AFG vs ZIM 2nd Test Match Prediction: Can Afghanistan Seal the Series in Sharjah?

Afghanistan and Zimbabwe meet in the second and final Test of their two-match series at Sharjah Cricket Stadium from Friday, November 13, with the series still level at 0-0 after one of the most extraordinary draws in Test history. The first Test ended in a draw after Zimbabwe became the first team ever to score 500-plus in both innings of a Test match, with 1,541 runs and seven centuries across five days on a flat Sharjah surface. Both sides will want a result this time, but the same ground and the same lifeless pitch mean the bowlers will have to work even harder. Here is our full AFG vs ZIM 2nd Test match prediction.

AFG vs ZIM 2nd Test Match Details and Broadcast Information

Detail	Information
Match	Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe, 2nd Test
Series	Zimbabwe tour of the United Arab Emirates, two-match Test series
Date	Friday, 13 November to Tuesday, 17 November
Venue	Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah
Start time	10:30 AM IST (9:00 AM UAE time)
Toss	10:00 AM IST
Series score	Level 0-0
Live streaming in India	FanCode app and website (no television telecast in India)
Broadcast in Afghanistan	Ariana TV, with streaming on the Etisalat app

First Test Recap: Zimbabwe Make History in a Run-Fest Draw

The first Test, played at the same ground from November 5 to 9, produced numbers that Test cricket had never seen before. Zimbabwe scored 504 in their first innings, built on Brendan Taylor’s 131 off 168 balls and captain Brian Bennett’s 128 off 206 balls. Afghanistan replied with 514, led by captain Rahmat Shah’s 173 off 347 balls, with debutant Rahmanullah Zadran making 113 and Sediqullah Atal adding 105. That gave Afghanistan a slender 10-run first-innings lead. Before the Tests, Afghanistan had completed a 3-0 sweep of the T20I series on this tour, and our preview of the first Test had covered the same squads and the Sharjah conditions.

Zimbabwe then batted again and made 523 for 5 before the captains shook hands. Craig Ervine, 41, batted through the entire final day for an unbeaten 206 off 279 balls, his maiden Test double century, while Wessly Madhevere made an unbeaten 100, his first Test hundred. In all, seven centuries were scored in the match, 1,541 runs came from three completed innings, and only 25 wickets fell. Zimbabwe became the first team in the 149-year history of Test cricket to pass 500 in both innings of the same match.

The result leaves the series perfectly poised. Afghanistan will feel they missed a chance: they had the first-innings lead and home conditions, but they could not bowl Zimbabwe out twice on a surface that gave their attack almost nothing. Zimbabwe will take huge confidence from their batting, but their bowlers face the same problem in the second Test.

Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe Test Head-to-Head Record

The two sides have played only three Tests against each other, and the ledger is perfectly balanced. They first met in March 2021 in Abu Dhabi, where Zimbabwe won the first Test by 10 wickets inside two days. Afghanistan hit back in the second Test, with Hashmatullah Shahidi’s unbeaten 200 leading them to 545 for 4 declared and a six-wicket win to level the series 1-1. The drawn first Test of this series means the overall record now stands at one win each and one draw.

Afghanistan Team News and Squad

Afghanistan have named an unchanged Test squad, and there is little reason to change a side that scored 514 in its only innings. Rahmat Shah leads the side and is in remarkable Test form: he has scored 775 runs in six Tests at an average above 77, and his 173 in the first Test was the biggest score by an Afghan batter in the match. Sediqullah Atal and debutant Rahmanullah Zadran both made centuries.

Rashid Khan and Ibrahim Zadran remain rested from Test cricket on medical advice, so the bowling again rests on the spinners. Qais Ahmad and Zia-ur-Rehman Akbar lead the spin attack, while Mohammad Saleem Safi leads the pace attack. Ikram Alikhil keeps wicket and is the vice-captain.

Afghanistan Test squad: Rahmat Shah (captain), Ikram Alikhil (vice-captain and wicketkeeper), Afsar Zazai (wicketkeeper), Sediqullah Atal, Abdul Malik, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Rahmanullah Zadran, Shahidullah Kamal, Ismat Alam, Qais Ahmad, Zia Ur Rahman Akbar, Khalil Gurbaz, Mohammad Saleem Safi, Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi, Yamin Ahmadzai.

Zimbabwe Team News and Squad

Zimbabwe are led by 22-year-old Brian Bennett, who is captaining the side in the absence of regular skipper Richard Ngarava, who is still recovering from a back injury. Bennett carried his bat for 128 in the first innings and made 58 in the second. Fast bowler Tanaka Chivanga is also unavailable through injury, but after the batting performance in the first Test, there is no reason to change the side.

The batting is Zimbabwe’s strength. Ervine’s unbeaten 206 was his maiden Test double century, Taylor made 131 and 82 and was Player of the Match, and Madhevere’s unbeaten 100 was his first Test century. Cremer and Wellington Masakadza provide the spin, and Blessing Muzarabani and Newman Nyamhuri lead the pace attack.

Zimbabwe Test squad: Brian Bennett (captain), Antum Naqvi, Ben Curran, Blessing Muzarabani, Brad Evans, Brendan Taylor, Craig Ervine, Graeme Cremer, Innocent Kaia, Ernest Masuku, Kundai Matigimu, Newman Nyamhuri, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Tafadzwa Tsiga, Vincent Masekesa, Wellington Masakadza, Wessly Madhevere.

