Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe ODI Tri-Series in PAK, 2026

OUT! MASAKADZA IS RUN OUT! Fuller around off, Wellington Masakadza draws onto his front foot and guides it past the right of Ziaur Rahman at short third. The batters turn for the second and almost made it, but a direct hit at the striker's end by Ziaur Rahman ends the Zimbabwean innings on 136. Afghanistan win by 158 runs.

Is that a run out at the keeper's end? The Afghan players are already celebrating and yes, the side-on replay finds Masakadza out of the crease by a fair margin when the stumps are hit.

Fuller on middle and off, Wellington Masakadza defends this off his back foot.

Fuller around off, Wellington Masakadza defends it out.

Floated on the pads, Wellington Masakadza tucks this to square leg.

Final rites are being read in this match now. Blessing Muzarabani is the last man in for Zimbabwe.

OUT! BOWLED'EM! Rashid Khan is unplayable as he picks up his 4th wicket. Tossed up, on middle and off, turning back into the right-hander. Ernest Masuku has no clue where it'll turn and gets beaten on the inside edge. The googly goes through the massive gap between bat and pad and disturbs the furniture. Zimbabwe are 9 down on 135.

Too full, on the pads, Wellington Masakadza tucks this through square leg for a run.

Tossed up, around middle and off, Wellington Masakadza blocks it out.

Wrong'un around off, Wellington Masakadza fails to pick it up and gets beaten.

Floated onto the pads, Wellington Masakadza misses on the flick and gets it clipped off his pads for no run.

Fuller on middle and off, Wellington Masakadza keeps it out.

Tossed up, on the pads, Ernest Masuku tucks this to square leg for a dot.

It's spiralling down quickly now. Afghanistan are just two wickets away from an enormous win. Ernest Masuku is in at number 10.

OUT! CAUGHT! Brad Evans' fireworks are short-lived. A fuller delivery outside off saw him step down and away, but he could only get the bottom edge of his bat on it, sending the ball towards Ibrahim Zadran at deep mid-wicket around his chest with a reverse cup. Zadran made no mistake, taking the catch cleanly. It actually hung up in the air for quite a while as it was mistimed with his bat twisting at the point of contact.

Fuller around off, Brad Evans blocks this to point for no run.

Tossed up, on middle and leg, Brad Evans defends this out.

FOUR! Fuller around the pads, Brad Evans brings out the reverse sweep and hits this up and over the point fielder for a boundary. Brad Evans is having a bit of fun.

SIX! That's been hammered up and over the fence. Fuller around middle and off, Brad Evans goes down on a knee and slog sweeps this out of the park towards the cow corner region for six runs.

A wicket maiden for Rashid Khan. Fuller around off, Wellington Masakadza dabs this to short third.

Tossed up, around off, turning back into the batter. Wellington Masakadza doesn't move his feet much and has a poke at it but gets beaten and is hit on the pads. A loud appeal but the umpire doesn't raise his finger. Rahmat Shah sends this upstairs. Ball Tracking shows that the ball kissed the side of the off-pole on umpire's call. The on-field decision was not out and it stays.

That's what you call an absolute ripper. And looks like that's the final nail in the coffin for Zimbabwe with the skipper gone. He was evidently struggling with his fitness out there, and makes a slow walk back to the dugout. Now then, even getting to the magic number of 196 looks like a bridge too far for Zimbabwe. Wellington Masakadza is the next batter in at number 9.

OUT! CASTLED! Rashid Khan has rattled the furniture here and Sikandar Raza departs on 48. Tossed up, fuller one, lands the googly right on the coin. Sikandar Raza presses onto his front foot and keep it out but misses on the inside edge. The ball goes through the yawning gap between bat and pad and clatters into the stumps. Wicket number 3 for Rashid who continues to unleash his bag of tricks. Zimbabwe are 124 for 7 now.

Quicker one, on middle and off, Sikandar Raza punches this down to long on for a single.

Pushed through around off, Sikandar Raza defends this off his front foot.

Tossed up, on off, Sikandar Raza cuts this to short third.

Fuller around off, Brad Evans jumps down the track and slogs this to the deep mid-wicket region for a brace here.

Darted on the pads, Brad works this to square leg for no run.

nabi gives it a lot more air, on middle and leg, Brad Evans defends it out.

Nabi comes around the stumps, bowls it full and on the pads, Sikandar Raza punches this down to long on for a single.

FOUR! Raza manages to pierce the gap on off this time for four runs. Short and on middle and off, Sikandar Raza back away to his leg side and smashes this through the extra cover region for a boundary.

DROPPED! The Raza and Omarzai story continues as Raza has been dropped on 43 by Azmatullah Omarzai again, he dropped him on 20 earlier in the game. Short of a length, around off, Sikandar Raza cuts this straight to covers but Azmatullah Omarzai drops it.

34 overs have been bowled. Afghanistan have picked one of the two balls to continue till the end of the match. A win is far away from their grasp now, but for confirming the final berth, they need 79 runs, with four wickets in hand.

Pushed through on the pads, Brad Evans punches this to mid-wicket for no run.

Short of a length, around off, Evans goes deep inside the crease and punches this through the covers region for a brace.

Really cannot blame Madhevere there. That just went underground after landing. Brad Evans is the new batter in at number 8. He has built a reputation for playing aggressively and can certainly go big from the first ball.

OUT! LBW! This never bounced and Wessly Madhevere pays with his wicket. Fuller around middle and off, Wessly Madhevere backs away to pull this over mid-wicket, but misses as the ball stays really low, and hits his pads right in front of the stumps. And an easy decision for the umpire to raise his finger. Madhevere doesn't bother to review it. Zimbabwe are 115 for 6.

Fuller on the pads, Sikandar Raza clips this through square leg for a single.

Tossed up, around off, Sikandar Raza punches this to extra cover for no run.

Googly, on middle and off, Wessly Madhevere rocks deep inside the crease and punches this down to long on for a single.

Zimbabwe need 182 from 102 balls. But they need 83 to qualify for the final.

Tossed up, on middle and off, Wellington Masakadza backs away and cuts this through point for one run.

Pushed through around off, Sikandar Raza punches this down to long off for a single.

Short of a length, around off, Sikandar Raza backs away and punches this to extra cover for no run.

Fuller around off, Wessly Madhevere ramps this to fine leg for a run.

Too full, around middle and off, Sikandar Raza backs away and drives this to extra cover for a run.

Off-break on the pads, Wessly Madhevere sweeps this past the mid-wicket fielder to his right for a run.

Mohammad Nabi continues...

Flighted, wide of off, Sikandar Raza steps across the stumps and looks to slap it away but gets it under-edged onto his body for a dot.

Tossed up, around off, Wessly Madhevere drives this through covers for one run.

Googly, on middle and leg, Wessly Madhevere tucks this to short fine leg for no run.

Just before the ball was bowled, the on-air graphic showed that Zimbabwe need to score 196 or more to qualify for the finale of this ODI tri-series. Even if they lose, they will be through if they breach that figure because of their strong net run rate, thanks to a massive win against Bangladesh. Wessly Madhevere is in at number 7.

OUT! Burl has been trapped in front of the stumps. Tossed up, too full, on middle and leg, Ryan Burl looks to flick it away but misses and gets hit on the pads. A loud appeal and the umpire raises his finger. Ryan Burl has a long chat with Raza on sending it upstairs but the batter decides against it as this looked plumb to the naked eye.

Too full, on off, Ryan Burl keeps it out.

Full and around leg, Ryan Burl looks to sweep it awya but misses out and gets hit on his pads.

Zimbabwe need 188 runs from 114 balls. Rashid Khan (4-0-11-0) is back on, replacing Mohammad Nabi.

Tossed up, on off, Ryan Burl brings out the reverse sweep and hits this behind point for a single.

FOUR! That's been smashed away to the fence for four. Too full, around off, Ryan Burl gets right on top of the bounce and smashes this through the covers region for a boundary. Ryan has switched gears by the looks of it.

Tossed up, on middle and off, Sikandar Raza tucks this through mid-wicket for one run.

Fuller around off, Sikandar Raza sweeps this to squre leg for no run.

Just in! Flighted, around off, turning away from the batter. Ryan Burl looks to play the inside-out lofted drive but just gets it edged to the right of Ziaur Rahman at short third. Excellent fielding effort keep it down to just one. The throw was good at the keeper's end and the umpire sends this upstairs for a run-out check. The replay shows that Sikandar Raza was safely back inside the crease.

Run out check at the batting end. Side-on replay shows that Raza is comfortably in when the bails are whipped off by Gurbaz. NOT OUT.

Full and wide of off, turning away from the batter, Ryan Burl brings out the reverse sweep but fails to get bat on ball.

A typical fast bowler's reply. Way too short on the bodyline, Raza squats under it.

FOUR! Heaved away! 100 up for Zimbabwe! On a back of a length, around off, Raza stands tall and drags it over mid-wicket. There's no timing on it but he just needed to clear the mid-wicket fielder, which he did. A boundary after 78 deliveries for Zimbabwe. That's exactly 13 overs.

In the air, but just out of Rashid's reach! Superb effort though. Full and slower outside off, Raza looks to launch it down the ground but gets it off the toe end. The ball loops high towards mid off, where Rashid turns back over his right shoulder, gives chase but cannot quite get under it despite putting in the dive. It drops safely beyond him, and the batters scamper back for two.

A touch full and outside off, Burl throws his bat at it to access the off side but the ball skids through and squirts off the bottom edge towards deep third. One run taken.

Short of a length, on leg, Burl mistimes the pull shot to deep mid-wicket for a couple of runs.

Back of a length, around off, Burl knocks it to cover-point.

DRINKS! The game is being played at a pedestrian pace by Zimbabwe, who are counting on this partnership to turn things around in a miraculous way from here on. The Chevrons have had no answer to the spin web of Afghanistan as the trio of AM Ghazanfar, Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi have given away almost nothing. The visitors will have to up the ante.

Good length on off, spinning back in. Raza opens up the leg side and punches down the ground, but the ball clips the non-striker's bat and trickles towards extra cover. No run.

Nice and full, around off, Raza lunges and pushes it to the off side.

Dropped short, outside off, Raza hangs back and knocks it to cover.

Had to really hurry there! Flighted, full and angled into middle and leg, Burl advances and tucks it off the inner half to square leg. Raza calls him through for a single, and Burl obliges. But Raza is left at the danger end as the throw comes in to the keeper. He dives and makes his ground just in time, with Gurbaz breaking the stumps after it.

Full outside off, carved away to the cover region, but straight to the fielder.

Sliding into the batter, full in length, Burl employs the reverse sweep but misses and is hit on the front pad. Impact outside off.

Tad short and on leg, Burl gets across and steers it to long leg for a single. They look for the second, but it's not on.

On a back of a length, on leg, Burl fends it to short mid-wicket with soft hands.

Around off on a length, Burl punches it to the right of the bowler.

Nagging length, on off, Burl has no room to free his arms and stabs it to backward point.

