On Thursday, August 24th, Pakistan and Afghanistan engaged in a thrilling cricket match in Hambantota. Despite Afghanistan’s efforts, the match concluded in a heartbreaking defeat for them, as Pakistan managed to secure victory with just one wicket remaining on the penultimate ball.
This win allowed Pakistan to take an insurmountable 2-0 lead in the three-match ODI series.
Afghanistan, having suffered a setback in the previous match by scoring only 59 runs, won the toss and elected to bat first. The opening duo of wicketkeeper-batsman Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran displayed exceptional batting skills, crafting a remarkable partnership that yielded 210 runs for the first wicket.
Gurbaz achieved a personal milestone by achieving his fifth ODI century, reaching a career-best score of 151, while Zadran contributed 80 runs to the team’s total.
With the score at 256/1 in the 45th over, Afghanistan seemed well on their way to achieving a formidable total of around 310-315. However, Pakistan’s bowlers put up a strong fight during the closing overs, managing to limit Afghanistan’s final tally to 300/5.
Among the bowlers, Shaheen Afridi stood out, claiming the most wickets with a notable performance of 2 for 58 in his ten-over spell.
During the chase, Pakistan faced the setback of losing Fakhar Zaman after he scored 30 runs. However, Imam-ul-Haq’s impressive 91 and Babar Azam’s steady 53 guided the team to a comfortable 170/1 by the 31st over. Unfortunately, a sudden collapse saw Pakistan stumble, losing five wickets for just 41 runs and bringing their score to 211/6.
Stepping in to stabilize the innings, Shadab Khan and Iftikhar Ahmed formed a valuable 47-run partnership until Ahmed was dismissed. Subsequently, Shaheen’s departure for a mere 4 runs added to the challenge. With the requirement of 29 runs in 14 balls, Naseem Shah joined Shadab on the field, who was already well-set.
Shadab’s exceptional batting against the rookie bowler Abdul Rahman brought the equation down to 11 runs in the final over, bowled by Fazalhaq Farooqi.
In a dramatic twist, Farooqi showcased quick thinking and ran out Shadab Khan for 48 runs at the non-striker’s end. Shadab had left his crease too early, aiming to regain the striker position, and the third umpire, Nitin Menon, ruled him out after reviewing the situation.
A run out of shadab khan at the non striker's end by Fazalhaq Farooqui.#PakvsAfg #AFGvPAK #PAKvAFG #Afgvspak pic.twitter.com/FMNGZvCgiT
— Saurabh 🏏🚩 (@me_me_centre) August 24, 2023
Nevertheless, Farooqi’s efforts couldn’t thwart Pakistan from clinching both the victory in the match and the series.
In the following five deliveries, Naseem Shah struck a couple of boundaries, securing the win with just one ball left. This situation brought back haunting memories for the Afghan bowler, as he was once again reminded of the match-winning six he had conceded to the same batter during last year’s Asia Cup.
Naseem shah 🔥 you Freaking beauty ❤️ #naseemshah #PakvsAfg #BabarAzam #farooqi #shadab #PakistanCricket #Afghanistan pic.twitter.com/CpGjDW2pTB
— Rashid Khan (@rashid_khanreal) August 24, 2023
With that, both the teams now have one more match to play before the Asia Cup 2023 begins on the 30th of August. The concluding match of the series is scheduled for Saturday, August 26th.
