Stumps Zimbabwe 24 for 0 (Kasuza 20*) and 287 (Raza 85, Masvaure 65, Rashid 4-138, Hamza 3-73) trail Afghanistan 545 for 4 dec (Shahidi 200*, Afghan 164) by 234 runs AFGHANISTAN are 10 wickets away from squaring the two-Test series against Zimbabwe, having enforced the follow-on in Abu Dhabi after dismissing the opponents for 287 in the first innings for a 258-run lead. On a pitch that’s taking turn, but remains good for batting, Zimbabwe openers Kevin Kasuza and Prince Masvaure batted out the 13 overs before close in their second innings to shave 24 runs off the deficit. Rashid Khan and Amir Hamza shared seven wickets between them in Zimbabwe’s first innings and ensured that Zimbabwe were unable to build on a decent start. The opening pair of Kasuza and Masvaure put on 91 then, but Zimbabwe then lost four wickets for 54 runs before Tarisai Musakanda and Sikandar Raza steadied them. Musakanda and Ryan Burl were then dismissed in successive overs and Raza was again needed to do a repair job. He put on 53 with Regis Chakabva, Zimbabwe’s only other half-century stand, and after Chakabva was dismissed, Zimbabwe lost their last four wickets for 45 runs in the hour after tea and had to bat again. Khan, who got four wickets in the first innings, was given the new ball, which he shared with left-arm seamer Sayed Shirzad, who had a significant impact with the old ball in the first innings with two wickets in two balls. It was Shirzad’s double-strike in his first over after lunch that put paid to any thoughts Zimbabwe might have had of batting out the day. Which is what they must have hoped for at the start of the day, with Kasuza and Masvaure unbeaten overnight and the scoreboard showing 50 for no loss. But Kasuza reached for a wide delivery from Khan that he could have left alone to fall for 41, and Masvaure was then bowled by Hamza. Shirzad rushed Sean Williams into a pull, which he could only top-edge to midwicket, and then removed Wesley Madhevere for his second golden duck of the series. Shirzad found Madhevere’s outside edge with a delivery that angled in and left the batsman, who doesn’t have a run in Test cricket so far. Those wickets were a redemption of sorts for Afghanistan’s lone seamer in this match after a poor morning spell. His four overs cost 22 runs and Kasuza plucked boundaries off him with ease, forcing Asghar Afghan to use spin from both ends early on. Offspinner Javed Ahmadi found sharp turn, but the breakthrough only came when Khan was introduced and removed Kasuza. Zimbabwe have gone without a century opening stand in almost ten years, since August 2011. Musakanda was around when Masvaure got to his third Test fifty, which came with a quick single that almost led to the batsman being run-out at the non-striker’s end. Musakanda went on to a career-best 41 and was particularly severe on Khan’s short balls, but the leg-spinner had the last laugh when he trapped Musakanda lbw. In the next over, a Hamza delivery that turned in from the rough clipped Ryan Burl’s leg stump to dismiss him for a duck and leave