On September 7, Pakistan registered a sensational one-wicket win over Afghanistan in their second game of the Super Four round at the Asia Cup 2022 to romp into the finals.
In a game that kept swinging dramatically in its closing stages, it was Naseem Shah’s back-to-back sixes that proved to be decisive, powering Pakistan to a thrilling one-wicket win over Afghanistan in their second game of the Super Four round at the Asia Cup 2022 in Sharjah on Wednesday. The win confirmed Pakistan a spot in the final, wherein they’ll take on Sri Lanka at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday, September 11.
The 130-run target didn’t appear threatening for a well-accomplished Pakistan batting line-up at the innings break, despite the pitch having shown slowness and variable bounce in the first half. Fazalhaq Farooqi gave Afghanistan a bright start to their defence, dismissing Babar Azam leg-before for a first-ball duck in the very first over. Fakhar Zaman was runout, courtesy of Najibullah Zadran’s brilliance in the field, with Pakistan being reduced to 18/2 early into the fourth over.
Mohammad Rizwan, who attained the pole position in the ICC T20I Rankings for batters recently, looked scratchy in a 26-ball 20, with his stay at the crease ended by Rashid Khan, who had the right-hander leg-before. Pakistan promoted all-rounder Shadab Khan at No.5, and a partnership of nearly a run-a-ball 42 between him and Iftikhar Ahmed followed.
However, an eventful passage of play saw Pakistan crumble from 87/3 in the 16th over to 118/9 in the 19th, with Fareed Ahmad (3/31), Farooqi (3-31) and Rashid (2/25) doing the damage. Asif Ali was the ninth wicket to fall – to Fareed Ahmed – and there followed an intense clash between the two following the dismissal, before them being separated by on-field umpires Anil Kumar Chaudhary and Jayaraman Madanagopal.
Needing 11 of the last over, Pakistan No.10 Naseem tonked Farooqi for consecutive sixes to send his teammates and fans into frenzy.
“At the back of the mind, I have seen Naseem play like this earlier, and I had the belief in him. This moment reminds me of Javed Miandad’s six,”
Babar said after the win.
Earlier, Afghanistan were restricted to 129/6 in the allotted 20 overs after being put in by Azam. Openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Hazratullah Zazai added 36 in just 3.5 overs, igniting hopes of a competitive score, before Haris Rauf castled the latter. Mohammad Hasnain dismissed Zazai in the next over, and Afghanistan’s run-flow was stemmed considerably thereafter, with spinners Shadab and Mohammad Nawaz showcasing great skills and control.
Ibrahim Zadran held one end, but couldn’t quite get going and was eventually dismissed by Rauf for 35 off 37. Rashid’s unbeaten 18 off 15, featuring two fours and a six in a stay full of hits and misses, took Afghanistan to what would turn out to be a fighting total.
Shadabm, who top-scored for Pakistan with 36 off 26, after having returned 1/27 with the ball was named the Player of the Match.
The result meant that India and Afghanistan are knocked out of the race to the final, and the two teams will meet in the fifth match of the round in Dubai on Thursday, September 8. Finalists Sri Lanka and Pakistan will face-off in the last Super Four game at the same venue on Friday.
Brief scores
Afghanistan 129/6 in 20 overs (Zadran 35; Rauf 2-26, Naseem 1-19) lost to Pakistan 131/9 in 19.2 overs (Shadab 36; Ahmad 3-31, Farooqi 3-31) by one wicket
