PAK vs AFG, World Cup 2023: Afghanistan chase down 283 to register first-ever ODI win over Pakistan

Afghanistan extended their dream run in ICC ODI World Cup 2023 as the Hashmatullah Shahidi-led side gunned down the 283-run target to register.

Their historic eight-wicket win over Pakistan at Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium on Monday. This is Afghanistan’s first-ever ODI win over Pakistan in eight matches and also the highest-ever successful chase against the Men in green. Earlier, Afghanistan had stunned defending champions England in Delhi and registered a 69-run win over the Jos Buttler side.

Afghanistan had previously lost seven One Day Internationals (ODIs) against Pakistan, and what they lacked were the final touches needed to secure victory. However, in this match, all four of their batsmen played their roles perfectly, resulting in their highest-ever run-chase in a 50-over format.

This victory marked Afghanistan’s second win, following their earlier triumph over the defending champions, England, in New Delhi. As a result, they now hold four points and are situated in the sixth position in the mid-table rankings.

On the other hand, Pakistan currently holds the fifth position. However, with three consecutive defeats and the possibility of another loss against South Africa later this week, their chances of progressing to the knockout stage in the tournament appear to be dwindling. This could spell trouble for the 1992 champions.

AFGHANISTAN SCRIPT HISTORY

Needed 283 for a historic win over Pakistan, Afghanistan got off to a brilliant start as Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran forged a solid 130-run opening stand with both openers hitting their fifties. While Gurbaz and Zadran looked solid, Pakistan’s bowlers were not helped by their team’s shoddy fielding effort in the first 20 overs.

Pakistan wicketkeeper Muhammad Rizwan and team director Mickey Arthur were left disappointed by Shaheen Shah Afridi, Babar Azam and Hasan Ali’s complacent efforts in the outfield. The unnecessary throws on the field resulted in the leakage of extra boundaries, while players were unable to prevent many balls from racing to the boundary.

The Afghanistan openers were comfortably progressing, but their partnership abruptly ended in the 22nd over when Shaheen Shah Afridi dismissed Gurbaz after he had scored 65 runs from 53 deliveries. Rahmat Shah then joined Zadran at the crease and started constructing a stable partnership.

Zadran, who was close to scoring a century, made 87 runs off 113 balls before losing his wicket to Hasan Ali. Rahmat then hit a brilliant fifty and added 90-plus runs for the third wicket with his captain, Hashmatullah Shahidi, to guide his team home with 6 balls to spare.

BABAR 75 LIFTS PAKISTAN TO 282

Earlier, Pakistan captain Babar Azam scored a composed half-century, while some valuable contributions from the lower-order batsmen propelled Pakistan to a total of 282 for seven in their World Cup match against Afghanistan on Monday. Opener Abdullah Shafique, played a gritty innings, scoring 58 runs from 75 balls, while skipper Babar played a 74-run knock. However, it were the efforts of Iftikhar Ahmed and the returning Shadab Khan that ensured Pakistan reached a more respectable total than they might have otherwise achieved.

Iftikhar Ahmed played a quickfire knock of 40 runs from just 27 balls, while Shadab Khan added a brisk 40 from 38 deliveries. Despite Afghanistan’s expectation of a slow pitch and their fielding of four spinners, the pitch turned out to be better for batting than anticipated. Pakistan’s opening pair, Shafique and Imam-ul-Haq, adopted a cautious approach and put together a 56-run partnership. The Pakistan duo crossed the 50-run mark in the eighth over, with Shafique particularly targeting pacer Naveen-ul-Haq. Additionally, spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman proved to be expensive in the first 10 overs of the powerplay.