Short of a length, around off, Ryan is late on the pull shot and badly shanks it to short mid-wicket.

In the channel, on a length, Ryan Burl rises up with the bounce and knocks it to cover-point.

Ziaur Rahman is called back in the attack.

Keeps it tight at the stumps on a good length, following the batter. Raza shuffles across to the leg side but is cramped for room and punches it straight back to the bowler.

Quicker now, short on off, Raza is rushed back and cuts it to backward point.

Slower through the air, on a length, Burl makes room and strokes it wide of short cover for a run.

Dropped full and around off, Burl drives it straight to short cover.

A tad short and outside off, Raza backs away and slaps it down to long off for a single.

Turns into the batter, short in length, Raza clips it to square leg with soft hands.

The wrong'un, on a length, on off stump. Burl steers it to deep extra cover for a couple of runs.

Fuller and spinning in, Burl pushes at it, but gets an inside edge onto the pads. A slight appeal for LBW, but nothing doing.

On a fuller length, on leg, Ryan flicks it behind square on the leg side. Atal runs to his right from short fine leg and tries to stop it with a dive but his knee gets plugged in the outfield. Two runs taken.

Quicker and fuller, on leg, flicked off the pads to short mid-wicket.

Dishes out the googly, on a length, Burl stands deep in the crease and bumps it back to Rashid.

On a length, outside the off stump. Raza punches it down the ground. Rashid bends low on his follow-through, tries to stop it with his right hand but fails, and the ball seeps down to long off. One run.

Sharp turn, from off to leg, Raza knocks the short ball down to long on for a single. Just 4 runs off Nabi's first.

Pushed through, full on leg, flicked to short mid-wicket.

Slightly short and outside off, Raza lets the off-break spin into him and cuts it to deep backward point. Rashid, from cover-point sprints after it and makes a fine stop while sliding. Keeps the batters down to two.

Shortish and outside off, spinning in, Raza backs away and tries to punch it through the gap, but hits it straight to Ibrahim at cover. Raza is looking increasingly restless at the crease now.

Short and outside off, Ryan rocks back and cuts it to deep cover-point for a single.

Nabi is into the attack now! Bowls from around the stump, touch full on off, Burl steps out of the crease and pushes it to the off side.

The googly by the looks of it, short in length, Raza covers the off stump and blocks it with soft hands.

Tight line on the off stump, on a length, Burl cuts it late to deep backward point for a single.

Full now, on the stumps, clipped to short mid-wicket.

From around the stump, this is short and spinning in on off, Burl knocks it to mid-wicket, where the fielder makes a sharp diving stop to his right.

A bit short and outside off, slapped off the back foot to deep backward point for a single.

The flipper on a length, outside off, Raza stabs it to backward point.

A bit short now, on off, Burl hangs back and dabs it to the short third region.

Drops it full on middle, blocked off the front foot.

Full outside off, smeared to deep cover for a single.

Edged, but did that carry? Flighted up, full and outside off, spinning away with a good dip. Raza draws the front foot out to drive it away to the off side, but gets an outside edge. The ball goes low to the right of Sediqullah Atal at first slip. Atal is a bit late to react and the ball seeps through for a couple of runs. Too harsh to call it a dropped chance, though.

Tossed up at 89.4 kph, Burl flicks the full ball to long on for a single.

Generously flighted, full on middle, Burl drills it back to the bowler.

On a lower trajectory, short on middle, Raza knocks it to short mid-wicket.

This one spins in, full and on off, Burl tries to push it to the off side but gets a thick inside edge. The ball trickles through square leg and mid-wicket for a single.

Googly on a length, around off, Burl drags it across to short mid-wicket.

Bowls from way behind the crease and dishes out a length ball, on the leg stump. Burl looks to flick but misses and is struck on the thigh pad.

The quicker one, and it is a googly outside off, Burl cuts it to backward point.

Dropped short, on the leg stump, Burl whips it to deep mid-wicket and they hustle back for the second run.

Spins in sharply and skids from a length, around off, Raza shuffles a bit and stabs it down the pitch.

Too full, outside off, Raza carves it straight to short cover.

Full, on off, Burl works it to long off for a single.

The conventional leg-break, full outside off, Raza lunges and steers it to widish short third for a single.

Full again, on the leg stump, Burl flicks it to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Looped up, full on leg, Burl misses the flick. The ball deflects off the pad and rolls to square leg.

Tossed up, on the pads, Ryan Burl tucks this to fine leg for a run.

Wrong'un, on off, Ryan Burl thumps this back to the bowler off his back foot.

A loud and confident appeal by the entire Afghanistan side but the umpire gives nothing away. Fuller on leg, Ryan looks to flick it away but misses. Loud appeal goes in vain as the umpire must've thought that this was pitched outside leg. Rahmat Shah sends this upstairs, though. Ball Tracking shows a green on the ball pitching outside leg and it saves the day for Burl.

Leg-break, around middle and leg, Ryan Burl looks to play for the googly and gets beaten on the inside edge. Ryan is hit on his pads.

Wrong'un, on the pads, Ryan Burl reads it well and keeps it out.

Googly, around off, Ryan Burl punches this firmly to the left of the bowler. Rashid Khan fields it but this did sting.

Rashid Khan was seen loosening up in the outfield. And... here comes the spin magician into the attack. A slip in place.

Straight one, on off, fuller as well. Sikandar Raza defends it out.

Fuller on the pads, Sikandar Raza dead bats it.

Carrom ball, on off, Sikandar Raza gets onto his front foot and keeps it out.

Short and wide of off, Ryan Burl rises with the bounce and cuts this through point for a single.

Fuller around off, Raza drives this through mid off for a run.

Floated on off, Raza blocks this out.

Back of a length, on off, Ryan Burl dabs this to the backward point fielder for no run.

On a length, around the pads, Sikandar Raza works this finely to the right of mid on and rotates the strike.

Hard length, on top of off, Sikandar Raza defends this off his back foot.

WIDE! Good length, down the leg side, Sikandar Raza comes inside the line and looks to clip this to fine leg but misses. Raza iss livid with himself as the stump mic catches him cursing himself.

On a length, wide of off, Ryan Burl gets it away off the bottom edge of his bat towards the third man fielder for one run.

DROPPED! Raza rides his luck as Azmatullah Omarzai drops him on 20. On a length, around the pads, Sikandar Raza goes for a flick but ends up with a leading edge that goes in the direction of Azmatullah Omarzai at deep square leg. Omarzai covers good ground, runs in from the fence and puts in the dive at the end but ends up grassing it. One run taken.

Good length, in the channel, Sikandar Raza steps down the track and has a tentative poke at it, away from his body but gets beaten.

Oh, no! It's Raza down on the ground now, struggling with the humidity, it seems. He is lying on his right side, with his hip taking the weight and the physio is helping him out. Looks like a side strain. He is eventually back on his feet and is ready to resume. Zimbabwe can ill afford another setback, especially one caused by an injury.

Too full, around middle and off, Burl defends this off his front foot.

FOUR! Burl is off the duck with a boundary. Fuller around off, Ryan Burl strides close to the pitch of the ball and drives this through the covers region for a boundary to open his account.

Yorker, on middle and off, Ryan Burl jams it out.

Off-break, around middle and off, Sikandar Raza gently works this through square leg and takes a run.

Short of a length, around off, Sikandar Raza cuts this through point and adds two runs to his tally.

Fired into the batter, on his pads, Sikandar Raza clips this to short fine leg for no run.

On a length, around the pads, Sikandar Raza tickles this to fine leg for one run.

SIX! A biggie against the run of play for the skipper of Zimbabwe. Short and wide of off, Sikandar Raza arches back and cuts it up and over the fence towards the deep third region for a biggie. Zimbabwe crawl past 50 with that hit.

A massive relief for Afghanistan as Rashid Khan is back on the field. He is yet to bowl his first over. But he looks fit and fine now, which is good news.

Back of a length, on middle and off, Sikandar Raza blocks it out.

Short and on leg, Sikandar Raza fends this to square leg.

On a length, around middle and off, Sikandar Raza jumps down the track and blocks it to the left of the bowler. Raza was looking to cut loose by hitting it over covers but couldn't get the room he was after.

Good length, on off, Sikandar Raza dabs this off his back foot to silly point for a dot.

around off, Ryan Burl punts this back to the bowler.

Leggie, around middle and leg, Ryan Burl gets up on his toes and works this to the left of the bowler but for a dot again.

Flighted, around off, Ryan Burl pushes this back to the bowler.

Fuller around off, Sikandar Raza drives this down to long off for a single.

Tossed up, on off, Sikandar Raza punches this to the left of short extra cover for a dot.

Fuller around off, Raza presses on the front foot and keeps it out. Raza was keen on a run but Ryan denied it.

Good length, on top of off, Ryan Burl defends this firmly to short extra cover for no run.

Ziaur bowls it on a length, around off, Burl blocks this as well.

Hard length, on top of off, Ryan Burl gets on top of the bounce and keeps it out.

Fuller around off, Ryan Burl keeps it out.

Good length, around off, Sikandar Raza rocks back and guides this through backward point for a run.

Back of a length, on middle and off, Sikandar Raza tucks this to mid-wicket for no run.

Fuller on off, Ryan Burl pushes this to mid off for no run.

Drinks Break! The Chevrons have taken a heavy blow tonight, slumping to 43/4 with their top four back in the hut. With Taylor also falling cheaply, and no Ervine in the XI, the experience bank is running thin, leaving Raza and Burl to shoulder the burden as the seasoned heads in the middle now. Afghanistan's seam duo of Omarzai and Fazalhaq were relentless with the new ball, giving nothing away. They now eye breaking the final wall of resistance and a big win. At this stage, the advantage firmly sits with Afghanistan. Ryan Burl is in at number 6.

OUT! LBW! Brian Bennett has been trapped in front of the stumps. Fuller on middle and leg, Brian Bennett goes down on one knee and looks to play the sweep. The ball sneaks under his bat and hits him on the front pad. A loud appeal and the umpire gives it OUT. Brian Bennett asks for DRS. Nothing on the UltraEdge, three reds on Ball Tracker and the on-field decision stays. Brian Bennett walks back after scoring 31 off 40.

Darted on off, Sikandar Raza guides this through point for a run.

Too full, around off, Sikandar Raza thumps this to short extra cover for no run.

Fuller on middle and off, Brian Bennett tucks this to mid on for a run.

Seam-up, inswinging delivery on middle and off, Brian Bennett punches this back to the bowler.

On a length, around middle and leg, shaping into the batter. Sikandar Raza rolls this to mid on for no run.

Full and wide of off, Sikandar Raza offers a proper Test like leave at it.

FOUR! Excellently played over the keeper by Sikandar Raza. Short and around off, Sikandar Raza arches back and just helps this up and over the keeper for a boundary to the fence behind the stumps.

Ziaur bowls it on a hard length, around off, Raza blocks this to covers for no run.

! On a length, wide down the leg side. Wided.

