Pakistan secure a commanding win against Afghanistan in the opening ODI

Haris Rauf's exceptional bowling display led Pakistan to a convincing 142-run victory over Afghanistan in the inaugural ODI contest at Hambantota. With Haris Rauf achieving his first five-wicket haul and the other fast bowlers also putting up a strong performance, Pakistan secured a dominant win.

MATCH SUMMARY

Afghanistan 59/10 (19.2 ov)

Pakistan 201/10 (47.1 ov)

Result -  Pakistan won by 142 runs.

SCORECARD

Opting to bat after winning the toss, Pakistan faced an early setback as Fakhar Zaman departed in the first over. Afghanistan bowlers kept it tight as Pakistan continued to lose wickets at regular intervals. Iftikhar Ahmed's gritty innings and Shadab Khan's crucial contribution lifted Pakistan's total, guiding them to a competitive score of 201 all out in 47.1 overs.

Imam-ul-Haq's composed knock of 61 runs anchored the innings, while Iftikhar Ahmed's 30 runs and Shadab Khan's enterprising 39 were pivotal in setting up a defendable target. The Afghan bowlers, led by Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Mohammad Nabi, showcased their prowess to ensure Pakistan didn't run away with a bigger total. Some late-order resilience exhibited by Naseem Shah helped Pakistan reach the 200-run mark.

Afghanistan's chase faltered right from the beginning as they lost early wickets under the pressure of Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah's fiery pace. Rahmanullah Gurbaz showed some resistance with 18 runs, but Afghanistan's middle-order struggled to find stability. Haris Rauf's five-wicket haul completely dismantled Afghanistan's batting lineup.

Azmatullah Omarzai's valiant 16, despite retiring hurt, was the only silver lining for Afghanistan. Their innings concluded at a mere 59 runs in 19.2 overs, giving Pakistan an emphatic 142-run victory.

Haris Rauf, with his outstanding figures of 5 wickets for 18 runs, was undoubtedly the star of the match, earning him the well-deserved Player of the Match award.

The win puts Pakistan ahead in the three-match series, leading Afghanistan 1-0. Both teams will meet again for the second ODI at the same venue on 24 August.

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Pakistan maintained a 7??5??% dot ball percentage (87 dot balls delivered in 19.2 overs) in a remarkable bowling display ??#AFGvPAK | #BackTheBoysInGreen pic.twitter.com/fvXrrBVNMA

— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) August 22, 2023

MATCH STATS

Pakistan Fall of wickets: 1-3 (Fakhar Zaman - 0.4 ov), 2-7 (Babar Azam - 1.6 ov), 3-40 (Mohammad Rizwan - 7.5 ov), 4-62 (Agha Salman - 16.3 ov), 5-112 (Iftikhar Ahmed - 27.6 ov)

Afghanistan Fall of wickets: Fall of wickets: 1-3 (Ibrahim Zadran - 2.4 ov), 2-3 (Rahmat Shah - 2.5 ov), 3-4 (Hashmatullah Shahidi - 3.3 ov), 4-18 (Ikram Alikhil - 7.1 ov), 5-35 (Rahmanullah Gurbaz - 13.3 ov), 6-48 (Mohammad Nabi - 15.3 ov), 7-48 (Rashid Khan - 15.5 ov), 8-54 (Azmatullah Omarzai - 16.6 ov), 9-55 (Abdul Rahman - 18.5 ov), 10-59 (Mujeeb Ur Rahman - 19.2 ov)

PLAYING XI

Afghanistan - Rahmanullah Gurbaz(WK), Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi(C), Mohammad Nabi, Ikram Alikhil, Azmatullah Omarzai, Abdul Rahman, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi

Pakistan - Imam ul Haq, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam(C), Mohammad Rizwan(WK), Agha Salman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Usama Mir, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf

MATCH DETAILS

Date - 2023-08-22 09:30:00

Venue - Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium, Hambantota

Toss - Pakistan elected to bat

Umpires - Ahmed Shah Durrani(Afghanistan), Nitin Menon(India), Sharfuddoula(Bangladesh TV)

Match Referee - Ranjan Madugalle (Sri Lanka)

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