Shahidi’s record double ton and Bennett’s heroics define rain-hit Test draw

Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi and Zimbabwe’s rising star Brian Bennett stole the spotlight as the rain-curtailed first Test ended in a draw in Bulawayo on Monday.

Shahidi delivered a masterclass in batting, scoring an Afghanistan record 246 off 474 balls in a marathon 694-minute innings. His partnerships with Rahmat Shah (234) and Afsar Zazai (113) powered Afghanistan to a national record 699, giving them a 113-run first-innings lead. Zazai notched his maiden Test century before the visitors lost six wickets for just 20 runs in four overs, with Bennett wreaking havoc.

Bennett, a 21-year-old spinner playing only his second Test, claimed career-best figures of 5-95, twice coming close to hat-tricks. He also shone with the bat, scoring an unbeaten 110 in Zimbabwe’s first-innings total of 586, another national record.

Batting again, Zimbabwe were in trouble at 88-4 before veterans Sean Williams (35 not out) and Craig Ervine (22 not out) stabilized the innings. Rain interrupted play midway through the day, and the match concluded with Zimbabwe on 142-4, 29 runs ahead.

Shahidi’s innings surpassed his previous best of 200 not out, also against Zimbabwe, while debutant Ben Curran made 41 for the hosts before being run out.

Brief Scores
Zimbabwe: 586 & 142-4 (Ben Curran 41, Sean Williams 35*, Craig Ervine 22*; Zahir Khan 2-43)
Afghanistan: 699 (Hashmatullah Shahidi 246, Rahmat Shah 234, Afsar Zazai 113; Brian Bennett 5-95)

Result: Match drawn