Back of a length, around off, Sikandar Raza dabs this to point for no run.

Good length, on the pads, Brian Bennett flicks this through backward square leg for a single.

We still have no update regarding Rashid Khan, who walked off the field after landing awkwardly on his right knee while fielding. So the Afghans are already running a bowler short and would want Rashid to stay fit and get back on as quickly as possible. For now, Ziaur Rahman is into the attack, replacing Azmatullah Omarzai.

Too full, on middle and leg, Sikandar Raza pushes this to the right of the bowler for no run.

Tossed up, on off, Brian Bennett drives this to wide long off for one run.

Fired on the pads, Brian Bennett tucks this to the fielder at mid-wicket for no run.

Oh, dear! Gurbaz is struggling again with his hamstring and has called for the physio. The signs are not good, as Gurbaz walks off the field with a noticeable limp. A big blow for Afghanistan. Ikram Alikhil has donned the gloves as Gurbaz's substitute.

Darted onto the pads, Sikandar Raza works this through the mid-wicket region for a single.

Tossed up, around off, Sikandar Raza drives this to the left of the short cover fielder for no run.

Floated on off, Sikandar Raza pushes this to covers.

Time for Powerplay 2! The fielding side will now be allowed 4 fielders outside the 30-yard circle till the 40th over. A change in bowling too, as AM Ghazanfar will roll his arm over.

Short of a good length, on off, nipping in. Brian rides the bounce and fends it to cover-point with soft hands.

Shapes in a touch, short on off, Bennett rocks back and bunts it to the off side.

FOUR! Nicely done! A short ball, outside off. Not at all threatening and Bennett arches back before ramping it over the short third fielder for a boundary.

Angled in on a fullish length, Bennett knocks it down to mid on.

Cannons it in, full on off, Bennett carefully watches it and blocks it solidly.

Play and a miss! Good channel by Omarzai. Short and outside off, Brian hangs back to punch it to cover, but the ball kicks up a bit and nips away to flirt past the outside edge.

The humidity is certainly having its say in the contest, as it is the wicket-keeper of Afghanistan, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who is down with cramps. The team physio is out in the middle and going through the stretches on Gurbaz.

Full and straight, Raza gets across a bit and clips it to mid-wicket.

Short of a length, angling in, Raza hops off and nudges it to the mid-wicket region.

Slants it down the leg stump, on a good length. Raza moves to the off side to tickle it fine on the leg side, but misses. The ball deflects off his thigh pad and shoots low to the left of the keeper. Rahmanullah Gurbaz does extremely well to grab it with his left hand while diving.

A bit full and outside off, 132.1 kph, Brian opens the bat face and glides it to deep third for a single.

Lasers it straight onto the stumps, full in length, Brian presents full face of the bat and blocks.

Back of a length, outside off, Raza initially thinks about leaving it but cannot withdraw his bat away in time and it pings behind to deep third for a single. If that was played deliberately or not, only Raza knows.

A typical fast bowler's response. Well-executed bumper, very short and climbing on the batter. Brian swivels to pull but gets hurried and is beaten all ends up.

INTERESTING!!! Well, just as Azmatullah Omarzai was about to deliver, the towel he uses to dry the ball slipped from his trousers. Brian Bennett went for the pull, missed, and the ball skidded through to hit the stumps. But Bennett immediately protested, claiming the falling towel had disturbed his concentration. The umpires gathered at the middle to discuss the matter with the batter and the captain, before ruling in Bennett's favour. What is worth debating is that Bennett did not step away and still played his shot, so should the dismissal have stood? The umpires instead called it a dead ball. It was a call that could easily have gone either way.

Half an appeal for LBW, but it wanes down immediately. Clearly going down leg. On a length, a bit too straight onto the pads. Brian misses the flick and is hit hard on the front pad.

Slightly full and on leg, Sikandar flicks it wide of mid-wicket for a single.

Onto the pads and full, Raza flicks it to short mid-wicket.

Beaten! Short of a length, hooping in from outside off, Raza looks to slap it through cover but the ball keeps jagging in to beat his inside edge.

Skipper Sikandar Raza walks in at 5.

OUT! TAYLOR IS RUN OUT! Exceptional fielding display by Omarzai. And that's a massive blow for Zimbabwe. Fuller and angling into the batter, Brendan Taylor blocks it to the mid-wicket region and is through for a single, but Bennett is glued at the non-striker's end, and sends him back on a sharp call. Omarzai swoops across on his follow-through, picks the ball with his right hand and throws it in a motion, scoring a direct hit at the batting end. Taylor gives up already and trudges off. There was never a run there, to be very fair. The Chevrons are 26/3, needing 269 runs.

Magical stuff from Fazalhaq! Spears in full and outside off, in the channel. Brian gets squared up while looking to block it off the back foot, but the ball deviates away and breezes past the outside edge.

A bit full now with pace taken off, on the stumps, Brian watchfully blocks it with a straight bat.

Back of a length, on top of off, Taylor prods forward and knocks it in front of mid off and steals a quick single to get off the mark.

Bringing the angle back into the batter, on a length, Taylor leaves it alone.

Angles it in and around off, on a length, Brendan Taylor defends it to the off side.

Brendan Taylor is the next batter in for Zimbabwe.

OUT! EDGED AND CAUGHT BEHIND! Farooqi with another beauty. Joys in the Afghan camp. A proper Test-match length. Touch fuller and outside off. It lands on the seam and nips away from the batter. Tafadzwa Tsiga doesn't move his feet to the pitch of the ball and tries to drive it away from his body through cover, but gets a thick outside edge. Rahmanullah Gurbaz takes a straightforward catching practice behind the stumps. Zimbabwe are 25/2, needing 270 runs.

Rashid Khan is down in pain after fielding the last delivery. He seems to have a sprain around his abdomen on the right side. Not a good sign for Afghanistan, as he is walking off the field.

Angles in on a shorter length, on off, Tsiga rocks back and unleashes a juicy back-foot punch to the left of mid off. Rashid moves across and makes a diving stop. One run taken. Rashid's right knee appears to jar awkwardly into the ground, with the impact seemingly straining his hip as well. He is down and in visible discomfort.

Stump-to-stump, on a length, Tsiga hangs back and punches it back to the bowler.

Fuller and on the stumps, Tsiga forces it down to mid on.

Nip-backer, short on middle, Tsiga knocks it across to mid-wicket.

Goes fuller now, outside off, Tsiga gets a good stride in and drives it straight to cover.

Peach of a delivery! Back of a length, outside off. It hits the seam, kicks up and nips away, squaring up Tsiga completely. He looks to defend off the back foot but the ball zips past the outside edge.

FOUR! Crunched off the middle! A little bit of width on offer, short and outside off, Brian Bennett rides the bounce by standing up on his toes and absolutely belts it through cover for a boundary.

Nagging length, around off, Bennett hangs back and knocks it to cover.

Huge appeal for LBW, but turned down! Farooqi bowls from a wider angle from around the stumps. Goes full and slants it on the leg stump. It is sliding down leg and Brian misses the flick by playing all around it. He is struck on the front pad and the ball rolls to the off side. Afghanistan do not review. Rahmat, the captain, himself signals it is sliding down leg.

Slightly fuller and angling at the pads again. Brian tries to work it across but misses and is hit hard on the thigh pad.

Short of a length, onto the pads, Tafadzwa gets across and dinks it through mid-wicket for a single.

Nips in, short and outside off, Tsiga rises up with the bounce and tucks it to mid on.

SIX! HIGH AND HANDSOME! That's the first six of the chase. Short by Omarzai, on top of middle, Brian Bennett picks the length in a trice, keeps his head down and nails the pull shot over deep mid-wicket, dumping it on the grass banks for half a dozen runs.

Spears in on the stumps, full in length, Brian solidly blocks it right under his eyes.

Fuller than a length, outside off, Brian gets on the front foot and drives it crisply to cover but cannot pierce the gap.

On a length, around off, Bennett presses forward and knocks it into covers.

A touch full and outside off, Brian strides across and cracks the drive to backward point. The fielder, Ibrahim, dives to his left and makes a fine stop.

Beaten! A late outswing on a fuller length, outside off, Brian is drawn forward to play the cover drive but gets beaten on the outside edge.

A superb wicket-maiden by Farooqi. Back of a length, outside the off stump, Tsiga shoulders arms.

From around the stump, this is bashed hard into the pitch, outside off, Tsiga leaves the harmless delivery.

Fuller ball, outside off, Tsiga leans on and drives it straight to mid off.

Outside off on a length, driven away to cover.

Tafadzwa Tsiga walks out at 3.

OUT! KNOCKED HIM OVER! What a cracking delivery from Farooqi. Curran, in all honesty, could have done nothing much about that. A big inswinger from over the stumps, on a good length. Ben Curran is pinned in the crease and looks to block but gets flummoxed due to the excessive movement. He tries to push it down the ground but the ball sneaks past his inside edge and makes an absolute mess of the stumps behind. Any seam bowler's delight and Fazalhaq is all smiles. Zimbabwe are 13/1, needing 282 runs to win.

Moves away through the air, full and outside off, Curran clips it away to mid on.

Nagging length, outside off, Brian rocks back and punches it straight to the cover-point fielder.

This one swings back in on the pads, on a length, Brian is rushed on the back foot and nudges it between mid on and mid-wicket for a couple of runs.

FOUR! Firmly hit! Azmat goes short and on top of off, nipping away. Brian Bennett goes for the pull shot but the ball skids and doesn't rise much. So he ends up hitting it off the inner half of the bat, but still powers it flatly, and wide of mid-wicket for a boundary.

Banana outswing, full and around of, Brian forces it down to mid on.

Gets an away swing, on a length, outside off, Brian hangs back and stabs it to cover-point.

Shapes away, full and outside off, Bennett lets it through. The ball hardly carries through to the keeper. In fact, Gurbaz has to bend quite low and grabs it on the bounce.

Azmatullah Omarzai to bowl with the other new ball.

Slightly back of a length, on the leg stump, Brian hangs back and steers it behind square leg for a single. 7 off the first over.

Swinging away again, full and outside off, Brian gets on the front foot and crisply drives it through the cover and point gap. Rahmat Shah sprints after it from the inner ring and mops it up. Two runs taken.

Gets a good bit out outswing, from leg to off, on a good length, Brian camps back and bunts it down the pitch.

Fuller than a length, 127.8 kph, outside off, Brian presses in front and defends it to cover-point.

Beaten! This one keeps low on bounce. On a good length, swinging away from the batter from middle to outside off. Brian Bennett gets squared up to block but gets beaten on the outside edge.

FOUR! Creamed through the gap! Exhilarating stroke. Full and outside off, angling away. Bennett leans across and cracks the cover drive for a boundary to get off the mark.

