PAK vs AFG: Afghanistan, you deserve a standing ovation! On the cricketing world stage, they achieved something amazing. In just two World Cups, they had only won one match. This time, however, they defied the odds.
They beat two cricketing giants – England and Pakistan – who were considered to be top favorites. They were nothing less than clinical in their performance. Afghanistan, facing Pakistan on the sluggish Chepauk pitch, lost the toss and chose to field.
They put their trust in four frontline spinning players. Pakistan raced to 56/0 on the first powerplay, which was unexpected.
Afghanistan, however, showed incredible resilience in mounting a comeback during the second power play. Their spinners applied brakes and snatched crucial wickets to turn the game’s tide.
Pakistan was able to score a competitive 282, thanks to the contributions of Iftikhar Shadab. This total was above par, especially on this challenging surface. What followed was a true masterclass of cricket.
Afghanistan showed exceptional skills and determination in chasing the target. It was an important moment in cricket’s history. Their win was a testimony to their progress in the game. You’ve made an everlasting mark on cricket and are a source of inspiration to fans worldwide.
PAK vs AFG: Shahidi Is Happy With His Special Win And Looks Forward To Future Games
Hashmatullah congratulates the team on their outstanding batting performance. He is looking forward to the next matches and hopes they will succeed again.
Shahidi stresses the commitment of his team to play positive cricket and represent their country with distinction. He praises Noor for her exceptional performance and the batters for their consistency.
Babar Azam, After Defeat
This hurts us. We had a good total. We weren’t up to the mark in bowling as we were not taking wickets in the middle overs. You’ll lose the game if you are not good in even one department. We didn’t stop boundaries and gave away runs, which cost us.
Bowling – we started well. In the middle overs, we needed wickets, but we couldn’t take any. All credit to Afghanistan for the way they played in all three departments. That’s why they won.
We need to play better cricket in bowling and fielding. We’ll try our best in the next match. We didn’t hit the lengths in the middle overs, especially our spinners. We couldn’t put pressure on the batters.
Mohammad Nabi After Historic Win
“Big moment for the whole team, the whole of Afghanistan. We’ve been waiting for 10-12 years for such a moment and to win one game in the big event against Pakistan. We worked very hard for the last three months; this is a lovely moment today. We beat England and Pakistan, and everyone is in a good mood.
We can not only defend but also chase well now. This win is the favorite, we have played 7-8 games against them and in the last moment we have always lost. The way Ibrahim and Gurbaz started gave us momentum. We didn’t lose back-to-back wickets till the end.
We thought the surface would be like the NZ game, but it was much easier. Our bowlers did very well to restrict them to that kind of total. The plan was to play Noor in this game, and he bowled brilliantly in the right areas. This win is a long time coming; we played for the first time in 2012, then Asia Cup and 2019 World Cup.
Lots of close games against Pakistan. We shouldn’t have lost the first game against Bangladesh, but now we’re halfway gone and have 4 points on the table. Now, we will go hard against Sri Lanka. We loved the support we received today. Hopefully, we’ll get that support in Pune as well.”
Afghanistan Continues To Dominate Pakistan’s Bowling
Pakistan’s bowling again disappointed them as they needed help with the correct lines and lengths. They were inconsistent and did not perform well throughout the match.
Afghanistan scored runs comfortably despite the difficult pitch conditions. Pakistan will be disappointed by their performance.
PAK vs AFG: Openings Set the Scene for a Spectacular Win
The opening batters, in pursuit of what was believed to be an intimidating target, made a blistering debut. Gurbaz, Ibrahim and their partnership totalled over 100 runs. Gurbaz was eventually dismissed, but Ibrahim continued.
Shah also showed exceptional batting skills. He formed a solid partnership with Ibrahim. Shahid, who took over after Ibrahim left, played with a lot of responsibility. Both batsmen were at the crease to the end and guided their team towards a stunning victory.
Afghanistan’s Historic Victory Shakes Up World Cup Standings
Afghanistan achieved a historical milestone when it defeated Pakistan in the first ODI. This incredible victory came at the pinnacle of cricket, the ICC World Cup.
This win has also completely changed the rankings, opening up the table. Pakistan continues to lose, suffering three successive defeats. Afghanistan is a force to reckon with, having beaten England and Pakistan.
PAK vs AFG Highlights
- Pakistan won the toss and opted to bat
- Both teams make one change each in playing XI
- Imam and Shafique added 56 runs for the first wicket
- Abdullah Shafique got out for 58
- Babar Azam slams 30th ODI fifty
- Pakistan post 282/7 in 50 overs
- Rahmanullah Gurbaz (65), Ibrahim Zadran (87) and Rahmat Shah (77*) get half-centuries
- Hasmatullah Shahidi (48*) smacks match-winning four
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