Debutant Naseer turns it around for Afghanistan after Kaia and Taylor star

Zimbabwe dominated day one of the second Test against Afghanistan for almost 58 overs. But Afghanistan's debutant left-arm spinner Naseer Khan Maroofkhil, who finished with 4 for 118, turned it around with three strikes in the next eight overs to tilt the day. Zimbabwe lost 3 for 12 during that period, and slipped from 200 for 1 to 250 for 5 at stumps.

Innocent Kaia and Ben Curran had a 98-run opening stand after Zimbabwe elected to bat in Sharjah. Naseer broke that off his first ball after lunch when he got Curran lbw for 44. But Kaia and Brendan Taylor ensured Zimbabwe didn't lose momentum by adding 102 for the second wicket.

Both batters passed fifty during that partnership, but Naseer, helped by attacking shots from one Zimbabwe batter after another, brought the game closer to parity, if not make it Afghanistan's day altogether.

Batting on 96, Kaia went for the slog sweep but was struck in front to start the collapse. Zimbabwe captain Brian Bennett attempted to swipe Naseer away in his next over, but fell for a duck. Wessly Madhevere, looking to loft Naseer to the long-off boundary off a ball which kept low, found Ziaur Rahman, who took a tumbling catch.

Taylor and Antum Naqvi then took their time after Zimbabwe suffered three successive blows. They scored 21 runs in the next nine overs, before Naqvi thumped a six off Naseer in the 76th over. Two overs later, Taylor entered the 90s when he clipped Naseer for four. But Ziaur ended Naqvi's struggle to end the 79th over when he had him caught at first slip for 8 off 44 balls.

Taylor faced just four deliveries in the last four overs of the day to remain stuck on 96* at stumps, as Tafadzwa Tsiga patiently saw through the day without any further damage.