In a thrilling showdown, Pakistan emerged victorious in the first One-Day International (ODI) against Afghanistan, clinching a commanding 142-run win. The game unfolded in Sri Lanka as part of a three-match ODI series, where Afghanistan is playing host due to security concerns in their own country.
The Pakistan team showcased their prowess on the field as they dismantled the Afghan batting lineup, limiting them to a mere 59 runs. This impressive victory gives Pakistan a 1-0 lead in the ODI series.
In the initial innings, Pakistan’s Imam-ul-Haq displayed remarkable resilience, contributing significantly to the team’s score. Shadab Khan’s late-game heroics further propelled Pakistan to set a challenging target of 202 runs for Afghanistan.
The Afghan bowlers responded vigorously on the spinning track, shaking the Pakistani top order. Fazalhaq Farooqi made a swift breakthrough by dismissing Fakhar Zaman in the opening over, immediately placing Pakistan on the defensive.
Babar Azam, Pakistan’s skipper and the top-ranked ODI batsman, also fell victim to Mujeeb ur Rehman’s spinning delivery in the subsequent over.
While Mohammad Rizwan and Imam stood their ground for a brief period, their partnership only yielded 33 runs. Mujeeb continued his impact by claiming Rizwan’s wicket, although the decision faced some scrutiny on social media due to its closeness.
Iftikhar Ahmed, usually responsible for finishing matches, took charge of anchoring the score. He collaborated effectively with Imam, who secured his 17th ODI half-century. Together, they added 50 runs off 69 balls, providing a much-needed boost for Pakistan.
After contributing 30 runs, Iftikhar departed the field. This paved the way for Rashid Khan to create opportunities against him, leading to Iftikhar’s eventual dismissal by Mohammad Nabi.
Imam and Shadab formed another partnership, accumulating 40 runs together before Imam lost his rhythm against Nabi. Imam’s impressive innings of 61 runs off 94 balls came to an end as he fell to a catch by Rashid Khan.
Shadab found an ally in tailender Naseem Shah, known for his prowess in last year’s T20 Asia Cup. Naseem’s consecutive sixes against Fazalhaq Farooqi on the last two balls of the match secured an astonishing victory for Pakistan.
The partnership between Naseem and Shadab amounted to 34 runs off 47 balls before Shadab was run out. Afghanistan’s Rahmat Shah claimed the last wicket, bowling out Pakistan for the first time in ODIs.
At the beginning of the match, Pakistan won the toss and opted to bowl first. The playing XI included key players such as Imamul Haq, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam (Captain), Mohammad Rizwan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Salman Ali Aga, Shadab Khan, Usama Mir, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Haris Rauf.
Read more: Pakistan Chooses to Bat First in Series Opener Against Afghanistan
Afghanistan’s playing XI featured Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zardan, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (Captain), Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rehman, Fazal Haq Farooqi, Azmatullah Omarzai, Abdul Rehman, and Ikram Ali.
As Pakistan takes the lead in the series, cricket enthusiasts around the world eagerly anticipate the next matches to witness the fierce competition between these two teams.
