উইকেট, Kaia quite the more enterprising of the two as he got 34 in 51 balls with five fours, but he also rode his luck.। In the third over itself, a delivery from fast বোলার Mohammad Saleem jagged back in from a back of good length to hit his pad in front of the stumps. The decision was not out. It might have been going over. But no DRS meant no clarity. Then there was the no-control hook to a short delivery from Saleem that went to Ziaur Rahman at deep fine leg but was dropped. Not to forget the edge off the left-arm spinner Zia-ur-Rehman that flew past the slip cordon for four in the 11th.। His dismissal was also a somewhat bizarre one. Qais Ahmad tossed the ball up on middle and leg, Kaia went down for the sweep, got through with his shot early, and the ball went off the back of his bat to first slip.।

Curran was on 25 at the time and went on to add 65 রান with Taylor before being undone by a searing yorker from Saleem in the second session. Saleem, who could so easily have had a উইকেট earlier in the script, was pumped, screaming in the face of the ব্যাটার. Curran made 42 in 113 balls.। Then, from the 35th over to the 69th, Taylor and Bennett were in complete control. They scored at a healthy clip without ever looking like they were in a hurry. When the অনবদ্য জুটি started, Taylor was already on 43 off 45 balls with five fours and two sixes, both sixes coming off Zia-ur-Rehman. The association began slowly, before both batters began taking on Zia-ur-Rehman, getting singles off him relatively easily and also sending him for the occasional four or, in Taylor's case, six. All four of Taylor's sixes came off the same বোলার. And by tea, জিম্বাবুয়ে were at a healthy 213 for 2, with Taylor in sight of his seventh Test শতক on 95 and Bennett on 36.। The landmark came for Taylor in the first over after the break when he upper-cut Saleem for four off a short delivery that didn't really rise as expected off the slow surface. The শতক of the stand also came up soon after, but just when it seemed like আফগানিস্তান were down and out, Hashmatullah Shahidi's occasional offspin proved to be just right for them. A flighted delivery around off stump tempted Taylor to attempt an inside-out shot over the covers but he miscued it long-off.।

It was Taylor's first শতক in Test cricket since November 2018, a period that includes stretches of scant opportunities in the format for জিম্বাবুয়ে and the three-and-a-half-year ban he served for breaching the ICC's anti-corruption code.। His উইকেট made it 262 for 3. Soon, it was 271 for 4 and then 287 for 5, with as Zia-ur-Rehman, toyed around by Taylor for so much of the day, picking up both উইকেট. He first sent back the experienced Craig Ervine and then the debutant Antum Naqvi, though in Naqvi's case, there was a bit of doubt about bat actually hitting ball as he was caught down the leg side.। Bennett was on 61 when Naqvi was dismissed and has since put on a further 39 রান in just 47 balls with Wessly Madhevere, the two seeing out the day without further damage.।

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.। 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.।