Darwish Rasooli scored his first international fifty and Naveen-ul-Haq and Rashid Khan took three wickets each as Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by 50 runs on Friday to level their T20 series with one match remaining.
The teams meet again on Saturday at the Harare Sports Club to decide who will win the first of three series, followed by three one-day internationals and two Tests.
Afghanistan, who suffered a last-ball defeat on Wednesday, won the toss and, largely thanks to the dismissal of Rasooli, who scored 58, scored 153 in six of his 20 overs.
Rasooli, one of the three changes in the team, hit a six and six fours in 42 deliveries.
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Azmatullah Omarzai (28) and Gulbadin Naib (26 not out) were the other Afghans who made important contributions, while spinner Ryan Burl and seamer Trevor Gwandu took two wickets each for Zimbabwe.
In response, Zimbabwe’s opener Brian Bennett scored 27, but when he departed, leaving the hosts struggling at 49 for four, only captain Sikandar Raza (35) proved he was capable of matching the Afghan attack.
Only one of Zimbabwe’s remaining batsmen – opening hero Tashinga Musekiwa – reached double figures as Zimbabwe were dismissed for 103 in 17.4 overs.
Naveen, who finished with three for 19, and star spinner Rashid (three for 20) did most of the damage, supported by Mujeeb Ur Rahman’s 2-30.
“We are still struggling to establish a strong top-flight squad, but the way Darwish played was impressive,” said Afghanistan captain Rashid.
“We’re always looking for someone who can hit well in the fourth grade. Darwish was performing well in the nets and we were waiting for him to take that form on the field.
“The way the guys bowled was impressive after missing our lines and lengths in the first match. It was about keeping it simple and hitting the right areas.
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Raza said: “Our Achilles heel was once again our hit. We are still struggling to post good results.
“Our bowling and fielding were fantastic. It was a better wicket than on Wednesday and we were confident of achieving the target of 154 runs. That’s why this loss hurts so much.
“Afghanistan was a semi-finalist in the recent T20 World Cup. So if you want to beat them, you have to beat them in all aspects.
