Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe – 2nd Test Match Preview & Prediction
THE FACTS
When is Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe taking place? Wednesday, March 10th, 2021 – 05:30 (UK)
Where is Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe taking place? Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
What is the expected weather for Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe? 28-29c with sunshine forecast all five days and temperatures peaking on Friday as high as 37c
What channel is Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe on? The match will be televised live on FreeSports in the UK (Sky channel 422)
Where can I stream Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe? The match will not be streamed live in the UK
LAST MEETING
Zimbabwe beat Afghanistan by 10 wickets
THE TEAM NEWS
AFGHANISTAN
- Afghanistan returned to Test action last week and despite being heavy favourites to win the opening Test, they were comprehensively outplayed by Zimbabwe who bowled them out twice for 131 and 135 to beat them by ten wickets.
- They were without star man Rashid Khan who was ruled out with a finger injury which he suffered in the PSL but they will be desperate for him to return as their bowling attack looked light without him in the side.
- It is the batting order that is under pressure coming into this second and final Test after their two failures so changes may be on the cards as they try spark a reaction but that has been their weakness for some time and is unlikely to be remedied here.
ZIMBABWE
- Zimbabwe picked up a rare win in the first Test despite being underdogs and they will be full of confidence coming into the second Test as they look to seal an equally rare series victory here.
- Despite missing a whole host of key experienced players themselves, the few remaining experienced campaigners like skipper Sean Williams produced the goods as he laid the foundations for the win with a century which was the standout innings in the Test.
- The likelihood is that they will name the same eleven for this game as both the batting and bowling units came out of the game with plenty of credit which means they can afford to give their struggling top order another chance with the bat.
THE PREDICTION
Zimbabwe claimed a rare victory in the opening Test so the pressure is firmly on Afghanistan in this second and final Test. Much will depend on whether Rashid Khan is available for Afghanistan but even still, it will take a major improvement with the bat to challenge Zimbabwe here. The batting of Sean Williams and company was a class above anything the Afghans could offer while their bowlers hit the right lengths much more often than the Afghans too. The possible return of Rashid Khan may see the market move heavily in Afghanistan’s favour but even his inclusion may not suffice to close the gap from the first Test. Preference goes to Zimbabwe to seal the series win here.
