Afghanistan have shattered an all-time record of Pakistan during their drawn game against Zimbabwe at the Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo. Afghanistan and Zimbabwe played a high-scoring draw in their first Test of the two-match series which saw free run-scoring.
Afghanistan slammed 699 in their only innings which saw two double centurions in Rahmat Shah and Hashmatullah Shahidi. They have now shattered a historic record in Test cricket for taking the fewest number of Test matches to score 600 runs in the format.
This was Afghanistan's 10th Test match, far fewer than Pakistan's previous record of getting to 600-plus score in 19 Tests. Pakistan held the record when they slammed their maiden 600-plus total in red-ball cricket in 1958 after making their debut in 1952.
Fewest matches taken to score 600-plus runs in Test cricket:
1 - Afghanistan: 10 Test matches
2 - Pakistan: 19 Test matches
3 - West Indies: 27 Test matches
4 - Sri Lanka: 75 Test matches
5 - Bangladesh: 76 Test matches
Hashmatullah Shahidi's 246 is now the highest score by an Afghanistan batter in Test cricket. He had held the record previously too which was snatched briefly by Shah, who had made 234.
Meanwhile both the teams registered their highest-ever score in Test cricket, making it only the sixth instance of both teams registering their highest scores in the same Test.
Zimbabwe made 586 in their first innings with Sean Williams, Craig Ervine and Brian Bennett hitting centuries. The Chevrons made 142/4 in the second innings before the match was drawn. Bennett, who hit a hundred in the first innings, took a five-wicket haul later. At 21y 46d, he has become the youngest to score a century and take a fifer.
Zimbabwe's Playing XI:
Joylord Gumbie (wk), Ben Curran, Takudzwanashe Kaitano, Sean Williams, Craig Ervine (c), Dion Myers, Brandon Mavuta, Brian Bennett, Newman Nyamhuri, Blessing Muzarabani, Trevor Gwandu
Afghanistan's Playing XI:
Abdul Malik, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), AM Ghazanfar, Afsar Zazai (wk), Azmatullah Omarzai, Shahidullah Kamal, Naveed Zadran, Zia-ur-Rehman, Zahir Khan