OUT! ZIAUR IS RUN OUT! Full by Evans, around the off stump. Rahman stays deep inside the crease and clears the front leg. Heaves it off the inner half of the bat to deep mid-wicket and they push hard for the second run. But Wessly Madhevere is quick to attack the ball from the deep and unleashes a flat throw to the batting end, where Ziaur is backing up too far. Brendan Taylor collects the throw by standing beside the stumps and dislodges the bails in a flash. Afghanistan are bowled out on 294 after 50 overs.

Bashes the length hard, outside off, Ziaur swings the bat like a rusty gate, but fails to get any sort of connection. This is proving to be a superb final over for Zimbabwe.

Back of a length, angled down leg. Farooqi shifts across and attempts the pull, only to miss. The keeper, Taylor, spills it to his left, gifting away a bye.

Swing and a miss! Short of a length and around off. Farooqi looks to pull but gets beaten due to the extra bounce.

Fazalhaq Farooqi is the last batter in for Afghanistan.

OUT! CAUGHT BY SIKANDAR! Evans continues to have a productive tri-series with the ball. A four-for against Bangladesh and now a three-wicket haul. Bowls a full delivery, outside off, Nabi clears the front leg and attempts to thump it over long off, but the ball gets sliced off the toe end. As a result, Nabi gets more height than distance. Raza runs in a few steps from long off and almost misjudges the trajectory, but takes a fine catch in the end. Afghanistan are 292/9, with four balls left.

Good running between the wickets! Angling in, full and on the bodyline, Nabi flicks it away to the right of deep mid-wicket for a couple of runs.

Ziaur Rahman is the next batter in for Afghanistan.

OUT! MISTIMED AND CAUGHT! Wicket number two for Muzarabani. He digs in another bumper, on the top of off and extracts good lift from the surface. AM Ghazanfar stands tall and tries to hook it over square leg but the ball gets big on him and he only manages to get a top edge. It spoons up over mid on and Wellington Masakadza lurks underneath it to complete a straightforward catch. Afghanistan are 290/8.

Beaten again! Smart bowling by Muzarabani. At pace now, slammed hard into the pitch, outside off, AM Ghazanfar looks to carve it over the point region but gets comprehensively beaten by pace and bounce.

Swing and a miss! Another slower one, outside off on a good length, Ghazanfar swings across the line to pull but fails to connect.

Pace-off delivery, on a length and outside off, Nabi waits back and cuts it behind backward point for a single.

Back of a length, on off, Ghazanfar backs away and knocks it wide of mid off for a single.

FOUR! Up and over! Short one by Blessing, on middle, angling into the body. AM Ghazanfar looks to pull but gets a massive top edge, getting rushed on the shot. It clears mid on and trickles into the long on fence for a four.

Good length, on the pads, AM Ghazanfar works this to mid-wicket for a run.

13 balls left in the innings. AM Ghazanfar is the next batter in at number 9.

OUT! TIMBER TIME! Slower one, bowled fuller and on the off-pole, Rashid Khan completely loses his body shape as he looks to tonk this big and far over the leg side. But he doesn't pick the slower one and the ball sneaks past Rashid's bat to clatter into the off-pole. Evans and Rashid both exchange smirky smiles with the former picking up his second wicket. Afghanistan are now 283 for 7.

Second bumper of the over by Brad Evans, on off this time, Rashid Khan doesn't back off and goes for the pull but misses out again.

Well-directed bumper, on middle and off, Rashid Khan goes for the pull but misses out.

Hard length, on middle and leg, Mohammad Nabi works this through square leg for a single.

On a length, around middle and off, Nabi chips this behind the bowler to the left of long on for two runs.

Blessing Muzarabani bowls it on a fuller length, around off, Rashid Khan jumps down and away, looking to hit this over covers but misses.

FOUR! The short stuff might just not work against Rashid Khan. Short again, around off, Rashid Khan this time gets up on his toes and cuts this to the right of the deep third fielder and adds four more to his tally.

FOUR! Carved away for four. Short and wide of off again, on middle and off, Rashid Khan stays deep inside the crease and cuts this to the left of Ernest Masuku at deep third for four runs.

Short and wide of off, Rashid Khan looks to play the square cut but misses out.

Commentators curse or something? Just before the start of this over, we mentioned that Shahidi was ready to switch gears and he fell. Rashid Khan walks in at number 8.

OUT! CAUGHT! The short stuff ploy comes good for Muzarabani as he sees the back of Hashmatullah Shahidi. Short again, on middle and off, Hashmatullah Shahidi moves away from his stumps to his leg side and cuts it aerially. But it is too close to his body, with not much room to completely free his arms. Ends up hitting it straight into the hands of Ryan Burl at the deep backward point region.

Clever by Blessing Muzarabani as he bowls a bouncer on leg, Hashmatullah Shahidi looks to create a bit of room to free his arms but gets followed by the bowler and ends up ducking down on this.

Shahidi has found his timing at the very right time. 300 is within reach for Afghanistan with four overs to go. Blessing Muzarabani (7-0-54-0) is back for his final spell.

Short and on leg, Hashmatullah Shahidi pulls this through square leg for a single.

FOUR! Excellent from Shahidi to put this away to the fence. Short and wide of off, Hashmatullah Shahidi moves away to his leg side and throws fast hands at it. Cuts this through the gap between deep third and backward point for a boundary.

Bouncer, on leg, Hashmatullah Shahidi ducks down on this.

Back of a length, around off, Mohammad Nabi cuts this through cover-point for a run.

Good length, around off, Hashmatullah Shahidi guides this to point for a single.

FOUR! A boundary after 29 deliveries for Afghanistan. Pitched-up delivery, around the pads, Hashmatullah Shahidi moves away from his stumps to his leg side and drives this in the gap through the covers region for a boundary.

Five overs left. Brad Evans is back on. 1/30 in 7 overs.

Off-break on the pads, Mohammad Nabi milks this through the square leg region for a couple of runs.

Tossed up, on middle and off, Mohammad Nabi blocks this off his front foot.

End of a memorable knock from Sediqullah Atal. He is appreciated warmly by the crowd and his teammates alike as he makes his way to the dugout. Mohammad Nabi is in at number 7.

OUT! CAUGHT! The centurion departs on 102. Fuller around middle and off, Sediqullah Atal goes down on one knee and looks to play the slog sweep. It's a bit of a tired-looking shot and it is miscued off the top edge. The ball travels towards long on instead of deep mid-wicket. Tafadzwa Tsiga runs in off the ropes with his eyes locked on the ball like a hawk. He dives forward and scoops the ball perfectly, inches above the ground.

Floated into the batter, on his pads, Hashmatullah Shahidi flicks this through mid-wicket for a single.

Short and wide of off, Hashmatullah Shahidi punches this through the covers region for a brace.

Flighted delivery, on middle and off, Hashmatullah Shahidi looks to work this around to the leg side but gets it edged to covers.

Full and on middle and off, Shahidi pushes this through mid off for a single.

Short and on middle and leg, Hashmatullah Shahidi swivels and gets it away with a top-edge to fine leg for two runs.

3rd ODI CENTURY FOR ATAL. Second against Zimbabwe. On a length, around middle and leg, Sediqullah Atal punches this past the bowler to his left and takes a few strides, waiting for the ball to beat mid on. The ball goes past a diving mid on fielder and the batters run three. He has shown a real appetite for big scores, and after 98 and 143 in his previous two ODI innings, he has backed it up with another, fighting almost single-handedly for his side. He drops to his knees, kisses the ground and thanks the Almighty. A well-paced innings from the emerging left-hander.

Good length, on the pads, Hashmatullah Shahidi pushes this to the mid on region and takes a run. Brings Atal back on strike. 250 up for Afghanistan!

Full and on the pads, Sediqullah Atal flicks this through square leg for a single.

On a length, around middle and off, Sediqullah Atal punches this to long off for a brace. Atal moves to 98.

Pitched full and on the stumps, Atal shimmies down the track and works it to long on for a single. Moves to 96, does Atal.

Short and wide outside off, Shahidi hangs back and cuts it to deep backward point for a single.

Another incredible piece of fielding by Bennett. Making amends for his early lapses. Full and fired into the pads, drifting down leg. Shahidi shuffles across and drops low, sweeping towards deep backward square leg. The fielder, Brian, runs a long way, dives to his left and flicks it back inside the rope, keeping it to two. The replay confirms that it is a clean effort.

An in-drifter into the body, Atal whips it to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Dropped short and outside off, this is dragged across to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Smartly bowled! Seeing Shahidi show his cards early by advancing down the track, Sikandar cunningly fires one outside off and full. Hashmatullah tries to reach out to smash it to the cover region but fails to connect as the ball beats his outside edge. Taylor is quick to gather and dislodge the bails. There's an appeal for stumping and the replay shows that Shahidi had his back leg well inside the crease and grounded completely.

Atal better thank his lucky stars. Madhevere's throw from backward point missed the stumps at the keeper's end, and a direct hit would have left him in real trouble. He had jabbed at a length delivery just short of a good length, and pushed it to Madhevere's left and set off for a very tight single.

Slams it hard into the pitch and follows the batter who shuffles outside leg for the ramp shot. Shahidi goes through his shot but the ball jumps over his bat.

Short of a good length and around off. Atal dabs it down with the outer half of the bat to the right of backward point for a quick single.

Atal gets a hard length ball straight onto his pads and tucks it away to deep fine leg. The ball is on its way slowly, so he turns and takes the second run comfortably, with the weak throw from Curran giving him all the time he needs.

Too close for comfort! Very casual from Shahidi. The yorker lands right on the stumps, and he works it off his hips towards square leg, then sets off for a quick single but gets sent back by Atal. Evans swoops with a full-length dive, spots Shahidi trying to scramble back, and rolls the ball underarm at the stumps. Direct hit is scored, but the replay shows that Shahidi has made his ground comfortably.

Bangs it short on the leg stump, Shahidi ducks underneath it.

Serves it full and outside off, Shahidi comes forward and smears it to long off for a single.

Dropped fuller, outside off, tapped away to cover-point.

Generously flighted up, full on the stumps, Atal leans on and drills it to long on for a single.

Quicker one, full on off, Shahid drags it through mid on for a single.

Drifting into the pads, full in length, Atal clips it between mid-wicket and square leg for a single.

FOUR! PUNISHED! Full and flat, outside off, Atal lunges and absolutely belts it through covers for a cracking boundary.

This phase belongs to Zimbabwe. Afghanistan scored just 47 runs in the 31-40 over phase, but they have lost three big wickets. 300 looks a bit distant now but with Atal still battling it out, they will push on for it. Powerplay 3 time. Zimbabwe can have a maximum of 5 fielders outside the circle till the end of the innings. Sikandar Raza is back on. 7-0-35-0 so far.

Good length, on off, Sediqullah Atal pushes this int eh gap on off for a run.

Short and on leg, Sediqullah Atal pulls this through mid-wicket for a brace.

Good length, around off, Atal drives this to the left of short extra cover for no run.

Full and on middle and leg, Hashmatullah Shahidi rolls this down to long on for a single.

On a length, wide of off, going across the batter, Hashmatullah Shahidi swings and misses.

