Afghanistan pacer Ziaur Rahman Sharifi etched his name in cricketing history on October 21, becoming the first fast bowler from Asia to take seven wickets in the first innings of his debut Test.
The 27-year-old right-arm pacer achieved the remarkable feat during the ongoing one-off Test against Zimbabwe in Harare. Making his debut on October 20, Ziaur bowled a marathon 32-over spell and returned with brilliant figures of 7 for 97.
A Record-Breaking Debut
Ziaur’s debut spell has placed him in an elite list of bowlers with the best first-innings figures in debut Tests. The overall world record still belongs to India’s Narendra Hirwani, who picked up 8/61 against the West Indies in Chennai in 1988.
He joins legendary names like:
- Narendra Hirwani – 8/61 (India, 1988)
- Bob Massie – 8/84 (Australia, 1972)
- Kyle Abbott – 7/29 (South Africa, 2013)
- Gus Atkinson – 7/45 (England, 2024)
- Ziaur Rahman Sharifi – 7/97 (Afghanistan, 2025)
Second Afghan Bowler to Take 7 Wickets in an Innings
With this performance, Ziaur also became only the second Afghan bowler to claim seven wickets in a Test innings, after Rashid Khan.
Best bowling figures for Afghanistan in Tests:
- Rashid Khan – 7/66 (Bulawayo, 2025)
- Ziaur Rahman Sharifi – 7/97 (Harare, 2025)
- Rashid Khan – 7/137 (Abu Dhabi, 2021)
- Rashid Khan – 6/49 (Chattogram, 2019)
- Amir Hamza – 6/75 (Abu Dhabi, 2021)
Ziaur Among Asia’s Elite
In the Asian record books, only Narendra Hirwani (India) stands above Ziaur’s 7/97 figures. Other top Asian debut performances include:
- Narendra Hirwani – 8/61 (1988)
- Ziaur Rahman Sharifi – 7/97 (2025)
- Mohammad Nazir – 7/99 (1969)
- Abrar Ahmed – 7/114 (2022)
- Bilal Asif – 6/36 (2018)
His accuracy, stamina, and ability to move the ball on a flat Harare surface made his spell one to remember.
A New Chapter for Afghanistan Cricket
This record is not only a personal milestone but also a big moment for Afghanistan cricket, which continues to grow rapidly in the longest format. Ziaur’s spell gave the visitors a strong grip on the match, echoing the impact Rashid Khan had in earlier encounters against Zimbabwe.
As the match progresses, all eyes will be on whether Ziaur can add more wickets in the second innings and lead Afghanistan to another historic Test victory.
