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Ziaur Rahman Sharifi picked up 7 wickets for 97 runs in the first innings of the ongoing one-off Test between Afghanistan and Zimbabwe in Harare.

Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi picked up 7 wickets for 97 runs. (Picture Credit: X/@ACBofficials)
Afghanistan’s right-arm medium pacer Ziaur Rahman Sharifi entered his name in the history books on Tuesday (October 21) by becoming the first fast bowler from Asia to take seven wickets in the first innings of his first Test match. The 27-year-old fast bowler, who made his Test debut on Monday (October 20) in Harare against Zimbabwe, bowled 32 overs for the Hashmatullah Shahidi-led side in the first innings and picked up 7 wickets for 97 runs.
The world record of best bowling figures in the first innings of the first Test match by any bowler is in the name of India spinner Narendra Hirwani.
Hirwani made his Test debut against the West Indies in Chennai on January 11, 1988, and picked up 8 wickets for 61 runs in the first innings. He also dismissed 8 batters in the second innings of that match.
Australia’s Bob Massie also picked up 8 wickets in both innings of his first-ever Test match. In the first innings he finished with figures of 8 for 84 in 32.5 overs at Lord’s against England in June 1972 and returned with figures of 8/53 in the second.
Best bowling figures in 1st innings on Test debut
PLAYER | TEAM | ROLE | OVERS | RUNS | WICKETS | AGAINST | VENUE | YEAR |
Narendra Hirwani | India | Spinner | 18.3 | 61 | 8 | West Indies | Chennai | 1988 |
Bob Massie | Australia | Pacer | 32.5 | 53 | 8 | England | Lord’s | 1972 |
Alf Valentine | West Indies | Spinner | 50 | 104 | 8 | England | Manchester | 1950 |
Jason Krejza | Australia | Spinner | 43.5 | 215 | 8 | India | Nagpur | 2008 |
Kyle Abbott | South Africa | Pacer | 11.4 | 29 | 7 | Pakistan | Centurion | 2013 |
Gus Atkinson | England | Pacer | 12 | 45 | 7 | West Indies | Lord’s | 2024 |
John Lever | England | Pacer | 23 | 46 | 7 | India | Delhi | 1976 |
Alec Bedser | England | Pacer | 29.1 | 49 | 7 | India | Lord’s | 1946 |
Marchant de Lange | South Africa | Pacer | 23.2 | 81 | 7 | Sri Lanka | Durban | 2011 |
Gobo Ashley | South Africa | Pacer | 43.1 | 95 | 7 | England | Cape Town | 1889 |
Ziaur Rahman Sharifi | Afghanistan | Pacer | 32 | 97 | 7 | Zimbabwe | Harare | 2025 |
Mohammad Nazir | Pakistan | Spinner | 30.1 | 99 | 7 | New Zealand | Karachi | 1969 |
Best bowling figures in 1st innings on Test debut (Asian bowlers)
PLAYER | TEAM | ROLE | OVERS | RUNS | WICKETS | AGAINST | VENUE | YEAR |
Narendra Hirwani | India | Spinner | 18.3 | 61 | 8 | West Indies | Chennai | 1988 |
Ziaur Rahman Sharifi | Afghanistan | Pacer | 32 | 97 | 7 | Zimbabwe | Harare | 2025 |
Mohammad Nazir | Pakistan | Spinner | 30.1 | 99 | 7 | New Zealand | Karachi | 1969 |
Abrar Ahmed | Pakistan | Spinner | 22 | 114 | 7 | England | Multan | 2022 |
Bilal Asif | Pakistan | Spinner | 21.3 | 36 | 6 | Australia | Dubai | 2018 |
The figures of 7 for 97 in Harare also helped Ziaur Rahman Sharifi become the second Afghanistani bowler after Rashid Khan to take 7 wickets in an innings of a Test match.
Best bowling figures for Afghanistan in Tests
BOWLER | OVERS | RUNS | WICKETS | AGAINST | VENUE | YEAR |
Rashid Khan | 27.3 | 66 | 7 | Zimbabwe | Bulawayo | 2025 |
Ziaur Rahman Sharifi | 32 | 97 | 7 | Zimbabwe | Harare | 2025 |
Rashid Khan | 62.5 | 137 | 7 | Zimbabwe | Abu Dhabi | 2021 |
Rashid Khan | 21.4 | 49 | 6 | Bangladesh | Chattogram | 2019 |
Amir Hamza | 25 | 75 | 6 | Zimbabwe | Abu Dhabi | 2021 |
Rashid, who has been rested for the ongoing match at Harare Sports Club, dismissed 7 Zimbabwe batters in Bulawayo during the second innings of the match played from January 2 to 6 earlier this year.
Harare, Zimbabwe
October 21, 2025, 20:04 IST
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