Rashid Khan breaks Shane Warne record with staggering 23-year first
Rashid Khan has spun Afghanistan to a stunning victory over Zimbabwe, bowling the most overs in a Test match in 23 years.
The leg-spinner picked up his second 10-wicket haul in Test cricket to help his side beat Zimbabwe by six wickets for a series-levelling win in Abu Dhabi.
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Afghanistan chased down a target of 108 in the final session of the second Test on Sunday to square the two-match series at 1-1.
Rashid, Afghanistan's national hero who's become a global T20 star, also showed what he can do in the longer form of the game.
The 22-year-old backed up his four wickets in the first innings with 7-137 in the second for a match-winning haul of 11-325.
He bowled a staggering 99.2 overs - 36.3 in the first and 62.5 in the second - the most by an individual bowler in 23 years.
The last bowler to send down more deliveries in a Test was Sri Lankan legend Muttiah Muralitharan against England in 1998 when he bowled 113.5 overs.
Rashid's 99.2 overs also eclipsed Shane Warne's record of 98 against South Africa in 2002 when he took 8-231.
That was the previous record for most overs in a Test match this century.
Congratulations to everyone @rashidkhan_19 @Hashmat_50 @RahmatShah_08 @IZadran18 To level the series pic.twitter.com/xNUUO0gq6x
— Mohammad Nabi (@MohammadNabi007) March 14, 2021
These figures from Rashid Khan 👀
He bowled 99.2 overs for the match! #AFGvZIM pic.twitter.com/tMYxNNqT0V— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) March 14, 2021
Rashid Khan bowled 9⃣9⃣.2⃣ in this Test match, the most by anyone in the 21st century 😳
Previous highest: Shane Warne: 98 v South Africa, 2002#AFGvZIM pic.twitter.com/ovmVPIh52E— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) March 14, 2021
A marathon run by the super star @rashidkhan_19. A resilient show by the skipper #Asghar_Afghan and the Little master @Hashmat_50 gave us a third test victory. Kuddos to the entire #Bluetigers pic.twitter.com/tTcGU7iEvN
— Shafiq Stanikzai (@ShafiqStanikzai) March 14, 2021
Hats off to you champion @rashidkhan_19 proud of courtney pic.twitter.com/9HgggKmFjX
— Hamid Hassan (@hamidhassanHH) March 14, 2021
11 wickets and 100 overs in a Test match. Breathtaking.
Congratulations @rashidkhan_19
and congratulations to both teams on a great series.
Rashid Khan's 11 wickets set up series-levelling Afghanistan win https://t.co/ZZJZJeFYAp— stu macgill (@scgmacgill) March 14, 2021
Afghanistan making a name in Test cricket
Playing just their sixth Test, the Afghans posted 4-545, their highest-ever total, before captain Asghar Afghan declared their first innings.
That was built on the first double hundred by an Afghanistan player when Hashmatullah Shahidi scored 200 not out. The skipper made 164.
The Asian side seemed headed for quick revenge for losing inside two days in the opening Test when they dismissed Zimbabwe for 287 in the first innings and reduced them to 7-142 in the second after enforcing the follow-on.
But Zimbabwe captain Sean Williams, who remained unbeaten on 151, and Donald Tiripano showed fight to add 187 for the eighth wicket and help Zimbabwe avoid an innings defeat.
Rashid, who had taken 11 wickets against Bangladesh in 2019, broke the resistance with his sixth wicket of the innings and denied Tiripano a maiden Test hundred when he trapped him lbw for 95 shortly before the lunch break.
Rashid also then removed number 11 batsman Victor Nyauchi before he had scored, as Zimbabwe were dismissed for 365 in their second innings.
with AAP
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