Underdogs with a bite: Afghanistan spring another surprise as top-order fires team to famous win against Pakistan

CHENNAI, October 23

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Afghanistan pulled off their second giant-killing act of the ongoing 50-over World Cup with a memorable eight-wicket victory against 1992 champions Pakistan here today.

Afghanistan’s top three batters smashed fifties and skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi made an unbeaten 48 at No. 4 in their successful pursuit of a 283-run victory target.

286 It was their highest successful chase in ODIs as they notched their first win over Pakistan in eight attempts

It was Afghanistan’s first ODI victory against Pakistan in eight attempts and the outcome leaves defending champions England at the bottom of the points table.

It was a clinical chase by Shahidi’s men, who had stunned England earlier in the tournament, after Pakistan posted 282/7 riding on half-centuries by skipper Babar Azam and opener Abdullah Shafique.

“This win tastes nice,” a beaming Shahidi said after their second victory in five matches. “The way we chased today was very professional.”

Babar won the toss and elected to bat against a spin-heavy Afghan attack, which kept things tight in the first 10 powerplay overs. Afghanistan packed in four spinners in their playing XI but it was pacer Azmatullah Omarzai who drew first blood by dismissing Imam-ul-Haq for 17.

Teenage spinner Noor Ahmad (3/49) dismissed Abdullah Shafique (58) and Mohammad Rizwan (8) in his successive overs in his memorable World Cup debut.

Babar (74) fell to Noor as well trying to accelerate the scoring, leaving it to Iftikhar Ahmed and Shadab Khan to provide the late flourish.

Iftikhar clobbered four sixes in his belligerent 40, while Shadab contributed as many runs before falling off the last ball of the innings.

Afghanistan raced to the 100-mark in the 16th over with openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz (65) and Ibrahim Zadran (87) combining in a breakneck opening stand of 130. They made Pakistan’s bowling look pedestrian and Babar’s men did not help their cause with sloppy fielding.

Shaheen Afridi returned to break the burgeoning stand, dismissing Gurbaz, but Zadran and Rahmat Shah, who made 77 not out, continued the good work. Hasan Ali ended Zadran’s gallant knock but Shah and Shahidi milked the Pakistan attack with ease during their unbroken 96-run stand to seal a memorable victory over their neighbours.

“That really hurt us,” Babar said after Pakistan’s third defeat in five matches left their semifinal hopes in the balance. — Reuters

Scoreboard

Pakistan

A Shafique lbw b Ahmad 58

I Haq c Haq b Omarzai 17

B Azam c Nabi b Ahmad 74

M Rizwan c Rahman b Ahmad 8

S Shakeel c Khan b Nabi 25

S Khan c Nabi b Haq 40

I Ahmed c Omarzai b Haq 40

S Afridi not out 3

Extras: (lb 4, nb 1, w 12) 17

Total: (7 wickets, 50 overs) 282

FOW: 1-56, 2-110, 3-120, 4-163,

5-206, 6-279, 7-282

Bowling O M R W

Naveen-ul-Haq 7 0 52 2

Mujeeb Ur Rahman 8 0 55 0

Mohammad Nabi 10 0 31 1

Azmatullah Omarzai 5 0 50 1

Rashid Khan 10 0 41 0

Noor Ahmad 10 0 49 3

Afghanistan

R Gurbaz c Mir b Afridi 65

I Zadran c Rizwan b Ali 87

R Shah not out 77

H Shahidi not out 48

Extras: (nb 1, w 8) 9

Total: (2 wickets, 49 overs) 286

FOW: 1-130, 2-190

Bowling O M R W

Shaheen Afridi 10 0 58 1

Hasan Ali 10 1 44 1

Haris Rauf 8 1 53 0

Usama Mir 8 0 55 0

Shadab Khan 8 0 49 0

Iftikhar Ahmed 5 0 27 0

Player of the match: I Zadran