Zimbabwe vs Afghanistan Preview & Prediction | 2nd Test
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A flat pitch led to a high-scoring draw in a first Test which saw a whopping 1,427 runs scored across just three innings, so a victory is required for either Zimbabwe or Afghanistan to win this series.
Date/Time: Thursday 2nd January 2025: US PST – 12:00am / US EST – 3:00am / UK – 8:00am
Venue: Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
Weather: Thundery showers are again something to keep a close eye on across the five days, despite the expected heat.
How To Watch On TV: UK – Not televised / US – Not Televised
How To Watch Online: UK – Not Televised / US – Not Televised
Zimbabwe Betting Analysis
Assuming that we see another Test full of runs on the same ground as the first, bettors should focus on the batters of both teams. For Zimbabwe, that means Sean Williams after his 154 in the first Test. Williams is widely seen as the hosts’ best batter and his style of play was expected to be well-suited to the red ball game, which was what transpired. Back Williams to follow that up with a fifty over the course of this match.
Afghanistan Betting Analysis
Afghanistan won’t forget the first Test in a hurry after racking up 699 across 197 overs with two batters scoring double-hundreds. Captain Hashmatullah Shahidi was truly brilliant as he cashed in on an ultra-friendly batting pitch to pile up 246 runs from a whopping 474 balls, a marathon innings that saw him wear the Zimbabwean bowlers down and grind them into the dirt. If Shahidi can play himself in, then he will be difficult to prise out and backing him to record 100+ runs here has to be favoured.
Zimbabwe vs Afghanistan Expert Prediction
Whilst the pitch may prove to be more conducive to bowlers this time around, the forecast opens up the potential for overs to be lost, which is what we would see should any thundery showers arrive in Bulawayo. That will make it a lot tougher for either side to force a result and makes backing the draw potentially a shrewd play.
Zimbabwe vs Afghanistan Tip: Draw
