The second ODI between Pakistan and Afghanistan went down to the wire in Hambantota, Sri Lanka, on Thursday. At the end Pakistan prevailed by one wicket to take an un assailable 2-0 led in the three-match series but not before there was enough drama on the field. Chasing a target of 301, Pakistan reached the target in 49.5 overs in a tense chase. With Pakistan needing 11 off six balls, the game saw a contentious moment when bowler Fazalhaq Farooqi of Afghanistan showed extreme game awareness.
Pakistan’s Shadab Khan, who was running amok scoring 48 off 35 balls, was backing up too far on the first ball of the last over. Farooqi while bowling the first delivery ran him out. Though, Afghanistan started celebrating, Shadab waited. The TV umpire agrees though agreed that it was indeed a run out. However, few balls later, Naseem Shah took Pakistan home.
Let’s split #CricketTwitter into two!
Courtesy Farooqi’s 𝔾𝕒𝕞𝕖 𝔸𝕨𝕒𝕣𝕖𝕟𝕖𝕤𝕤.#AFGvPAK pic.twitter.com/Vh2q4E46QV
— FanCode (@FanCode) August 24, 2023
Earlier, Swashbuckling opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz hit a career-best 151 to lead Afghanistan to 300-5 against Pakistan. The 21-year-old scored an aggressive run-a-ball century and shared an opening stand of 227 with Ibrahim Zadran, who scored a 101-ball 80, after Afghanistan won the toss and batted.
Gurbaz knocked 14 boundaries and three sixes against a world-class attack that had reduced them to 59 all out on Tuesday. Gurbaz’s previous best was 145 against Bangladesh in Chattogram last month. Zadran also hit out brilliantly, knocking six boundaries and two sixes.
Spinner Usama Mir broke the opening stand in the 40th over when he had Zadran caught at long off, while lanky pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi dismissed Gurbaz caught behind in the 45th over.
With AFP inputs
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