• Home
  • Match Hub
  • Afg Vs Sa 1St Odi Match Highlights Rashid Khan And Co Register Historic Win As Farooqi Ghazanfar Shine

AFG vs SA 1st ODI Match Highlights: Rashid Khan And Co Register Historic Win As Farooqi, Ghazanfar Shine

Fazalhaq Farooqi demolished South African top-order (x.com)Fazalhaq Farooqi demolished South African top-order (x.com)

Afghanistan consigned cricketing powerhouse South Africa to a huge defeat in the first ODI of their three-match ‘home’ series at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. The outcome prompted the Hashmatullah Shahidi-led Afghanistan team to take a 1-0 lead in the series.

Here’s the timeline of how AFG vs SA panned out in Sharjah:

AFG vs SA Highlights: Farooqi, Ghazanfar Blow Away SA Top-Order In 10 Overs

Fazalhaq Farooqi set an early tone for Afghanistan by cleaning up South African opener Reeza Hendricks and interim captain Aiden Markram in quick succession with the new-ball. The ace paceman also had Tony de Zorzi caught out by Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi at mid-on as the Proteas lost each of their top three batters by the time of reaching 25 in 6.2 overs.

Farooqi’s new-ball partner and young off-spinner Allah Ghazanfar snared three South African victims off his own and his triple-wicket burst ensured the visitors finished the opening powerplay at a dismal 36-7.

AFG vs SA Highlights: Rashid Khan Glitters ODI Comeback With 2 Wickets

South African number seven Wiaan Mulder and tailender Bjorn Fortuin cautiously chipped in with handy runs to steer their team to some respectability through their 39-run partnership. While their brewing resistance was curtailed by Rashid Khan with a good length delivery, Mulder marched on to list a fighting half-century from his end.

Rashid, playing his first ODI for Afghanistan in nearly a year, also trapped number 11 Lungi Ngidi in front of stumps to envelop South Africa for just 106 in 33.3 overs.

Fazalhaq Farooqi unfurled the spell of the innings with figures of 4-35, while young Allah Ghazanfar claimed career-best performance of 3-20. For South Africa, Wiaan Mulder’s calculated 52 accounted for nearly half of his team’s dismal batting performance.

AFG vs SA Highlights: Omarzai, Gulbadin Overcome Early Jitters To Secure Historic Win

In pursuit of 107, Afghanistan lost opening batter Rahmanullah Gurbaz for a two-ball duck to South African speed gun Lungi Ngidi. Left-arm spinner Bjorn Fortuin also kept the game alive by claiming the key wickets of Rahmat Shah and Riaz Hassan as Afghanistan slipped to 38-3 in less than 14 overs.

Interim Proteas captain Aiden Markram entrapped his Afghanistan counterpart Hashmatullah Shahidi with some sharp turn as 60-4, before middle-order batters Azmatullah Omarzai and Gulbadin Naib joined forces to form an unbroken 47-run partnership.

Omarzai made 25* off 36 while Gulbadin struck a swift 34* off 27 balls to top-score in the run-chase. Their collective brilliance ensured Afghanistan romped home with six wickets and 24 overs to spare in an early finish, and concurrently took a 1-0 lead in the three-match ODI series.