Sharjah Pitch Report: Another Batting Paradise?

The Sharjah surface was the story of the first Test, and it is the biggest question for the second. The pitch was flat and lifeless across all five days, giving the bowlers almost nothing to work with: only 25 wickets fell, seven centuries were scored, and neither attack could force a result even with 500-plus totals on the board. With the match on the same ground just four days after the first Test ended, another batting-friendly pitch is the likeliest outcome.

If the pitch plays the same way, the match will again be decided by patience and first-innings runs. The side that bats first must post a huge total, and the bowlers will need to be disciplined for long spells, waiting for the surface to wear on days four and five. Afghanistan’s spinners will fancy their chances late in the game if the pitch starts to turn. A draw is a very real possibility if the surface stays flat; a result needs one side to collapse, and neither batting line-up looked like collapsing last week.

AFG vs ZIM 2nd Test Probable Playing XIs

Afghanistan probable XI: Sediqullah Atal, Abdul Malik, Shahidullah Kamal, Rahmat Shah (captain), Hashmatullah Shahidi, Ikram Alikhil (wicketkeeper), Rahmanullah Zadran, Qais Ahmad, Zia-ur-Rehman Akbar, Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi, Mohammad Saleem Safi. This is the same XI that played the first Test, and with three centuries in the side, there is no reason to change it. Ismat Alam and Yamin Ahmadzai are the reserve options if Afghanistan want an extra bowler.

Zimbabwe probable XI: Ben Curran, Innocent Kaia, Brian Bennett (captain), Brendan Taylor, Craig Ervine, Antum Naqvi, Wessly Madhevere, Tafadzwa Tsiga (wicketkeeper), Graeme Cremer, Newman Nyamhuri, Blessing Muzarabani. Zimbabwe are also expected to stay unchanged after their record-breaking batting display, with Ernest Masuku and Brad Evans the pace reserves.

Key Battles That Will Decide the 2nd Test

Rahmat Shah vs Graeme Cremer: Rahmat Shah batted 347 balls for his 173 in the first Test before Cremer had him stumped, and the Afghanistan captain is the wicket Zimbabwe want most. If Cremer can tie Rahmat down and force an error, the whole Afghan innings can slow down.

Craig Ervine vs Zia-ur-Rehman Akbar: Ervine batted through the final day of the first Test for 206 not out. Zia-ur-Rehman is Afghanistan’s most threatening spinner, and his duel with Ervine will be the central contest of the match.

Brendan Taylor vs Qais Ahmad: Taylor made 131 and 82 in the first Test and was Player of the Match. Qais Ahmad’s leg-spin is Afghanistan’s main weapon against right-handers, and Taylor’s ability to attack him without giving his wicket away will shape Zimbabwe’s first innings.

Brian Bennett vs Mohammad Saleem Safi: Bennett made 128 and 58 in the first Test, and Saleem was the one Afghanistan bowler who found movement to dismiss him in the second innings. The young Zimbabwe captain sets the tone at the top of the order, and an early wicket for Saleem would put Afghanistan ahead for the first time in the series.

AFG vs ZIM 2nd Test Match Prediction: Who Will Win?

Afghanistan should win the second Test and take the series 1-0. The first Test showed that both batting line-ups are in superb form, but Afghanistan have the better spin attack for a Sharjah pitch that should wear as the match goes on. Qais Ahmad and Zia-ur-Rehman Akbar, backed by Rahmat Shah’s part-time spin, are more likely than Zimbabwe’s attack to take 20 wickets across five days, and Afghanistan’s batting, led by Rahmat Shah, Atal and Rahmanullah, has the depth to post another 500-plus total if they bat first.

Zimbabwe will not make it easy: Ervine, Taylor and Bennett are all in the form of their lives. But their bowling took only 10 wickets in the first Test, and on a flat pitch that is not enough to win a Test match. If the pitch offers the spinners anything on days four and five, Afghanistan are the side best placed to take advantage. Our prediction: Afghanistan to win the second Test and take the series 1-0.

AFG vs ZIM 2nd Test FAQs

When is the AFG vs ZIM 2nd Test?

The second Test is played from Friday, 13 November to Tuesday, 17 November at Sharjah Cricket Stadium. Play starts at 10:30 AM IST each day, with the toss at 10:00 AM IST.

Where can I watch AFG vs ZIM 2nd Test live in India?

There is no television telecast in India. The match is streamed live on the FanCode app and website. In Afghanistan, the match is shown on Ariana TV.

What happened in the 1st Test?

The first Test ended in a draw. Zimbabwe scored 504 and 523 for 5, and Afghanistan replied with 514. Zimbabwe became the first team in Test history to score 500-plus in both innings of the same match, with Craig Ervine making an unbeaten 206.

What is the head-to-head record between Afghanistan and Zimbabwe in Tests?

The two sides have played three Tests: one win each and one draw. Zimbabwe won the first Test in Abu Dhabi in 2021 by 10 wickets, Afghanistan won the second by six wickets, and the first Test of this series was drawn.

Who is captaining Zimbabwe in the Test series?

Brian Bennett, 22, is captaining Zimbabwe in the absence of regular skipper Richard Ngarava, who is recovering from a back injury. Bennett made 128 and 58 in the first Test.