Naseem Shah remained composed below strain and smashed two boundaries in the final over, sealing a series-clinching victory for Pakistan.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s excellent century was in vain as Pakistan secured a slender one-wicket victory towards Afghanistan, solidifying their unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match ODI sequence held in Hambantota, Sri Lanka.
Afghanistan’s captain, Hashmatullah Shahidi, received the toss and elected to bat first. The opening duo of Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran offered Afghanistan with a exceptional begin, relentlessly attacking the Pakistani bowling assault and sending the ball hovering to all corners of the park.
Gurbaz and Zadran fashioned a powerful partnership, amassing a colossal 227 runs to firmly set up their group’s dominance. This opening-wicket alliance between Gurbaz and Zadran now stands as the second-highest partnership ever recorded by Afghanistan in one-day internationals.
The partnership was ultimately disrupted when Zadran fell sufferer to Usmana Mir’s bowling prowess in the fortieth over. Zadran’s contribution was commendable, scoring 80 runs off 101 balls, together with six boundaries and two maximums. Meanwhile, Gurbaz continued his onslaught, reaching a well-deserved century earlier than being dismissed by Shaheen Shah Afridi after a exceptional 151 runs off as many balls. Gurbaz’s innings was adorned with 14 boundaries and three sixes.
This exceptional feat marked Gurbaz’s fifth ODI century, making him the primary Afghan batsman to realize such a milestone towards Pakistan. Furthermore, he joined the ranks of the elite as the third-fastest participant to succeed in 5 ODI centuries, undertaking this feat in simply 23 innings. Surpassing the likes of Babar Azam, Gurbaz now trails behind solely South Africa’s Quinton de Kock and Pakistan’s Imam-Ul-Haq, who achieved this feat in 19 innings every.
After Gurbaz’s departure, the skilled all-rounder Mohammed Nabi contributed a useful 29 runs off 29 balls, sustaining a run-a-ball tempo to assist Afghanistan attain a formidable complete of 300 for five on the scoreboard. Among the Pakistani bowlers, Afridi showcased his abilities, claiming the essential wickets of Gurbaz and Rashid Khan, whereas conceding 58 runs in his 10 overs.
In the second innings, Pakistan obtained off to a flying begin with Fakhar Zaman and Imam-ul-Haq forming a strong partnership of 52 runs. However, their momentum was halted when Fazalhaq Farooqi dismissed Zaman in the ninth over.
Pakistan’s captain, Babar Azam, joined forces with Imam and collectively they constructed a vital partnership of 118 runs, with each gamers reaching their half-centuries. Unfortunately, Babar’s innings got here to an finish after scoring 53 runs off 66 balls, as Farooqi claimed his second wicket of the day.
Iftikhar Ahmed contributed a fast 17 runs off 24 balls, nevertheless it was the all-rounder Shadab Khan who injected new life into Pakistan’s chase of 301 runs. Shadab performed a superb innings, scoring 48 runs off simply 35 balls, taking the match right down to the wire. With solely two wickets remaining, Pakistan wanted 11 runs to safe victory in the ultimate over.
However, Farooqi added a twist to the story when he dislodged Shadab’s bails throughout his bowling run-up. He had seen Shadab leaving his crease from the non-striker’s finish, dealing a devastating blow to Pakistan’s hopes of profitable. Nevertheless, Naseem Shah remained composed below strain and smashed two boundaries in the final over, sealing a series-clinching victory for Pakistan.
This triumph not solely gave Pakistan an insurmountable 2-0 lead in the three-match ODI sequence but in addition prolonged their profitable streak towards Afghanistan to 6 matches.
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