On the fourth day of the second and final Test match at Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe’s right-arm medium-fast bowler Blessing Muzarabani delivered a sensational performance including a fiery bouncer from Muzarabani dismissed Afghanistan’s all-rounder Rashid Khan.
Blessing Muzarabani’s lethal bouncer
In the 98th over of Afghanistan’s second innings ball delivered by Muzarabani, climbing sharply off a good length, caught Rashid off guard. In a defensive attempt, Rashid fended at the delivery, only for it to pop off his gloves into the hands of wicketkeeper Joylord Gumbie. Without waiting for the umpire’s decision, Rashid walked off, scoring 23 runs off 27 balls. This dismissal marked a historic milestone for Muzarabani, earning him his maiden five-wicket haul in Test cricket.
Here is the video:
The first of many for Blessing Muzarabani! 👏🏻
Muzarabani ripped through the Afghan batting line-up to bag his first five-for in Tests 💪#ZIMvAFGonFanCode pic.twitter.com/Uu9yEKW1mW
— FanCode (@FanCode) January 5, 2025
Muzarabani’s performance was nothing short of extraordinary. In Afghanistan’s second innings, the 28-year-old pacer scalped six wickets in 29 overs, including five maidens, at an impressive economy rate of 3.30. His efforts placed him in the record books with the eighth-best bowling figures in an innings for Zimbabwe in Test cricket. Adding to his first-innings tally of two wickets, Muzarabani finished the match with a remarkable total of eight dismissals, cementing his dominance in the series-deciding Test.
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Afghanistan’s fightback: Rashid Khan’s heroics with the ball
Despite Muzarabani’s heroics, Afghanistan remained in the contest thanks to Rashid’s stellar bowling performance. Rashid claimed six wickets in Zimbabwe’s second innings, maintaining his status as the game-changer for Afghanistan. His relentless attack left Zimbabwe reeling at 205 for 8 by the end of Day 4, still requiring 73 runs to secure victory in the nail-biting decider.
Zimbabwe’s hope: Captain Craig Ervine stands tall
The only glimmer of hope for Zimbabwe lies in their skipper, Craig Ervine. Battling with resilience, Ervine remained unbeaten at stumps with a fighting 53 off 97 balls. His determined innings has kept Zimbabwe’s hopes alive, though the team faces an uphill battle with just two wickets in hand heading into the final day.
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