Overview
- Zimbabwe finished the first Test with totals of 504 and 523 for 5, becoming the first side in Test history to exceed 500 in both innings in a match that ended in a draw on Monday.
- Craig Ervine carried Zimbabwe in the second innings with an unbeaten 206, making him the third-oldest player to score a Test double century, while Wessly Madhevere hit his maiden Test century in an unbeaten 208-run stand with Ervine.
- On his captaincy debut Brian Bennett scored 128 and 58, joining an elite group of players who have recorded a century and a fifty in their first Test as captain.
- The match produced roughly 1,541 runs across three completed innings, seven centuries and 25 wickets and left bowlers exposed on a surface described as very flat; Afghanistan spinner Zia-ur-Rehman conceded 343 runs in the match, one of the most expensive returns in Test history.
- The series remains level and the teams will meet again in Sharjah starting Nov 13 with pitch preparation and managing fast-bowler workloads likely to be priorities for both sides.