Afghanistan’s star leg-spinner Rashid Khan delivered a match-winning performance, taking six wickets in quick succession, putting his team within touching distance of a memorable victory in the second and final Test against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo. The game is set for an exciting finish on Monday at Queens Sports Club.

At the end of Day 4, Zimbabwe was struggling at 205-8 in their second innings, still needing 73 runs to win with just two wickets left. Rashid Khan, known for his brilliance in T20 cricket, proved his mettle yet again in the longer format. After picking up 4-94 in Zimbabwe’s first innings, he wreaked havoc in their second innings with figures of 6-66. This marked his fifth five-wicket haul in Test cricket and the third time he has taken ten or more wickets in a match—all of this in just his sixth Test appearance.

Earlier in the day, Afghanistan’s debutant Ismat Alam played a heroic knock, scoring a brilliant 101 runs to help his team post 363 in their second innings. This gave Afghanistan a commanding lead of 276 runs. Alam’s innings, which included nine boundaries, was a perfect comeback after being dismissed for a duck in the first innings. However, his knock ended when he pulled a shot straight to mid-wicket.

Zimbabwe’s hopes seemed alive when Sikandar Raza and captain Craig Ervine put together a solid 58-run partnership for the fifth wicket. But Rashid Khan turned the tide yet again. Raza tried an aggressive shot off Rashid but ended up being caught at silly mid-off for 38 runs. Before this, Rashid had already dismissed Dion Myers for 6 runs. In a devastating spell, he then bowled out Sean Williams (16) and Brian Bennett (0) in the space of just three deliveries.

Sean Williams, who has been battling a back injury throughout the match, misjudged a sweep and was bowled. Meanwhile, Bennett couldn’t handle Rashid’s precision and lost his wicket to a delivery that pitched perfectly on middle stump and clipped the bails.

Zimbabwe’s slim hopes of pulling off an unlikely win now rest on their veteran captain Craig Ervine. The 39-year-old is unbeaten on 53 runs, having faced 97 balls and hit one six and four boundaries. He will need to marshal the tailenders effectively on the final day to chase down the remaining 73 runs.

For Afghanistan, this match has been a collective effort. While Rashid was the star with the ball, Alam’s century and Rahmat Shah’s earlier 139-run knock were crucial in building their sizable lead. Zimbabwe’s bowlers also had their moments, with Blessing Muzarabani standing out with figures of 6-95 and Richard Ngarava chipping in with 3-76.

Both teams are chasing their first Test win since they last faced each other four years ago in Abu Dhabi. With just one day left and only two wickets standing for Zimbabwe, Afghanistan looks poised to end their drought and take home a historic win.

**Brief Scores**
Afghanistan: 157 (Rashid Khan 25; S. Raza 3-30, N. Nyamhuri 3-42) and 363 (Rahmat Shah 139, Ismat Alam 101; B. Muzarabani 6-95, R. Ngarava 3-76).
Zimbabwe: 243 (C. Ervine 75, S. Raza 61, S. Williams 49; Rashid Khan 4-94, Yamin Ahmadzai 3-62) and 205-8 (S. Ervine 53*, B. Curran 38, S. Raza 38; Rashid Khan 6-66).

**Match Situation**: Zimbabwe needs 73 runs to win with two wickets in hand.