Hosts Zimbabwe will lock horns against Afghanistan in a two-match Test series, starting with the 1st Test on Boxing Day 2024, Thursday, December 26 at Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo. The Afghan Atlans won the white-ball series and now will have an eye on the red cherry. (Streaming | More Cricket News)
The Chevrons are having a tough time tackling the Afghanistan side on their own backyard. In the T20I series, Zimbabwe lost 1-2 before losing 0-2 in the ODIs. Zimbabwe will be keen to put on a show with the bat and ball but face a formidable Afghanistan side.
However, the Afghans will miss the services of their star player Rashid Khan for the 1st ZIM vs AFG Test after the 26-year-old pulled out due to personal reasons.
Zimbabwe vs Afghanistan Test Head-to-Head Record
These two have previously faced each other twice in Tests with either side winning one apiece.
Zimbabwe vs Afghanistan 1st Test Bulawayo Weather
Day 1 of the 1st ZIM vs AFG Test does not show promising signs with AccuWeather predicting thunderstorms in Bulawayo. There is 89% chance of cloud cover.
The next five days do not show any promising signs and we could have a stop-start action in the 1st ZIM vs AFG Test.
Zimbabwe vs Afghanistan 1st Test Predicted XIs
Zimbabwe
T Marumani, Brian Bennett, Sikandar Raza, R Ngarava, B Muzarabani, BJ Curran, CR Ervine (C), SC Williams, J Gumbie (wk), Takudzwanashe Kaitano, Johnathan Campbell.
Afghanistan
Sediqullah Atal, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Farid Malik, Hashmatullah Shahidi (C), R Shah (VC), IA Khil (wk), Abdul Malik, N Zadran, Ismat Alam, Riaz Hassan.
Zimbabwe vs Afghanistan Test Squads
Zimbabwe Squad: Craig Ervine (C), Ben Curran, Brian Bennett, Johnathan Campbell, Takudzwa Chataira, Joylord Gumbie, Trevor Gwandu, Takudzwanashe Kaitano, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Brandon Mavuta, Nyasha Mayavo, Blessing Muzarabani, Dion Myers, Richard Ngarava, Newman Nyamhuri, Sikandar Raza, Sean Williams.
Afghanistan Squad: Hashmatullah Shahidi (C), Rahmat Shah (VC), Ikram Alikhail (WK), Afsar Zazai (WK), Riaz Hassan, Sediqullah Atal, Abdul Malik, Baheer Shah Mahboob, Ismat Alam, Azmatullah Omarzai, Zahir Khan, Zia Ur Rehman Akbar, Zahir Shehzad, Rashid Khan, Yamin Ahmadzai, Bashir Ahmad Afghan, Naveed Zadran, and Fareed Ahmad Malik.
Zimbabwe vs Afghanistan 1st Test Prediction
Given how the weather pans out, the side bowling out, could be highly favourites to win the game.
