Brendan Taylor delivered a masterful century while stand-in skipper Brian Bennett remained unbeaten on 71, steering Zimbabwe to a robust 326/5 at stumps on the opening day of their first Test against Afghanistan at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Thursday. Mohammad Abdullah covers major sports event like FIFA WC, Cricket WC and Formula One. Earlier, both the batsmen applied themselves and exploited the platform given by their openers. Taylor steered a rising delivery from Salim over the slip and the ball raced to boundary rope. Taylor and the captain Bennett played sensibly and showed the temperament of a matured Test batsman. Pitching it on the off stumps, he lured the veteran Zimbabwean with a flighted delivery.
Zimbabwe dominated the first two sessions of play with clinical precision. However, Afghanistan mounted a spirited recovery in the final session after tea, claiming three crucial wickets and conceding only 64 runs as their bowling attack found momentum on a pitch showing signs of wear.
Ziaur Rehman spearheaded the Afghan effort, finishing the day with figures of 2/30, while Mohammed Salim, Qais Ahmed, and Hashmatullah Shahidi each claimed a wicket to prevent the visitors from running away with the game.
Taylor, who recently returned to the international side after a four-month absence, appeared in imperious form. His innings of 10 boundaries and four sixes underscored his dominance. At 40 years and 272 days old, he became the second-oldest batter since 2000 to score a Test century, trailing only Pakistan’s Misbah-ul-Haq, who reached a century at 42 years and 70 days in 2016. He brought his seventh century in style. Who scored 142 against Australia in 1929, the oldest man ever to score a Test century is England’s Jack Hobbs. Taylor led the way with a composed innings. Taylor returned to the fold after a gap of more than four months. He miscued the shot and Rahman ran almost 10 metres to complete a clean catch.
With this performance, Taylor moved past Grant Flower to become the second-highest centurion for Zimbabwe in Test history, trailing only Andy Flower, who holds the record with 12 centuries. Taylor’s record in Asia remains formidable, now standing at 694 runs across 17 innings at an average of 46.66.
The partnership between Taylor and Bennett proved the backbone of the Zimbabwean innings, as the duo combined for 137 runs for the third wicket. They navigated the Afghan spin threats with maturity, displaying the composure required for long-form cricket. The breakthrough finally arrived just before the drinks break in the final session when skipper Shahidi enticed Taylor into a miscued cover drive, resulting in a catch by Rehman. He seemed to have resumed where he left last year, but when he took to the field.
Following Taylor’s dismissal, the Afghan bowlers intensified their pressure. Rehman struck again shortly after, trapping Craig Ervin leg-before-wicket for 271/4. Ervin, making his return to the squad since June, had previously scored 60 runs against Bangladesh in his last outing. He played his last Test against Bangladesh in 2025 in Harare. Ziaur Rehman trapped returning Graig Ervin in front of the stumps to reduce Zimbabwe to 271/4.
The late pressure placed the spotlight on debutant Antum Naqvi, who faced a barrage of deliveries as Afghan spinners looked to exploit the growing cracks on the pitch. Afghanistan’s tactical approach involved crowding the batter with fielders to capitalize on any potential late-day assistance from the surface. He picked up the loose deliveries and punished the bowler. They kept on attacking with the fielder surrounding the debutant Antum Naqvi closely from all sides to put pressure on him. Afghanistan spinners knew it was a golden chance to use the cracks.
Despite the late flurry of wickets, Zimbabwe maintained control through Bennett’s disciplined captain’s knock. His fifty, the third of his career, provided the necessary stability as the visitors seek a commanding total on day two.