Full and wide of off, Hashmatullah Shahidi guides this to point for no run.

Great effort by Bennett this time. Certainly saves a boundary. Banged in short at leg stump, and Atal has all the time in the world. He rides the bounce and rolls the pull to the left of deep square leg, where Bennett slides across and hauls it back from the rope with a flick. Masuku swoops in from deep fine leg to finish the relay, and the batters have to settle for two. The TV umpire checks for any touch of the boundary, but the replay gives it the all-clear.

Good length, around off, Hashmatullah Shahidi guides this to deep third for one.

Short again, on leg, Sediqullah Atal hooks this to fine leg for a run.

On a length, around off, Hashmatullah Shahidi defends this to covers for no run.

Good length, on off, Hashmatullah Shahidi keeps it out.

Short and on middle and off, Sediqullah Atal pulls this through mid-wicket for one run.

Atal is stranded at the other end as he sees a streak of wickets falling from the other. The decision to swap Ernest into the XI has proved to be fruitful for Zimbabwe today. The Chevrons have slowly but surely made a comeback in the contest. Hashmatullah Shahidi is in at number 6.

OUT! CAUGHT BEHIND! Fantastic catch behind the stumps by Brendan Taylor and Ernest Masuku has his third of the game. Ernest Masuku bowls it full and wide of off, and Azmatullah Omarzai throws his bat at it to access the off side, but does not move his feet at all and outside edges it to the keeper's right. Brendan Taylor, turning back the years at 40, athletically dives to his right and plucks it one-handed. Masuku is pumped up to bits and why not? He has been the most impactful bowler for the Chevrons today.

Masuku bowls it full and on middle and leg, Azmatullah Omarzai punches this on the bounce, back to the bowler.

On a length, around middle and leg, Azmatullah Omarzai tucks this to the right of the bowler for no run.

Short and on middle and leg, Sediqullah Atal pulls this through mid-wicket for a single.

On a length, around off, Sediqullah Atal punches this to short covers.

Good length, on middle and off, Atal blocks this out.

FOUR! It has been carved away to the fence for a boundary. Back of a length, around off, Azmatullah Omarzai gets up on his toes and cuts this through the point region. Brian Bennett sprints to his left, puts in a dive but the effort goes in vain as he fails to stop it. 11 runs off the over. Bennett is down on his haunches, absolutely disappointed with himself. Raza with a blank look on his face. Zimbabwe have been really indisciplined in the field today.

Full and wide of off, Azmatullah Omarzai drives this through covers for a brace.

On a length, around off, Azmatullah Omarzai punches this to extra cover for no run.

Good length, on off, Sediqullah Atal rocks back and dabs this to the point region for a single.

Good length, wide of off, Sediqullah Atal leans back and cuts this to the left of deep third for a couple of runs. This was hit in the air but away from a diving backward point fielder.

Hard length, around off, Azmatullah Omarzai pushes this through point for a single.

WIDE! Back of a length, way too wide of off. Wided.

Pace from both ends. Blessing Muzarabani is brought back on. 4-0-32-0 so far. Wasn't at his best in the first spell and would look to make amends.

Off-cutter, short one, on leg, Atal checks the pull and gets it edged towards the fine leg region. Two runs taken.

Good length, on the pads, Azmatullah Omarzai works this through square leg for a run.

Ernest bowls it full and on middle and off, Azmatullah Omarzai punches this to mid off for no run.

A bit of a collapse for Afghanistan. 190/1 becomes 202/3. Azmatullah Omarzai is in at number 5.

OUT! CASTLED! Ernest Masuku comes back into the attack and picks up another one. On a length, around middle and off, with a massive deviation into the batter. Rahmat Shah clears his front foot and aims to hoick it over the mid-wicket fielder but misses out. The ball beats the inside edge and sneaks through to rattle the timber. Absolute peach of a delivery and that's wicket number two for Masuku. Rahmat departs without making any big impact.

On a length, around off, Rahmat Shah drives this to short extra cover for no run.

Good length, on middle and off, Shah blocks this out.

Ernest Masuku (4-0-26-1) is back for his second spell. He replaces Brad Evans.

Fuller on off, Atal defends this to silly mid off.

Fired into the batter, on middle and leg, Atal blocks this to the left of the bowler.

Under-cutter, on the pads, Rahmat Shah goes down on a knee and sweeps this through backward square leg for a single.

Fuller on middle and off, Atal punches this down to long on for a run.

Off-break on the pads, Shah flicks this through the fine leg region for a single. That brings the 200 up for Afghanistan!

Floated on middle and off, Rahmat Shah punches this back to the bowler.

34 overs have been bowled. Zimbabwe have picked one of the two balls in play to carry on with till the end. The floodlights are in full effect at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium. Will there be any reverse on offer? Let's see. Wessly Madhevere (4-0-17-0) is back into the attack, replacing Sikandar Raza.

On a length, around the pads, Rahmat flicks this through mid-wicket for a single.

The physio is out for a mandatory concussion test for Sediqullah Atal. He looks alright, though. And the on-field umpires take the opportunity to call for DRINKS. Afghanistan have maintained a strong run rate bordering on run-a-ball or above constantly and are well-placed to reach 300. Zadran missed out on his hundred, but Atal is going along nicely. Zimbabwe have been really sloppy in the field today and will simply want to keep taking wickets to derail the momentum in the closing stretch.

LEG BYE! Short one, on middle and leg, Sediqullah Atal goes for the pull but misses and gets rammed on the badge of his helmet. The ball deflects away on the leg side and the batters take a run. Atal looks rattled. Mandatory concussion check to be done.

Brad bowls it a touch fuller, wide of off, back of the hand. Sediqullah Atal dances down the track and chips this to the left of the deep cover fielder for two runs.

Bouncer, on leg, Atal ducks down on this one.

On a length, around off, Atal punches this to mid off for a dot.

Good length, around off, Atal cuts this to the right of backward point for no run.

Too full, on off, Shah keeps it out.

FOUR! That's been cut away in the gap for four more runs. Short of a length, around off, Rahmat Shah rocks deep inside the crease and cuts this off his back foot through the gap between covers and extra cover for a boundary. Rahmat Shah completes 7000 List A runs with that magnificent hit.

Tossed up, on off, Rahmanullah Gurbaz punches this firmly to the left of the bowler for another dot.

Fuller on middle and leg, Rahmanullah Gurbaz pushes this back to the bowler's right.

Off-break, on middle and leg, Rahmanullah Gurbaz tucks this to mid on for no run.

Floated on middle and off, Atal cuts this to deep point for a single.

Big relief for Zimbabwe as Evans breaks the 140-run marathon partnership for the second wicket. Zadran walks off to warm applause from his teammates. Rahmat Shah, the captain, walks in at number 4.

OUT! CAUGHT! Ibrahim Zadran falls on 90, caught in the deep, and has to walk back. Brad bowls it short on middle and off, and Zadran goes for the pull but can't keep it down. He gets a top edge, and the ball travels all the way to deep backward square leg, where Tafadzwa Tsiga makes no mistake. He dives towards the ball and holds a good tumbling catch. Zadran will be disappointed not to convert his knock into a hundred, but it was a fine, fine innings regardless. Afghanistan are 190/2.

On a length, around middle and off, Ibrahim Zadran punches this to mid off for no run.

Back of a length, on middle and off, Ibrahim Zadran punches this to the left of mid off for no run.

Back of a length, on middle and off, Ibrahim Zadran defends it out.

FOUR! Oh, no! The sloppiness in the field is plaguing the group now. Ibrahim Zadran moves into 90s. Short and pulled down firmly towards a wide-ish deep mid-wicket. Bennett comes running to his left and tries to flick the ball back in with his left hand, but he makes a meal of it and the ball dribbles on towards the rope.

Good length, on middle and leg, Ibrahim Zadran flicks this through mid on for a dot.

Back to pace. Here's Brad Evans for his third spell. 5-0-23-0 so far for him and he replaces Wellington Masakadza.

Off-break, on middle and leg, Zadran punches this off his back foot down to long on for one.

Full and wide of off, Atal drives this to the right of covers and takes a run. The fielder failed to gather this at all.

Darted on the pads, Atal once again flicks this to mid-wicket for no run.

Full and flat on middle and leg, Atal tucks this to mid-wicket.

FOUR! Up and over for a boundary. Fuller and around off from Raza, and Sediqullah Atal skips down the track and chips it over the leaping fielder at cover. Newman Nyamhuri, the sub fielder, runs to his right and dives full length, but the ball seeps under him and races away to the fence. Raza lets his frustration known to the fielder. A sloppy effort, really.

Flicker on middle and leg, Atal punches this to the right of mid-wicket for no run.

Afghanistan have scored 50 runs in overs 21 to 30. The scoring rate dipped a little in this phase for sure, but they lost no wickets, which keeps them well placed to push on later in the innings. Frustration is creeping in for Zimbabwe as they still search for a breakthrough. A couple of genuine chances went down, and only time will tell how much they end up costing.

Fired into the batter, Zadran blocks it out.

Floated on middle and off, Ibrahim Zadran punts this back to the bowler.

Short of a length, on middle and off, Ibrahim Zadran rocks back and pulls this through the mid-wicket region for a couple of runs.

Pushed through on middle and off, Atal punches this through the left of the bowler for a single.

FOUR! That has been hit in the gap for four runs. Fuller on middle and off, Sediqullah Atal goes down on one knee and slog-sweeps it wide to the right of the deep mid-wicket fielder for a boundary.

Floated on middle and off, Atal blocks this one.

Full and wide of off, Ibrahim Zadran swings at it but misses out.

Tossed up, wide of off, Sediqullah Atal leans back and cuts this through point for a single.

Quicker one, around off, Sediqullah Atal jams it out.

Too full, around middle and off, Sediqullah Atal punches this to the left of the bowler for no run.

FOUR! Atal flirts with Blessing Muzarabani again and gets a boundary. Around the wicket, full and going down the leg side, Atal drops to one knee for the sweep. He gets a top edge that loops over Muzarabani at short fine leg, goes over his stretched right hand and rolls away to the fence.

Raza bowls a fuller one, on middle and off, Ibrahim Zadran punches this down to long off for a single.

Tossed up, around off, Zadran punches this in the gap on off for a single.

DROPPED! Atal has been given life by Blessing Muzarabani on 52. Fuller around off, Sediqullah Atal chips this straight towards the long off fielder. Blessing Muzarabani runs in from the fence and puts in the dive but doesn't get hold of it at all. One run taken.

Floated into the batter, on middle and leg, Ibrahim Zadran thumps this down to long on for a run.

Short of a length, on middle and off, Atal punches this down to long on for a single.

Tossed up, on middle and leg, Atal jumps down the track and pushes this to the short mid-wicket fielder.

Tossed up, around off, Atal pushes this back to the bowler.

Wessly Madhevere (2-0-19-0) returns to the attack, replacing Ryan Burl.

Fuller around off, Atal cuts this late to deep third for one run.

Darted around off, Sediqullah Atal plays this late and cuts this to backward point for no run.

