Rashid Khan Anchors Afghanistan's Series-Levelling Win Over Zimbabwe

A career-best wicket haul by leg-spinner Rashid Khan helped Afghanistan level their two-match series against Zimbabwe with a hard-fought victory in the second Test in Abu Dhabi on Sunday. The 22-year-

Williams was left stranded on 151 which came in 465 minutes of defiant batting, his highest score in the format. William's previous best of 119 was against New Zealand at Bulawayo five years ago.

Tiripano was unlucky to miss on a well-deserved hundred by five runs when he was trapped leg-before by Rashid on the stroke of lunch. Tiripano, whose previous highest of 49 not out came in the same Test as Williams's, hit 16 boundaries in a 261-minute defiance.

The Williams-Tiripano stand broke the previous highest eighth-wicket stand for Zimbabwe of 168 between Heath Streak and Andy Blignaut made against the West Indies at Harare in 2003. They also took the game to the fifth day after Zimbabwe were 142-6 on day four, having been forced to follow on after being dismissed for 287 in their first innings.

Williams added another 33 for the ninth wicket with Muzarabani (17) but Zimbabwe lost the last two wickets in the space of three runs.

Afghanistan had made a mammoth 545-4 declared with Hashmatullah Shahidi compiling an unbeaten 200 and skipper Asghar Afghan 164.

This was Afghanistan's third win in six Tests, while a Test series win remains elusive for Zimbabwe since beating Bangladesh at home in 2004.