CRICKET POLL

A fine century by Rahmat Shah, his third in Tests, helped Afghanistan overturn a significant first-innings deficit and finish a rain-curtailed day - which saw only 47 overs bowled - 205 runs ahead in a dramatic shift of fortunes.

It was a slow start to the day for the visitors, with Blessing Muzarabani kicking things off with a maiden and Richard Ngarava delivering an early blow with a nasty short ball, which Zia-ur-Rehman could only fend to square leg. Afsar Zazai fell to Ngarava in the same opening spell, eking out an outside edge to gully.

Five down for only 69 runs, Afghanistan were still behind by 17 runs and staring down the barrel. That's when Rahmat Shah and Shahidullah Kamal added 67 runs for the sixth wicket on either side of a rain delay. Rahmat brought up his sixth Test fifty in the process, looking more comfortable by the minute on a pitch that had slowed down and playing much better than the first couple of days.

Shahidullah fell to a stunning catch by Kaitano at silly point, giving Zimbabwe some early hope soon after Lunch but Ismat Alam had different ideas. The No 8 batter added 132 runs with Shah, leaving the hosts out of ideas in the middle session. Shah went on to score his Test hundred with a tap past backward point, with Alam getting to his fifty on the other side of Tea.

Rahmat fell to the second new ball, falling lbw to Muzarabani but Zimbabwe couldn't really have a proper crack at the tail as rains came pouring three overs later and forced early Stumps.

Brief Scores: Afghanistan 157 & 291/7 (Rahmat 139; Muzarabani 4-71) lead Zimbabwe 243 by 205 runs