Sheikh Zayed Stadium Abu Dhabi Test records
For the first time since December 2018, Test cricket returns to Abu Dhabi as Afghanistan gears up to host Zimbabwe at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium.
Afghanistan has a 50% win record in Test matches so far. However, the Afghan team has never played a Test in the United Arab Emirates before.
Meanwhile, Zimbabwe has been winless in Test matches for over two years. Their last victory came against the Bangladesh cricket team at the Sylhet Stadium in November 2018.
Zimbabwe has never battled Afghanistan in the game's longest format.
Afghanistan starts as the favorite to win this series. The Afghan squad has played a lot of cricket in the UAE and hence, are more familiar with the conditions than their rivals.
Their spin attack is also better than the Zimbabwean team's spin department.
Before various teams agreed to tour Pakistan, the Pakistan cricket team had adopted the United Arab Emirates as their home for international fixtures.
The Sheikh Zayed Stadium hosted 13 Tests involving the Pakistan cricket team. The spinners and the batsmen were more successful than the fast bowlers in those games.
Chasing a target at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium is a daunting task. There has not been a single successful run chase on this ground when the fourth innings target has been over 50 runs.
Out of the 13 Tests in Abu Dhabi, only four have ended in a draw. This statistic shows that the majority of the games here produce a winner.
Test records at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi
With Abu Dhabi set to host the Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe Test series, here are some significant stats you need to know from previous Tests at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium.
Stadium Name: Sheikh Zayed Stadium
City: Abu Dhabi
Test Matches Played: 13
Matches Won by Teams Batting First: 8
Matches Won by Teams Batting Second: 1
Matches Drawn: 4
Highest Individual Score: 278* - AB de Villiers (South Africa) vs. Pakistan, 2010
Best Bowling Figures (Innings): 6/25 - Abdur Rehman (Pakistan) vs. England, 2012
Best Bowling Figures (Match): 11/136 - Rangana Herath (Sri Lanka) vs. Pakistan, 2017
Highest Team Score: 598/9 dec. - England vs. Pakistan, 2015
Lowest Team Score: 72 - England vs. Pakistan, 2012
Highest Successful Run Chase: 45/3 - Pakistan vs. South Africa, 2013