Afghanistan and Zimbabwe open their Test series on Thursday, 5 November 2026, with the head-to-head record level at two wins each. Both sides arrive with modest recent form, and CricStats data finds little separating them. This preview examines the numbers behind the fixture and the data-based lean.
Head-to-Head Record in Tests
The two teams have played five Tests since their first meeting in 2021. Afghanistan and Zimbabwe have won two each, with one match drawn.
Across the four decisive results, the split is 50% each. Neither team holds a measurable historical edge.
| Category | Record |
|---|
| Tests played | 5 |
| Afghanistan wins | 2 |
| Zimbabwe wins | 2 |
| Tied, drawn or no result | 1 |
| First meeting | 2021 |
Most Recent Meetings
Zimbabwe won the latest contest by an innings and 73 runs at Harare Sports Club on 20 October 2025. Before that, Afghanistan won by 72 runs at Queens Sports Club on 2 January 2025.
Results have alternated across three venues, which supports the case for a balanced series.
| Date | Result | Venue |
|---|
| 20 Oct 2025 | Zimbabwe won by an innings and 73 runs | Harare Sports Club |
| 2 Jan 2025 | Afghanistan won by 72 runs | Queens Sports Club |
| 26 Dec 2024 | Match drawn | Queens Sports Club |
| 10 Mar 2021 | Afghanistan won by 6 wickets | Sheikh Zayed Stadium |
| 2 Mar 2021 | Zimbabwe won by 10 wickets | Sheikh Zayed Stadium |
Recent Form Across the Last 10 Tests
Neither side enters this series with strong form. Afghanistan have won 2, lost 6 and drawn 2 of their last 10 completed Tests. Zimbabwe have won 2 and lost 8.
Afghanistan's sequence reads D L W D L L L W L L, newest first. Zimbabwe's reads W L L L L L L W L L.
| Team | Won | Lost | Drawn | Sequence (newest first) |
|---|
| Afghanistan | 2 | 6 | 2 | D L W D L L L W L L |
| Zimbabwe | 2 | 8 | 0 | W L L L L L L W L L |
Context Behind the Results
Afghanistan's most recent Test was a draw against Bangladesh on 9 October 2026. Zimbabwe's latest Test in the data is their innings win over Afghanistan on 20 October 2025.
Zimbabwe's other recent results include defeats by an innings and 359 runs against New Zealand and by an innings and 236 runs against South Africa. The Afghanistan win stands out in that run.
CricStats puts Afghanistan's recent win rate at 25% and Zimbabwe's at 20%. The gap is small and favours Afghanistan slightly.
Afghanistan Players Who Have Been in Form
Squads for this match are not confirmed, so the names below are players in form over the last 12 months, not certain starters. The figures cover Tests only.
Batting Form Over the Last 12 Months
Rahmat Shah and Sediqullah Atal each produced a century-level best score in only two innings. The sample is small, so it points to form rather than a long-term average.
Bowling Form Over the Last 12 Months
All three bowling returns come from a single match each. They show recent wicket-taking output but not sustained consistency.
Top Performers in This Fixture Since 2021
Historical output in this fixture gives a clearer view of who has performed against the opposition. Rahmat Shah leads the run chart with 392 runs in 3 innings, about 130.7 runs per innings.
Hashmatullah Shahidi has scored 286 runs in 5 innings, about 57.2 per innings. Ben Curran of Zimbabwe has 283 runs in 5 innings, about 56.6 per innings.
| Batter | Team | Runs | Innings |
|---|
| Rahmat Shah | Afghanistan | 392 | 3 |
| Hashmatullah Shahidi | Afghanistan | 286 | 5 |
| Ben Curran | Zimbabwe | 283 | 5 |
In the wicket column, Zimbabwe's Blessing Muzarabani leads with 15 wickets. Rashid Khan has 11 for Afghanistan and Richard Ngarava has 9 for Zimbabwe.
| Bowler | Team | Wickets |
|---|
| Blessing Muzarabani | Zimbabwe | 15 |
| Rashid Khan | Afghanistan | 11 |
| Richard Ngarava | Zimbabwe | 9 |
CricStats Data Prediction
The CricStats data lean is computed from the head-to-head record and recent win rates. It gives Afghanistan 51% and Zimbabwe 49%, which is too close to call.
| Metric | Afghanistan | Zimbabwe |
|---|
| Head-to-head, last 4 decisive meetings | 50% | 50% |
| Recent win rate | 25% | 20% |
| Overall data lean | 51% | 49% |
What the Numbers Suggest
The data suggests an evenly matched series opener, with Afghanistan holding a marginal edge on recent win rate. A two-point gap in the lean is not a strong signal.
The lean does not account for squads, playing conditions or toss, none of which are confirmed in this data. It should be read as a statistical starting point, not a certainty.