Zimbabwe’s tour of the UAE has not gone to plan so far. Afghanistan beat them to win the tri-series title, and the T20I series followed, ending 3-0 to the hosts.

Now the whites come out for a two-Test series at Sharjah Cricket Stadium. The first Test starts on 5 November and the second on 13 November.

The shorter formats don’t tell the whole story. Test cricket rewards patience and discipline over a full five days, and on that front the recent history between these sides is almost perfectly balanced.

A rivalry with no clear leader

Their 2020/21 series in the UAE finished 1-1. Afghanistan won in Zimbabwe in 2024/25. Last October, Zimbabwe won the one-off Test in Harare. Neither side has been able to pull clear of the other.

Zimbabwe: experience meets youth

Brian Bennett leads a squad that mixes seasoned heads with newer faces. Brendan Taylor, Craig Ervine and Graeme Cremer have between them seen most of what Test cricket can throw at a player, and that matters on a ground where sessions can drift and pressure builds slowly.

The batting will be tested by spin. Ben Curran, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Wessly Madhevere and Bennett himself will need to find ways to rotate the strike and survive the difficult overs. Antum Naqvi adds another option in the middle order and with the ball, as he is in line for his debut.

With the ball, Blessing Muzarabani’s height and bounce make him the spearhead, and Brad Evans and Tafadzwa Tsiga offer support. Cremer, Wellington Masakadza and Vincent Masekesa will likely carry much of the work in the spin department. Their control could decide how many runs Afghanistan can build.

Afghanistan: new captain, missing star

Rahmat Shah captains the Test side and is still early in his tenure as full-time skipper. The squad has plenty of batting quality, with names like Hashmatullah Shahidi, Sediqullah Atal and Rahmanullah Zadran. Rashid Khan has been rested from the longer format, which removes one of the game’s most feared bowlers from the equation. Afghanistan’s spinners remain dangerous, but that absence is a real opening for Zimbabwe.

Key Matchups

Zimbabwe’s top order vs Afghanistan’s spinners
This is the battle most likely to decide the series. Curran, Marumani, Madhevere and company will face spin early and often on a Sharjah surface that tends to turn as the match goes on. Without Rashid Khan, Afghanistan’s spin attack is less feared, but it’s still a test of technique and patience. Zimbabwe’s best answer is to rotate the strike and avoid long dry spells.

Taylor and Ervine vs the turning ball
The two most experienced batters in the Zimbabwe squad will be asked to stabilise the middle order when the pitch starts doing things. Their handling of spin could be worth more than any single big innings. And they are big sweepers of the ball. That could be a big deal.

Muzarabani vs Afghanistan’s top order
Rahmat Shah, Shahidi, Atal and Rahmanullah Zadran are used to home conditions. Muzarabani’s bounce is a different challenge from what they usually face, and early wickets from him would put the hosts under pressure.

Zimbabwe’s spinners vs Rahmat Shah and Shahidi
Both Afghan batters are patient accumulators, which suits long Test innings. Cremer, Masakadza and Masekesa will have to stay disciplined, because Afghanistan’s batters are happy to wait for loose balls. Masekesa could be a big factor after his successes in the sub-continent so far.

The captains: Bennett vs Rahmat Shah
It’s a battle of tactics as much as skill. Rahmat Shah is still new to the full-time Test captaincy, and Bennett leads a squad that includes several senior players. Field settings, bowling changes and declarations could swing close sessions.

What to watch

The first session of each day. Early overs on a UAE surface can be the most favourable for batting. If Zimbabwe’s openers see off the new ball, the middle order can build.

Spin on days three to five. The pitch should deteriorate, and the side that handles it better will probably control the series.

Mindset. Zimbabwe will arrive with the T20I defeats behind them. Red-ball cricket asks different questions, and it would not be the first time a side has found form after a poor white-ball experience.

The outlook

Afghanistan carry the advantage of familiar conditions, and they have recent momentum. Zimbabwe have the experience to compete, and the history shows these contests can go either way. They have won here. A fast start in the first Test will matter most. The tourists need big first-innings runs, patient partnerships and a disciplined bowling attack.

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