PAK vs AFG Asia Cup 2022: With Pakistan needing 11 runs off the last over with one wicket remaining, Afghanistan would have believed it had shut the door on its eastern neighbour, while Indian cricket fans, further down south, were likely looking up with gleeful disbelief.
Afghanistan gave pakistan a scare and india a glimmer of wish earlier than naseem shah’s returned-to-lower back sixes off fazalhaq farooqi in the final over dashed the opportunity of a stunning disenchanted in sharjah on wednesday. Pakistan’s interesting win put india out of competition for a spot inside the very last of Asia Cup 2022.
Pakistan’s slide started in the 16th over whilst iftikhar ahmed pulled a slower ball from fareed ahmad directly into the palms of deep midwicket, finishing a forty two-run stand for the fourth wicket with shadab khan. Afghanistan struck once more in the following over through its satisfactory bowler rashid khan, who were given the better of shadab with a flighted leg-spinner outdoor off stump, redeeming himself after conceding a six off the first ball of the over. Ace finisher asif ali introduced his arrival with a six off the very next ball. The topsy-turvy nature of the over turned into a sign of things to return.
With pakistan desiring 25 runs to win off the remaining three overs, farooqi did exactly what the afghans were hoping for – take wickets. He trapped mohammad nawaz leg-earlier than-wicket with a slower shipping off the first ball of the 18th over and struck again off the closing ball as khushdil shah chopped onto his stumps.
In the span of one over, the tide had grew to become in afghanistan’s favour. Pakistan, but, had its demise-overs trump card asif ali left to get 21 runs off the last two overs. Haris rauf were given an inside side onto his stumps off the second one ball of the 19th over earlier than ahmad banged in a quick and gradual one, inducing a miscued hook from asif. The ball ballooned up to quick first-class-leg, wherein karim janat backpedalled and took the capture.
With pakistan wanting 25 runs to win off the last three overs, farooqi did precisely what the afghans had been hoping for – take wickets. He trapped mohammad nawaz leg-earlier than-wicket with a slower shipping off the primary ball of the 18th over and struck once more off the final ball as khushdil shah chopped onto his stumps.
Within the span of 1 over, the tide had grew to become in afghanistan’s favour. Pakistan, but, had its dying-overs trump card asif ali left to get 21 runs off the final two overs. Haris rauf were given an inner area onto his stumps off the second one ball of the 19th over before ahmad banged in a brief and slow one, inducing a miscued hook from asif. The ball ballooned up to short first-rate-leg, where karim janat backpedalled and took the catch.
But, stress got the higher of farooqi, who had figures of 3 for 19 before the start of the very last over. He overlooked his lengths (tried yorkers) as no. 10 batter naseem cleared lengthy-off off the primary deliveries to seal a interesting one-wicket win and set up a pakistan versus sri lanka clash for the continental identify.
Thirty-seven years in the past, at the identical venue, india had defended a in addition low overall (one hundred twenty five) by using bowling out pakistan for 87. On wednesday, india did no longer have its destiny in its very own hands.
We’re going to bowl first. The pitch looks as if satisfactory and the second issue is dew component, it truly is why we are bowling first. Optimistically we pick out early wickets and limit them. The mood is cool and calm, and we will try and continue that momentum. A win usually offers you self assurance. We have the same crew. No we would have bowled first. There will be dew later on, humidity is too much and the ball does no longer grip closer to the cease, it’s far all part of the sport. But we can try and placed a huge score at the board. It’s far continually a tough sport towards pakistan. We’ve got quite a few properly video games within the past and we will attempt our nice to no longer repeat our errors. Fareed malik and azmatullah are gambling.
For pakistan, captain babar azam’s problems on the pinnacle had been balanced out by way of mohammad rizwan, who comes into this healthy on the back of two consecutive 1950s.
Rizwan opens his innings in a conservative fashion earlier than breaking unfastened after the 10th over – a template he has carried out effectively in wins in opposition to hong kong and india. Pakistan’s middle order has been propped up by way of the tough-hitting mohammad nawaz.
For the reason that afghanistan is probable to unharness leggie rashid khan on pakistan inside the center overs, left-passed nawaz might be promoted again. Strength-hitter khushdil shah packs a punch on the dying.
On the other hand, afghanistan will hope for a better finish from its batting unit. Rahmanullah gurbaz’s 84 off forty five balls had positioned afghanistan on direction for 200 at one level, however sri lanka confined it to a decrease overall via choosing wickets in a cluster. The center-to-lower order desires to reveal greater spine. Know More Cricket News….
Squads:
Afghanistan Squad: Hazratullah Zazai, Rahmanullah Gurbaz(w), Ibrahim Zadran, Mohammad Nabi(c), Najibullah Zadran, Karim Janat, Samiullah Shinwari, Rashid Khan, Naveen-ul-Haq, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Afsar Zazai, Fareed Ahmad Malik, Usman Ghani, Azmatullah Omarzai, Noor Ahmad
Pakistan Squad: Mohammad Rizwan(w), Babar Azam(c), Fakhar Zaman, Khushdil Shah, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Asif Ali, Mohammad Nawaz, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Usman Qadir, Haider Ali, Hasan Ali, Shahnawaz Dahani
