Ahmadzai, Rashid and Farooqi give Afghanistan a comfortable win

Ijaz Ahmad Ahmadzai made the old cricket cliché come true in Sharjah: he batted on a different pitch compared to everyone else. In the opening contest of this three-match series between Afghanistan and Zimbabwe, Ahmadzai entered with the score 66 for 5 in the 12th over of the first innings, on a pitch that was exceedingly slow and grippy. He took the conditions out of the equation, muscling a 20-ball fifty.

Though Afghanistan were then bowled out with one ball to spare in their innings, they had found their way to 177, which proved to be more than enough as Zimbabwe's batters struggled to 140 all-out in the chase, on a pitch that had stayed slow throughout the game. Rashid Khan, who took Afghanistan to their above-par total with his unorthodox cameo of 30 off 10 in the death overs, returned with the ball to pluck out 2 for 20.

Ahmadzai and Rashid's all-round acumen sealed a comfortable 37-run win for Afghanistan, handing them a 20-2 record in the format against Zimbabwe.

Brad Evans took the first wicket in the second over, as Afghanistan captain Ibrahim Zadran continued a lean start to his T20I captaincy. He was dismissed smashing a slot ball straight to cover. Then, 33-year-old Ernest Masuku - on T20I debut, playing in place of the injured Blessing Muzarabani - came on to bowl and made an immediate impact, using back-of-a-length deliveries and an awkward angle off the surface. He had Sediqullah Atal edging behind, and then, rapped Mohammad Akram on the pads. The second dismissal, on replays, suggested the ball was flying over the stumps, but with no DRS available in the game, Akram had to walk back.

Afghanistan slid further when opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz was out to Sikander Raza's stunner at extra cover in the ninth over, off Wellington Mazakadza's left-arm spin. The Zimbabwe captain then came on to bowl and just three overs later, Azmatullah Omarzai was the fifth batter out, misreading a googly and chipping the ball back.

Then, the match turned. Shahidullah had been constructing a patient innings for Afghanistan - he scored 46 off 42 by the time he was out in the 17th over. But at the other end, Ahmadzai unleashed carnage, constantly stepping down the track, using lofted shots in the 'V' and sweeps both to great effect, as the pair raced along to a 61-run partnership in just 4.5 overs.

Rashid's place in the Afghanistan line-up is stable at No. 8, but in this game, he provided a glimpse of why he remains a potent finisher when he gets going: he smashed a single four and four sixes during his 10-ball stay at the crease. Like Ahmadzai, who he had for company for the majority of his cameo, he muscled slower deliveries and punished fuller ones, with the highlight of his innings being a wristy slice off Brad Evans in the 19th over. Even the bowler smiled and gestured a thumbs up his way.

Rashid was out with four balls left in the innings, when Wessly Madhevere pulled off the second stunner of the day with a dive at midwicket pouncing on his miscued heave, but by then, Afghanistan had already secured their upper hand in the contest. It was Newman Nyamhuri's first of three wickets in the final over, as he finished on 4 for 31.

If Zimbabwe's awry line-and-lengths had allowed Afghanistan back into the contest, they received no freebies in their own chase. They lost just one wicket in the powerplay - Ben Curran slogged across the line and found midwicket off Fazalhaq Farooqi in the third over - but they ended it on just 38 for 1.

Rashid, in a rare break from the norm, came on to bowl the final over of the powerplay rather than after it. He gave away just three runs and was already finding turn off the surface. He pulled back his lengths, and in the eighth over, he set up No. 3 Innocent Kaia, who had looked Zimbabwe's most comfortable batter so far, with googly after the googly, the last of which sliced past his attempt at a cut and knocked back his stumps.

Brian Bennett, who had struggled to 13 off 17, slogged a length delivery straight to Rashid at cow corner as Zimbabwe found themselves at 56 for 3 near the midway stage of the chase - at the same point where Afghanistan were, with more wickets in hand, but no clear escape in sight.

Mujeeb Ur Rahman, who had taken Bennett's wicket, attacked on a leg-stump line and conceded five wides during his spell, but he tempted Raza into a slog sweep that was caught in the deep, finishing with 2 for 27 himself.

The wickets afterwards fell in a hurry: Rashid came back to pin Tadiwanashe Marumani lbw in front of his stumps, his 199th T20I wicket. Ryan Burl, top-scoring with 32 off 24, fell to the third and final blinder of the night in the 17th over, when he slapped a length delivery from Farooqi to cover, but found it lodged in the outstretched hands of Shahidullah. Shahidullah came on to bowl soon after, and took out Wessly Madhevere in his sole over of the day.

In the final over of the game, Farooqi steamed in and pitched a full delivery outside off. Nyamhuri slogged it towards Rashid, who secured the catch and handed Afghanistan their sixth consecutive T20I win against Zimbabwe.