Rare Test win for Zimbabwe in easy defeat of Afghanistan

It is only the third time Zimbabwe have won a Test by an innings

Zimbabwe quick Richard Ngarava took five wickets to skittle Afghanistan out for 159 in their second innings and win their one-off Test by an innings and 73 runs midway through the third day on Wednesday.

Zimbabwe, who had only won one of their previous 17 Tests, had dismissed the Afghanis for 127 in their first innings on the opening day on Monday and then amassed a 233-run lead as they replied with 359 with Ben Curran scoring a maiden Test ton.

Afghanistan were 34-1 overnight but only opener Ibrahim Zadran (42) and Bahir Shah (32) showed any resistance at the Harare Sports Club on Wednesday.

The pace proved the tourists’ undoing with Ngarava returning his best Test figures of 5-37 in 13 overs while opening bowler Blessing Muzarabani contributed with 3-48.

It was only the third time Zimbabwe had won a Test by an innings, adding to similar success over Pakistan in Harare in 1995 and Bangladesh in Bulawayo six years later.