Floated on the pads, Atal tucks this to mid-wicket for no run.

FOUR! And that's FIFTY FOR SEDIQULLAH ATAL! Short of a length and around off, he rocks back and punches it past the right of extra cover to reach the milestone. It's another masterful knock from his blade, following the 111 in the one-off Test against Bangladesh at this very venue. Today he has again batted with ease to bring up his fourth ODI fifty. The fielder at extra cover really should have stopped that, though.

Fired around off, Sediqullah Atal drives this to extra cover for no run.

Pushed through on middle and off, Ibrahim Zadran punches this down the ground for a single.

Dusk is settling over Abu Dhabi, and the floodlights are flickering to life.

Fuller on middle and leg, Ibrahim Zadran flicks this through mid on for a single.

Floated on middle and off, Ibrahim Zadran gets it edged off the inside onto his pads.

Short of a length, on mdidle and off, Ibrahim Zadran punches this to extra cover.

Wrong'un around off, Atal dances down the track and chips this in front of the long off fielder for a single. 'Catch it' is the call, but the ball drops a few good yards ahead of Muzarabani there.

Fuller on middle and off, Sediqullah Atal defends this off his front foot.

On a flatter trajectory, full around leg, Atal firmly sweeps it to the deep square leg region. The fielder there moves a bit to his left and fumbles to collect the ball cleanly. Two runs taken.

We are halfway through the first innings, and Afghanistan are in a really strong position, with Atal and Ibrahim batting effortlessly. Zimbabwe have struggled to stop the easy singles, let alone create any chances. Afghanistan are 153/1, and they would be looking to double the score from here. But with the way they are batting, they can even breach the 350 ceiling.

Slower through the air, full and outside off, Atal neatly drives it to long off for a solo.

Quicker and shorter, on leg, Ibrahim hangs back and heaves it to deep mid-wicket for a single.

150 up for Afghanistan! Sliding onto the leg stump, full in length, Ibrahim sits across on a knee and paddles it fine to the deep fine leg region for a couple of runs. That also brings up the 100-run partnership between Zadran and Sediqullah.

Loopy ball, full on leg, Atal gently drives it to long on for a single.

No Outside off and short, Atal drags it across to short mid-wicket.

Full outside off, Atal reverse sweeps it to short third.

A mix-up but no harm done! Tossed up full and wide of off at 80.7 kph. Zadran can only slap it towards the left of cover point. Madhevere flings himself across and gathers it cleanly, but the two batters are suddenly at sixes and sevens. Atal is sent back and just about makes his ground. Madhevere's throw misses the stumps at the bowling end.

Looped up, full toss, on leg, Atal works it down to long on for a single.

Fuller one and again, this is driven down to long on for one.

On leg and full, driven down to long on for a single.

PUT DOWN? Ryan's reaction says yes. Burl bowls the googly, full and outside the off stump. Sediqullah Atal is sucked on the front foot and tries to push it straight, but he doesn't pick the variation off the bowler's wrist. Gets a faint outside edge but Taylor cannot cling on it. Oh, hang on, the UltraEdge later shows a flat line.

A smidge short and outside off, Zadran punches it through extra cover and mid off for a single.

A slight appeal for LBW, but turned down. Looks like it is going down leg but Raza and Taylor are having a detailed chat about it. Eventually, they opt not to review. From around the stumps, this is drifted down to the leg stump, on a fuller length, Atal goes down on a knee and tries to sweep but plays the wrong line. Gets beaten on the inside edge and is struck on the front pad.

Outside off and full, Zadran drives it off the front foot to long off. One more.

Flatter and fuller, firmly flicked to short mid-wicket.

Drags the length back, on middle, Zadran whips it across to square leg.

Generously flighted on a fuller length, Atal leans forward and eases it through mid on for a single.

Around off and short, knocked off the back foot to extra cover.

Very full on the leg stump, Zadran drills it straight back to the bowler. Burl dives on his follow-through and makes a fine stop with his right hand. He throws it immediately towards the keeper, showing a bit of frustration.

Short outside off, Zadran punches it hard to cover.

On a fuller length, pushed back to the bowler.

FOUR! Back-to-back for Zadran! Short and quick, outside off, Zadran looks to cut it in front of square, but gets a thick outside edge, but it flows to the left of short third for a boundary.

FOUR! Wonderful shot! Dropped short and outside off, Zadran covers the stumps, sinks his back knee into the pitch and pulls it over mid-wicket for a boundary.

Full and outside off, Zadran drives it to short cover.

A bit fuller now and Zadran strokes it down to long on for a single.

Short on leg, this is gently nudged to the right of short fine leg for a single.

On the stumps and full, swept straight to the short fine leg fielder.

Shoritsh in length, outside off, Atal punches it to mid off.

Flatter and fuller, on leg, Zadran hammers it down the ground for a single to long on.

Full and floating in, Atal sweeps it behind square leg for a single.

A very profitable phase of ten overs for Afghanistan. They have scored 70/0 in the 11-20 over period. This is already looking pretty ominous for Zimbabwe. Wessly Madhevere is brought into the attack, replacing Sikandar Raza. Bowler number 7 and spinner number four.

Slows it up, full and outside off, Zadran tries to drive it to the cover region, but gets an inside edge and the ball rolls back to the bowler.

On the stumps, full in length, Atal drives it gun-barrel straight down the ground for a single.

The length is pulled back, short on off, Atal knocks it to the left of the bowler.

SIX! Outstanding batting! Serves it right up in the slot, full and outside off, Atal jumps down the track and marvellously lofts it over widish long off for a six. Atal moves to 35.

Drifts in on a length, on middle. Zadran hangs back and slaps it to widish long off for a single.

Fuller in length, around leg, Atal drills it to long on for a single.

Ryan Burl is into the attack now, replacing Wellington Masakadza. Spinner number three for Zimbabwe.

A bit full and outside off, Ibrahim pushes it to extra cover. Excellent over from Raza. Just a single off it.

Full on the stumps, Zadran lunges and defends.

Full in length and driven down to mid off.

Beaten! The carrom ball from Raza, on a length, outside off, Zadran doesn't pick that variation and tries to whack it over covers, but the ball turns away to zip past the outside edge.

Too full, outside off, carved away on the bounce to cover.

A length ball, outside off, Atal eases it to long off for a single.

Touch full on the leg stump, Ibrahim Zadran flicks it to the right of the diving mid-wicket fielder for a couple of runs. 13 runs from the over.

SIX! WOWZA! How good is this? Just a fraction short, on the stumps, Ibrahim transfers his weight onto the back foot and nails the pull shot over deep mid-wicket for a six. Effortless batting, this.

Quicker and fuller, outside off, Ibrahim drives it to extra cover.

Outside off, and this is driven wide of cover for a single.

FOUR! Helped away! Darts in a short ball, on the leg stump, Atal gets across and sweep-pulls it to the deep fine leg region. Ben Curran gives it a chase from the circle and dives to flick the ball back but his effort goes in vain.

Drops it full around off, Atal shimmies down the track and pushes it to extra cover.

Quicker one, 94.3 kph, full and outside off. Zadran forces the arm ball to mid off.

Drifted onto the pads, on a length. Sediqullah Atal tucks it to the left of mid-wicket for a single.

Full and outside off, Zadran creams it away to long off for another single.

Floated up, full and outside off, Atal leans forward and drives it to deep cover for one more.

Dishes out the off-break, short around off, Zadran punches it to widish long off for a single.

Pushed through, full on middle, Zadran drills it back to Raza.

Drinks Break! Afghanistan are in a very strong position, with Ibrahim and Atal both looking fluent. They have rotated the strike beautifully and found boundaries at regular intervals to keep the scorecard moving. The pitch looks dual-paced, with the odd ball staying low and a bit of turn on offer for the spinners, but it is still a decent surface to bat on. With plenty of batting depth, the Afghans will fancy getting past 300 from here. Zimbabwe, who have created few chances so far, will be desperate to break this partnership and bring back some control.

Oh, slight hold on the surface. Around off and on a length, spinning in. Atal covers the stumps and bunts it down the pitch.

Lands it full on the stumps, Zadran drives it down the ground for a single to long on.

Wide! Slides one down leg, full in length, Ibrahim misses the flick.

On a length, outside off, worked away to long off for one more.

FIFTY UP FOR IBRAHIM ZADRAN! Off 47 balls, and that's his 11th ODI half-century. It has been a fluent knock so far from him and he will be eyeing a big one for his side. Short and outside off, crisply punched down to long off for a single. Zadran raises his bat and acknowledges the applause from his teammates. With that, the 100 comes up for Afghanistan, with the 50-run stand also up between this pair.

From over the stumps now. Short, spinning in on off, Atal hangs back and runs it down to long on for a single.

Lands it short from around the stumps, outside off, Zadran punches it wide of mid off for a single.

Spin from both ends. Wellington Masakadza is into the attack, replacing Ernest Masuku.

Dropped short on off, Zadran drags it down to long on for a single.

Full again and this is clipped to square leg with soft hands.

Turns in onto the pads, full in length, Zadran nudges it to the square leg region. Atal looks for the single, is halfway through too, but is sent back by Ibrahim.

The carrom ball, short and outside off, Atal hangs back and cuts it through cover-point for a single.

Full in length, on the leg stump, Ibrahim flicks it to deep mid-wicket for a run.

Spins in on leg, a touch full, pushed back to the bowler.

Stays a bit low on the bounce. On a length on the stumps, Atal negotiates nicely and stabs it to the leg side.

Angled in and around middle, on a length, Zadran strokes it to the mid on region and steals a quick single.

On a back of a length, around leg, Atal steers it through square leg for an easy single.

FOUR! What a beautiful shot! Too full, outside off, right in the slot. Atal leans on it and magnificently laces it through cover for a cracking boundary. Fluently played.

FOUR! Through the gap! Short of a length on the leg stump, sits up nicely for the left-hander. Atal picks the length early and pulls it behind square. Beats the deep fine leg fielder to his right for a boundary.

Half-hearted appeal for caught behind, but not given. Only the bowler is interested whereas Taylor, the keeper does not even bother to appeal. Fuller in length, outside off, Atal throws his bat at it to loft it over covers, but the ball nips away and beats the outside edge by a whisker.

A bit short and angling at the pads, Atal waits back and whisks it to the right of short fine leg for a single.

Nicely tossed up, full on the stumps, drifting in, Atal clips it to short mid-wicket.

Dishes out the top-spinner, full around off, Atal watchfully defends.

From around the stump. Sikandar gets a bit of grip and turn from a length, on leg, Sediqullah Atal tickles it to short fine leg.

The in-angler on a fuller length, on leg, Zadran drills it to long on for a single.

SIX! Goes the distance! A tad fuller in length, around middle and off, Ibrahim picks the length and swings it wonderfully over the deep mid-wicket fielder for a six.

Flat and full on the stumps, Atal drives it to long off for a single. It is called a No Ball for overstepping. Ibrahim will face the Free Hit.

