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Afghanistan will face Zimbabwe in the first Test of their two-match series at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Thursday, November 5. The hosts will look to carry their momentum from a 3-0 T20I series sweep into the longer format and take an early lead in the contest.
Zimbabwe, meanwhile, will aim to bounce back after losing the T20I series in the UAE. They secured an innings-and-85-run victory over Bangladesh in June. The two sides have won two Tests each in their five previous meetings, while one match ended in a draw.
Afghanistan's most recent Test against Bangladesh in October ended in a draw. Bangladesh scored 346 in their first innings and declared at 372/7 in the second. Afghanistan replied with 240 and 346/8.
Rahmat Shah has been Afghanistan's leading batter, scoring 901 runs in his last nine matches at an average of 56.31. Hashmatullah Shahidi has also contributed 694 runs in his last 10 outings.
Afghanistan will also rely on their bowling attack to put pressure on Zimbabwe. Zia-ur-Rehman has taken 13 wickets in his last five matches at an economy rate of 3.08. Mohammad Saleem has claimed 12 wickets in his last three matches, while Ziaur Rahman has taken eight wickets in two Tests.
Zimbabwe will enter the series after beating Bangladesh by an innings and 85 runs in their previous Test in Harare in June. They scored 410 in their only innings, while Bangladesh managed 140 and 185 across their two innings.
Brian Bennett, who will lead the side, has scored 568 runs in 12 Tests, while Ben Curran has made 537 runs in nine matches. Brendan Taylor brings considerable experience to the batting unit, with 2,420 runs in 37 Tests.
Blessing Muzarabani will lead Zimbabwe's pace attack after taking 73 wickets in 19 Tests. Vincent Masekesa has claimed 10 wickets in four matches, while Brad Evans has taken 10 wickets in three Tests.
Fans in India can watch the AFG vs ZIM first Test live on the FanCode app and website. No television broadcast is available in the region.
In Afghanistan, Ariana TV will broadcast the match, while fans can also stream it on the Etisalat app. Viewers in Zimbabwe can watch the live telecast on SuperSport TV and stream the match through the DStv Stream app and SuperSport website.
The Sharjah Cricket Stadium pitch is expected to offer good batting conditions during the first two days. The surface should provide consistent pace and bounce, allowing batters to settle in and build substantial totals.
However, the pitch is likely to become slower and drier as the match progresses. This should bring the spinners into the contest, with increased turn and variable bounce making batting more challenging in the later innings.
The venue's average first- and second-innings scores are 352. Teams will look to make the most of the early batting conditions and post a strong first-innings total.
Teams batting first have won four of the nine Tests at Sharjah, while teams bowling first have also won four. The captain winning the toss is likely to choose to bat first, as conditions could become more difficult for batters later in the match.
Total matches: 9
Matches won batting first: 4
Matches won bowling first: 4
Average first-innings score: 352
Average second-innings score: 352
Average third-innings score: 212
Average fourth-innings score: 176
Highest total: 690/10 (143.1 overs) — New Zealand vs Pakistan
Lowest total: 53/10 (24.5 overs) — Pakistan vs Australia
Highest successful chase: 302/5 (57.3 overs) — Pakistan vs Sri Lanka
Lowest total defended: 156/10 (60.3 overs) — England vs Pakistan
Highest individual score in an innings: 202 — Brendon McCullum (New Zealand vs Pakistan, 2014)
Most runs in a match: 224 — Younis Khan (Pakistan vs West Indies, 2002; 153 and 71)
Best bowling figures in an innings: 7/94 — Mark Craig (New Zealand vs Pakistan, 2014)
Best bowling figures in a match: 10/203 — Mark Craig (New Zealand vs Pakistan, 2014)
Sharjah is expected to experience hot and mostly sunny conditions throughout the five-day AFG vs ZIM Test. AccuWeather forecasts daytime temperatures of 34°C on the opening day, rising to 36°C on November 6 and 7.
The maximum temperature is expected to remain around 35-36°C over the weekend before dropping to 35°C on the final day. The forecast shows a 0-1% chance of precipitation across the five days, with no significant rain threat.
Neither team has reported any major injury concerns or player unavailability ahead of the opening Test. Both sides are expected to have their main players available for the series opener.
Afghanistan Predicted Playing XI: Abdul Malik, Afsar Zazai (wk), Rahmat Shah (c), Hashmatullah Shahidi, Sediqullah Atal, Ikram Alikhil (wk), Ismat Alam, Mohammad Saleem, Qais Ahmad, Zia-ur-Rehman, Yamin Ahmadzai.
Zimbabwe Predicted Playing XI: Brian Bennett (c), Ben Curran, Innocent Kaia, Brendan Taylor, Craig Ervine, Wessly Madhevere, Tadiwanashe Marumani (wk), Brad Evans, Blessing Muzarabani, Vincent Masekesa, Wellington Masakadza.
Rahmat Shah vs Blessing Muzarabani
Rahmat Shah has been Afghanistan's most consistent red-ball batter. Blessing Muzarabani will look to use his height to generate extra bounce and trouble Rahmat early in his innings.
Brian Bennett vs Zia-ur-Rehman
Brian Bennett will be important to Zimbabwe's plans at the top of the order. Zia-ur-Rehman will aim to use the dry Sharjah surface to generate turn and challenge Bennett's defence.
Brendan Taylor vs Qais Ahmad
Brendan Taylor brings crucial experience to the Zimbabwean middle order. Qais will look to exploit the deteriorating Sharjah pitch to deceive the veteran batter in flight.
Afghanistan: Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Zia-ur-Rehman
Zimbabwe: Brian Bennett, Blessing Muzarabani, Brendan Taylor
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