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World Cup 2023 | Afghanistan Script History With Clinical Win Against Pakistan

image-lo3402o3Rahmat Shah in action against PAK at the 2023 World Cup (AP)

Brief Scores: Pakistan: 282-7 (50 overs) [Babar Azam: 74 (92), Abdullah Shafique: 58 (75); Noor Ahmad 3/49 (10), Naveen-ul-Haq 2/52 (7)] lost to Afghanistan: 286-2 (49 overs) [Ibrahim Zadran: 87 (113), Rahmat Shah: 77* (84); Hasan Ali 1/44 (10), Shaheen Shah Afridi 1/58 (10)] by eight wickets.

Afghanistan stunned Pakistan in Chennai to register their second win of the 2023 World Cup.

Babar Azam’s 74, Iftikhar’s blitz take PAK to 282

Pakistan opener Abdullah Shafique notched up his third fifty-plus score of the 2023 World Cup and shared identical half-century stands with Imam-ul-Haq and captain Babar Azam for the first two wickets. Thereafter, Afghanistan’s World Cup debutant Noor Ahmed ran through Shafique and in-form number four Mohammad Rizwan in quick succession to floor Pakistan at 120-3 following their dazzling top-order start.

Babar crafted his way to his best score of the tournament, a fine 74 before he became Ahmad’s third victim of the day. Shadab Khan and lower-order basher Iftikhar Ahmed slapped sparkling 40s, and the latter of the two did so in just 27 balls to take Pakistan to 282-7 from their 50 overs.

Apart from Noor Ahmed’s three-fer, new-ball pacer Naveen-ul-Haq claimed two wickets at the end while seasoned all-rounder Mohammad Nabi finished his quota at the expense of just 31 runs and a wicket of a well-set Saud Shakeel.

Rahmat overcomes pressure to pull-off sensational chase

Afghanistan openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran battled history and Pakistan’s experienced pace attack with utmost ease as they wiped out nearly half of their target off their own. The duo slapped sparkling half-centuries in their 130-run opening stand, where Zadran top-scoring in the innings with 87.

Following their dismissals, number three Rahmat Shah and captain Hashmatullah Shahidi guided them past the finishing line with tactical boundaries and smart running between the wickets. Pakistan’s sloppy fielding efforts in the evening also assisted Afghanistan as Shahidi and co. registered their first-ever win over the ‘Men in Green’ in 50-overs internationals.

Afghanistan’s run-chase heist also catapulted them from number 10 to number six on the World Cup 2023 points table.