Spin time. Here's Sikandar Raza into the attack, replacing Brad Evans.

FOUR! Lovely! Looks to be the off-cutter from Masuku, full on off, Zadran presents full face of the bat again and cracks the straight drive, beats the bowler to his left and it races to the fence. Zadran is looking really imposing today and he moves to 38. 10 runs off the over.

A touch full and around off, Zadran mistimes the drive to mid off.

FOUR! Shot of the match so far! A half-volley by Ernest, on the stumps, straight on. Ibrahim Zadran plays with a straight bat and creams the straight drive and it rifles away to the fence. No need to run for that.

Pitched on a length, on middle, Zadran knocks it to mid on.

Onto the stumps, almost a yorker, Zadran shovels it back to the bowler.

On a good length, outside off, Ibrahim crisply punches it on the up through cover. The sweeper sprints to his right and puts in a dive to cut it off in the deep. Two runs taken.

Digs it in, short and at the shoulder height. Zadran stands tall and controls the pull shot along the ground. A single at deep square leg.

On a back of a length, outside off, Sediqullah hangs back and knocks it to deep cover-point for a single.

With pace taken off, Evans goes wide outside off, full in length, Atal cuts it straight to the backward point fielder.

Full, holding on the surface, Atal strokes it down to mid on.

On middle and leg, this is flicked to mid-wicket.

Short and on the leg stump. He extracts good bounce off the pitch and beats Atal's attempted pull shot. It goes over his angled bat and keeps rising. Brendan Taylor leaps up to pluck it with his right hand but cannot grab it cleanly. It deflects away to deep fine leg for a couple of byes.

A productive first ten overs for Afghanistan. They did lose Gurbaz after a start, but have maintained a good run rate. Powerplay 2 time. Zimbabwe can now have a maximum of 4 fielders outside the 30-yard circle until the 40th over.

Masuku bowls it on a length, around middle and off, Ibrahim Zadran keeps it out.

Full and on the pads, Sediqullah Atal flicks this through the left of the mid on fielder for three runs.

Good length, on middle and leg, angling away from the batter. Sediqullah Atal rocks onto his back foot and keeps it out.

On a length, wide of off, angling away from the batter. Atal collapses  his back knee and looks to loft this over covers but misses out.

Good length, around off, Sediqullah Atal blocks this off his front foot.

Back of a length, around off, Atal punches this to extra cover.

FOUR! Finds the gap this time for a boundary. Back of a length, around middle and off, Ibrahim Zadran gets up on his toes and punches it through the gap between extra cover and cover for a boundary. Lovely timing and placement.

Back of a length, on middle and off, Ibrahim Zadran punches this up on his toes to extra cover for no run.

Full and on the pads, Ibrahim Zadran tucks this to mid on for no run.

Good length, on middle and off, Ibrahim Zadran punches this to extra cover for no run.

Brad again goes full and bowls it on the pads, Zadran punches this down to mid on.

On a length, around off, Zadran pushes this to covers for no run.

Will Muzarabani continue? Nope. Brad Evans (3-0-17-0) is back on with a change of ends.

Good length, around middle and off, Atal pushes this off his back foot to the onside for no run.

On a length, around off, going across the batter. Atal blocks this off the front foot.

Short and on middle and off, Atal works this to mid-wicket for no run.

Full and wide of off, Sediqullah Atal lofts this over the extra cover region for a brace.

NO BALL! Back of a length, around middle and off, Sediqullah Atal gets up on his toes and keeps it out. Ernest Masuku has overstepped and it will be a No Ball with a Free-Hit to follow.

On a length, wide of off, Atal leaves it all alone.

The Chevrons have their first breakthrough, and Gurbaz won't be pleased watching that replay. It was not a shot he would be proud of. A good start thrown away. Sediqullah Atal is in at number 3.

OUT! CHOPPED ON! In comes Ernest Masuku and outwalks Rahmanullah Gurbaz. Ernest bowls it on a length, wide of off, Rahmanullah Gurbaz charges down the track and looks to impose pressure on the bowler straightaway with a swing over mid off. But the ball jags in a bit, takes the inside edge and just hammers back into the middle stump. Gurbaz departs on 25.

Ernest Masuku is brought in as the first bowling change. He replaces Brad Evans.

Short and around off, Rahmanullah Gurbaz cuts this late and off his back foot to deep third for a single. The 50-run partnership ​​​​​​comes up between Gurbaz and Ibrahim. A very productive start for the Afghans. On air, Mazhar Uddin informs us that these two have now crossed fifty in partnership as an opening pair for the eighth time in ODIs.

Back of a length, on middle and leg, Ibrahim Zadran gets up on his toes and tucks this to the right of mid-wicket for one run.

Full and on off, Rahmanullah Gurbaz punches this past the bowler for one run.

On a length, around off, Ibrahim Zadran gets it away from the outside edge towards the third man fielder for a single.

Good length delivery, around off, Gurbaz dabs this gently down the strip and takes a single.

SIX! Too good by Gurbaz. Short and on middle and leg, Rahmanullah Gurbaz backs away to create a bit of room and marvellously cuts it over the backward point region. The ball lands on the other side of the rope for a six.

Evans sticks to that 6-8 m length, bowls it on top of off, Ibrahim Zadran gets behind the line of the ball and keeps it out.

On a length, around middle and leg, Ibrahim Zadran tucks this to mid on for no run.

Brad bowls it on a good length, on off, Ibrahim Zadran punches this back to the bowler.

In the air but lands safely. Brad hits the deck hard, bowls it on a length, wide of off, Rahmanullah Gurbaz looks to loft this over mid off but doesn't get the connection he was after. Manages to barely clear the mid off fielder and takes a single.

Good length, on middle and off, Gurbaz defends this one.

Good length, around off, Rahmanullah Gurbaz tucks this to mid-wicket for no run.

FOUR! That's been glanced away to the fence for four runs. Pitched-up delivery, a touch too straight on the pads, Ibrahim Zadran picks it up and glances it over mid-wicket for a boundary. The ball lands well behind mid-wicket, bounces once, twice and then rolls into the boundary cushion.

Good length, on off, Ibrahim Zadran punches this to mid off for no run.

Back of a length, on off, Ibrahim Zadran punches it away to mid off.

LEG BYE! Good length, on the pads, Rahmanullah Gurbaz misses on the flick and gets it clipped off his pads for a leg bye to square leg.

FOUR! Gurbaz is on the attack now. Good length, on the pads, Rahmanullah Gurbaz uses the depth of the crease and rocks back, flicks this with a collapsed back leg and the ball finds the gap to the left of the fine leg fielder for a boundary. One bounce and into the fence.

On a length, around off, Rahmanullah Gurbaz punches this to extra cover for no run.

FOUR! Edged away, but no slip and it races away. Good length, wide of off, Ibrahim Zadran looks to punch it down the ground but the ball nips away a bit and an outside edge is found. However, with no one in the cordon, the ball flies past the right of the keeper for a boundary at deep third.

On a length, around middle and off, angling into the batter. Ibrahim gets it edged off the inside edge and gets hit on his front pad for a dot.

Brad bowls it short and on middle and off, Ibrahim Zadran pulls it off the top edge. It flies over square leg and lands safely in the deep. Blessing Muzarabani comes hopping across from deep fine leg and picks it up. Two runs taken.

Good length, on middle and off, Ibrahim Zadran punches it right back to the bowler.

Back of a length, on the pads, Ibrahim leans inside the line of the ball and flicks this to long leg for a couple.

On a length, around the pads, Gurbaz flicks this through fine leg for a single.

Blessing bowls it on that 6-8 m length, around off, Zadran punches this through the covers region and takes two runs here.

Good length, on top of off, Ibrahim Zadran defends this off his back foot.

Back of a length, on middle and off, Ibrahim Zadran looks for the pull but swings early and gets it spliced back to the bowler.

Good cricket from Gurbaz as he follows a boundary with a single as he finds the gap on this occassion.

FOUR! Width on offer and Gurbaz makes Blessing pay. Short and wide of off, Gurbaz uses the width on offer and cuts it powerfully through the gap between point and deep third for a boundary.

Short and on leg, at the left armpit. Gurbaz gets up on his toes and dabs it in front of mid-wicket.

A touch full, on middle and leg, Ibrahim Zadran tucks this to the right of mid on. Zadran was keen on a run but Rahmanullah Gurbaz denies it.

Brad bowls it on a back of a length, around the pads, Ibrahim Zadran nudges it through the gap at mid-wicket and collects a couple of runs.

FOUR! Lovely balance and timing behind this stroke. Pitched-up delivery, on middle and off, Ibrahim Zadran presents a full face of the bat and punches it crisply to the left of the mid on fielder for a boundary.

Full and on middle and leg, Ibrahim Zadran flicks this from the inner portion of his bat to mid-wicket for no run.

On a length, around middle and off, Ibrahim Zadran gets right on top of the bounce and plays a lovely looking straight drive but Evans fields it low to his left.

Brad bowls a length delivery, on off, Zadran punches this back to the bowler.

WIDE! Full and way too wide down the leg side. Ibrahim Zadran looks for a flick but misses. Wide given.

Decent start for both sides. Not a great deal of movement for Muzarabani. Maybe because he is a hit-the-deck-hard kind of bowler. Brad Evans will share the attack from the other end. Picked up four wickets against Bangladesh in the tri-series opener.

Good length, around off, Ibrahim Zadran pushes this in the gap to open his account with a run. 6 came off the first over.

Blessing Muzarabani bowls it short again but this time a lot closer to the stumps, Gurbaz chops this off the under-edge to short leg and takes a quick single.

FOUR! That has been hammered away in the gap for the first runs on the board. Short and around off, wide fo off, Gurbaz accepts the width on offer and smashes it through the gap between extra cover and point for a boundary.

Bends his back a bit, bowls it on a back of a length, around off. Gurbaz punches this to point for no run.

Good length, on middle and leg, Rahmanullah Gurbaz punches this down to mid on for another dot.

Blessing Muzarabani starts from over the stumps, bowls it full and on middle and off, Rahmanullah Gurbaz gets behind the line of the ball and punches this to mid on for a dot.

The anthems are done, and it's time to get going in Abu Dhabi. We are hearing that there was a sandstorm earlier in the day, but conditions have cleared up considerably. It is warm and humid, with a fair bit of wind as well. Right, the two umpires make their way to the middle and Sikandar Raza has his men in a huddle. Now, the Chevrons disperse and take their respective fielding positions. Out walk the Afghan opening pair. Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran walk to the crease. The towering figure of Blessing Muzarabani has the new ball in hand. Honestly, it looks like a pinball in his big mitts. Jokes aside, he has a couple of slips in place. Gurbaz is on strike. Here we go...

We are just a few minutes away from the first ball, but before that, both the groups, along with the match officials, line up for the national anthems. It will be Zimbabwe's first, followed by Afghanistan's.

