After a one-sided contest in the 1st ODI, Afghanistan staged a solid comeback in the 2nd ODI versus Pakistan. The match went right down to the wire and it was Pakistan who kept their nerves under pressure and emerged out victorious.
Batting first, Afghanistan posted 300 runs on the board in the 1st innings. Their batting prowess was in stark contrast to their horrendous performance in the 1st ODI, where they were bundled out for a paltry score of 59.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz led charge and scored a mammoth knock of 151 runs. His knock oozed class and composure and he set the stage for a big total for Afghanistan. Notably, this was the highest-ever total scored by Afghanistan over Pakistan.
The other opener of Afghanistan, Ibrahim Zadran performed well too as he scored 80 runs in 101 balls. His knock was peppered with 6 fours and 2 sixes and he had a good strike-rate of 79.21.
Rashid Khan was sent in at number 4 so that he could maximize the impact in the last few overs. But the ploy didn’t work out and the star leg-spinner was dismissed for 2 runs in 3 balls.
The likes of Mohammad Nabi and Hashmatullah Shahidi chipped in with cameo scores of 29 and 15 runs respectively.
Shaheen Afridi was the pick of the bowlers for Pakistan
Left-arm seamer Shaheen Afridi was the pick of the bowlers for the visitors. He bagged 2 wickets in his spell of 10 overs and conceded 58 runs. Even though he wasn’t that deadly and lethal as he usually his, he took the wickets of Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Rashid Khan.
The likes of Usama Mir and Naseem Shah took 1 wicket each.
Imam-ul-Haq top-scored for Pakistan
For Pakistan, it was southpaw Imam-ul-Haq who top-scored with a fabulous knock of 91 runs in 105 balls. His knock was laced with 4 fours. He got support from his skipper Babar Azam in the other end but they were dismissed by Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Fazalhaq Farooqi respectively.
Shadab Khan was the X-factor player for Pakistan
Shadab Khan’s blistering knock of 48 runs in 35 balls essentially changed the course of the game for Pakistan. He made sure that the visitors are in a comfortable position with his magnificent knock.
Khan smashed 3 fours and 1 six and was adjudged the player of the match for his knock.
In the end, it was Naseem Shah who once again plunged Afghanistan into a state of sadness and shock. He hit a 4 off Fazalhaq Farooqi in the penultimate ball of the final over and took Pakistan over the line.
The two sides lock horns for the 3rd and final ODI on 26th August 2023.
Squads
Afghanistan Squad
Rahmanullah Gurbaz(w), Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi(c), Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Mohammad Saleem Safi, Ikram Alikhil, Wafadar Momand, Abdul Rahman, Riaz Hassan, Noor Ahmad
Pakistan Squad
Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam(c), Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan(w), Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah, Tayyab Tahir, Faheem Ashraf, Usama Mir, Abdullah Shafique, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Agha Salman
Also read: Asia Cup 2023: Predicting India’s Strongest Playing XI
