Afghanistan debutant Maroofkhil misses equalling record but rattles Zimbabwe

SHARJAH: Afghanistan spinner Naseer Khan Maroofkhil dazzled on his test debut in Sharjah, claiming seven wickets in Zimbabwe’s first innings to finish one short of equalling the record for the most wickets taken by a bowler in a test innings on debut.

While he narrowly missed the eight-wicket mark, the 20-year-old played a pivotal role in restricting Zimbabwe to 339 after the visitors made a steady start to ⁠the contest.

An eighth ⁠wicket would have seen Maroofkhil become the first Afghan bowler to equal the debut-innings test record, which is currently shared by eight players.

Openers Innocent Kaia (96) and Ben Curran (44) laid the foundation, with Kaia falling ⁠agonizingly short of a century.