A quick chat with the Afghan superstar - When asked about cementing the legacy in the World Cup stage, Rashid Khan says representing his country in the World Cup is always a huge pleasure as he prepares for his third 50-over tournament, stressing the need to stay fit and replicate the team's strong 2023 performance. On adjusting from T20Is to ODIs, he says there is not much to change. As a bowler, he says the plan is to keep hitting the right area and keep asking questions of the batter. Batters now come with a different mindset to score runs, he notes, but the main target for him is to stay consistent and build pressure. On the importance of every series ahead of the World Cup, Rashid calls it quite important. Every series against any opposition helps the side prepare, he says, by finding the areas where they struggle and fixing them. States that Afghanistan don’t want to be working on improvements during the World Cup itself. Adds that they need to find where they lose games against the bigger sides, solve those problems and go into the tournament with a prepared mindset and a prepared squad. On the mood in the camp, he says it is always amazing. Highlights that Afghanistan won the ODI series against Ireland 4-0, which gave them good energy. Admits that they had a tough series against India in both T20s and ODIs, but he sees it as a learning experience for the team and the players, and they will try to bounce back in this tri-series.

PITCH REPORT - Mazhar Uddin is down to inspect the conditions. He starts by mentioning that it is very warm and humid but there's a fair bit of wind blowing across the stadium. On the dimensions, he notes that the ground measures 70 metres all around, except on one side, where the boundary is 63 metres. He details that this is the same surface used for the first match between Zimbabwe and Bangladesh. Highlights that the seamers found some help, with Muzarabani in particular getting bounce from a length of around eight metres, and there was some variable bounce as the game went on. Even so, he says there is plenty on offer for batters willing to apply themselves and build an innings, as Brendan Taylor and Craig Ervine showed with their 150-run partnership. Adds that the spinners have something to work with as well, and he also expects Rashid Khan to come into play. He is hoping for a cracker of a game.

Zimbabwe (Playing XI) - Brian Bennett, Ben Curran, Tafadzwa Tsiga, Brendan Taylor (WK), Sikandar Raza (C), Wessly Madhevere, Ryan Burl, Brad Evans, Wellington Masakadza, Ernest Masuku and Blessing Muzarabani. IN - Ryan Burl and Ernest Masuku. OUT - Craig Ervine and Newman Nyamhuri.

Afghanistan (Playing XI) - Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah(C), Hashmatullah Shahidi, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, AM Ghazanfar, Ziaur Rahman and Fazalhaq Farooqi.

The captain of Zimbabwe - Sikandar Raza says they would have batted first as well. Adds that the mood in the camp is high and they have done well to recover for this game. When he is asked about the approach for this match, he says the notes the team made on how the wicket played in the last game should give them a good start. He hopes that they will cut out some of the mistakes from that match, and he knows Afghanistan can punish them. Their understanding of the pitch and conditions, he adds, should help them start better, especially with the chance to bowl first this time. About the changes in the team, he Informs that they have a couple of changes, as a couple of players have a bit of a niggle. As for restricting Afghanistan, he says Zimbabwe will try to hold them to as low a total as possible without putting a number on it.

The captain of Afghanistan - Rahmat Shah, on the reason for batting first, says the conditions look very good in Abu Dhabi. He hopes the side can build some big partnerships, and he expects the ball to come nicely onto the bat early on. Adds that Afghanistan have a kind of home edge, since they play a lot of matches at this venue. Adds that they want to continue the good run. On the team combination, he informs that they are going with three pacers and three spinners. On the score they are looking to achieve, Rahmat is a bit conservative and says they will try to build partnerships and haven't set a specific target.

TOSS - It's time for the coin flip. Both captains - Sikandar Raza and Rahmat Shah - are out in the middle. Shah gives it a flick, Heads is the call. But it comes down as Tails. Afghanistan have elected to BAT first.

Rashid returns for desert showdown - The skies are clear in Abu Dhabi for a contest on a pitch that might offer early movement for seamers before assisting slow bowlers later on. Afghanistan get a massive boost as star leg-spinner Rashid Khan returns to lead a lethal spin attack alongside Mohammad Nabi and mystery spinner AM Ghazanfar. Can Zimbabwe ride their newfound momentum to pull off another big win, or will Afghanistan extend their dominant ODI record in this rivalry? Don't go anywhere, the toss is coming up next!

Afghanistan shifting gears - Coming off a grueling draw in Tests against Bangladesh at this venue last week, Afghanistan must quickly shift their mindset from survival to aggressive white-ball intent. While Sediqullah Atal showed immense patience in that outing, the batters now need to rotate the strike briskly and punish loose deliveries in the middle overs. Under Rahmat Shah, explosive openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz and the returning Ibrahim Zadran will look to attack from ball one.

Zimbabwe seeking top-order fire - Despite a clinical 99-run victory over Bangladesh in the opener, Zimbabwe learned that losing three early wickets inside the first ten overs puts heavy pressure on the middle order. Their young top-order batters must show better shot selection against the new ball today so they do not always rely on veterans Craig Ervine and Brendan Taylor for rescue missions. With the ball, Brad Evans, Blessing Muzarabani, and newly minted 100-wicket club member Sikandar Raza will aim to maintain their disciplined lines to suffocate the scoring rate.

Hello and welcome to Abu Dhabi! A very warm welcome to cricket fans around the globe! We are live from the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi for the second clash of the UAE ODI Tri-Series between Afghanistan and Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe sit comfortably at the top of the table with plenty of confidence, while Afghanistan look to kickstart their campaign on a winning note today.

... MATCHDAY ...

No margin for error - Chapter 2 of the Abu Dhabi tri-series arrives with Afghanistan and Zimbabwe set to collide at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium. This compact series in the desert heat also marks the opening stages of the ODI World Cup dress rehearsal, with the main global event now less than a year away. Zimbabwe carry plenty of swagger after dismantling Bangladesh in the opener, and the Chevrons will be hungry to land another blow and edge closer to a final berth. The schedule is unforgiving, as each side faces the other two only once. Every match is a knockout punch in disguise, and every chance that slips away may not come around again. High-flying Chevrons - Zimbabwe have never been strangers to a famous upset. Over the years they have toppled giants and dragged many a heavyweight into a proper scrap, all while wearing the underdog tag like a second skin. Against Bangladesh, they turned up as a pack and were just too hot to handle. Ruthless with both bat and ball, they were at their most eye-catching in the field. The Chevrons threw their bodies on the line, dived and pounced on every half chance as if it were their last. It was the kind of hunger that does not just save runs, it shifts the mood of a match. That's what Sikandar Raza amplified in his post-match interview after the win, that they want to convert every chance that comes their way, which they would be hoping to continue. Veterans' rescue and the bigger picture - Zimbabwe were in a spot of bother against Bangladesh, stumbling to 24/3 with the walls closing in. What followed was a rescue act worthy of a standing ovation. Two seasoned campaigners, Craig Ervine (93) and Brendan Taylor (81), dug in and stitched together a marathon 150-run partnership that dragged the innings back from the brink. Along the way, Taylor wrote his name into the record books, overtaking Andy Flower to become Zimbabwe’s leading ODI run-scorer. It was a fitting milestone on a day when experience did the heavy lifting. Still, admirable as the salvage job was, the Chevrons would prefer it not turn into a habit. The hope is that youngsters like Brian Bennett and Ben Curran and other youngsters start sharing the load, so the team’s fortunes do not rest on veteran shoulders every time. The Afghans ready to rock and roll - Afghanistan will not be short of fuel in their own camp either. At this very venue, they dug themselves out of a hole against Bangladesh in the Test, hauling a match that looked to be slipping away back to a draw. It was a backdoor entry of the grittiest kind, built on resilience after spending long stretches under immense pressure. Now, with Rahmat Shah at the helm, a 15-man squad is primed and raring to go. ODI game time is scarce before next year’s global showpiece, which means the A-game has to arrive early. A few more fixtures will be squeezed into the calendar eventually, but for the moment this tri-series is their only window into ODI cricket, and they will be desperate to make every minute of it count. Afghanistan’s 2026 in ODIs has been a bit of a seesaw, with four wins and three defeats on the ledger. The good news is that they arrived in Abu Dhabi on a high, fresh off a dominant 4-0 win in Ireland that has put some serious momentum in their sails. Who's in, who's out? Afghanistan have shuffled the pack since the group that tripped up in Bready in August. Darwish Rasooli is the notable name that has faced the axe, while the return of Mohammad Nabi adds a wealth of experience to the setup. Seamer Bilal Sami is also back in the fold, both having last featured in the India series earlier this year. Other than that, the rest of the personnel have been retained. An in-form personnel - Sediqullah Atal arrives in a rich vein of form, fresh off a classy 111 in the one-off Test just a week ago, and the number 3 slot looks tailor-made for him and he has scored the most ODI runs for Afghanistan in 2026. Ahead of him, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran hold the fort at the top, a pair who each have a hundred to their name this year. The middle order carries its own muscle. Skipper Rahmat Shah, who also bagged an unbeaten 143 in Bready, anchors the innings alongside the experienced Hashmatullah Shahidi, giving the batting a solid spine from top to bottom. Depth and experience in plenty - Then there is the all-round firepower. Rashid Khan, Afghanistan’s leading wicket-taker of 2026 with 16 scalps, remains the man who can turn a game on its head with ball or bat. Azmatullah Omarzai has been ticking upward in recent times, and his growing credentials make him a dependable option in both departments. And lurking in the mix is Mohammad Nabi, a genuine match-winner who knows exactly how to find his way through a tight situation. With that trio around, the Afghans have depth, variety and plenty of experience to lean on when the pressure peaks. The pace department is led by Fazalhaq Farooqi, who has a sturdy supporting cast around him. Bilal Sami comes in with a superb five-wicket haul at this very venue against Bangladesh in the earlier ODI series, while Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi and Yamin Ahmadzai retain their places, with the team ready to give them a long rope. The spin cupboard is just as well stocked. AM Ghazanfar joins Rashid and Nabi to form a trio that can squeeze the opposition in the middle overs, and together with the quicks, they complete a power-packed squad brimming with genuine match-winners. Team form (Last 5 completed ODIs, recent first) - AFG - WWWWL | ZIM - WLLLL. Things to watch out for - Abu Dhabi has not been kind to chasing sides in ODIs. Across the last four years, only one team batting second has come out on top in seven matches at this venue, and even targets in the 260 to 270 range have proven a mountain to climb. The series opener followed the script, with Zimbabwe posting 272 and Bangladesh running out of steam in pursuit. That game also showed there is something on offer for everyone. The new ball swung early, the bounce was generous, and the surface still allowed batters to get on with the job once they settled in. Bowlers and batters both had their moments, which makes this a well-balanced canvas. Batting under the lights has been the trickier proposition, so the toss could carry extra weight as both captains weigh up whether to set a target or chase one. There is another storyline simmering in the background too. Zimbabwe have not beaten Afghanistan in ODIs since 2018, and that stretch of unhappy results leaves them with a bit of unfinished business to settle. Let's see who comes on top this time around.