AFG vs PAK | Shadab Khan’s Cameo Overpower Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s 151 As Pakistan Clinch Thriller

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Babar Azam scored a breezy 53 in a tense run-chase (Twitter)

Pakistan surged to a thrilling win over Afghanistan in the second ODI in Hambantota to clinch their three-match series with a game to spare. Chasing 301 after losing the toss, Shadab Khan eclipsed his team’s middle-order collapse with a calculated rearguard fightback to ensure his side crossed the finishing line in the final over.

Rahmanullah’s career-best floors PAK as AFG mount 300

Fresh from Afghanistan’s dismal 59-run effort in the first ODI, captain Hashmatullah Shahidi won the toss in the second and opted to bat first. His opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz shattered records, and Pakistan’s bowling attack, with his 227-run first-wicket stand with Ibrahim Zadran. Gurbaz himself slapped a run-a-ball 151 to register his career-best ODI score, while Zadran charted a fluent 80 until he was trapped by Usama Mir in the 40th over of the innings.

Handy runs from Mohammad Nabi and skipper Shahidi in the final 10 overs stretched Afghanistan’s total to 300-5.

For Pakistan, new-ball pace duo Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah shared three wickets between them. Afridi also inflicted a runout to dismiss number five Shahidullah in the finishing stages of the innings.

Shadab Khan takes PAK over the line after Azam’s 53

Pakistan’s top three clicked together in unison in their daunting task against Afghanistan’s spirited bowling attack. Openers Fakhar Zaman and Imam-ul-Haq took the ‘Men in Green’ past the 50-run total with ease, before the former was cleaned up through a scorching in-swinger from speed demon Fazalhaq Farooqi.

Thereafter, captain Babar Azam scored a valiant 53 and formed a 118-run partnership with Imam-ul-Haq, who himself registered an industrious 91. Azam’s dismissal to Farooqi in the 31st over triggered a colossal middle-order batting collapse within Pakistan, as they slumped from 170-1 to 211-6 in a space of eight overs.

Fortunately for the chasers, Shadab Khan kept them in the hunt until the final over with calculated stroke-play. The all-rounder unleashed a 35-ball 48, and hit clutch boundaries towards the end to bring the equation down to 11 from the final over. Tailenders Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf defied Farooqi’s three-fer and took Pakistan home with a ball and a wicket to spare.

The two teams will now move to Colombo’s R. Premadasa Stadium for the third ODI, scheduled to be played on August 26.

Brief Scores:

Afghanistan: 300-5 (50)

Rahmanullah Gurbaz 151 (151), Ibrahim Zadran 80 (101)
Shaheen Shah Afridi 2-58 (10), Naseem Shah 1-45 (9)

Pakistan: 302-9 (49.5)

Imam-ul-Haq 91 (105), Babar Azam 53 (66)
Fazalhaq Farooqi 3-69 (9.5), Mohammad Nabi 2-46 (10)

Pakistan won by 1 wicket, leads series 2-0