India’s destiny within the event was hanging on an Afghanistan win and the Afghan bowlers, respiratory hearth within the cauldron of Sharjah cricket stadium, practically ran by way of the Pakistan batting lineup whereas defending 129/7 earlier than Naseem sealed the deal within the first two balls of the ultimate over bowled by Fazalhaq Farooqi. Naseem’s hits clinched a thriller for Pakistan with only a solitary wicket. This win has booked a spot within the last for Pakistan alongside Sri Lanka, rendering the following two Super 4 matches inconsequential.
As it happened: Pakistan vs Afghanistan
When the Pakistan crew walked again into the dressing room after having restricted Afghanistan to a modest 129/7, they’d have fancied knocking off the runs with consummate ease. By the final six overs of the match began, the tempers began to fly on the sphere and the stadium changed into a deafening occasion area. Asif Ali charging Fareed Ahmad along with his bat after being dismissed at brief fine-leg within the nineteenth over was simply an instance of the strain on the evening.
Afghanistan’s Fareed Ahmad, left, and Pakistan’s Asif Ali, proper, react after Ali was dismissed by Ahmad. (AP Photo)
The buzz right here on the Sharjah Cricket Stadium was a lot larger than what would occur to India on the finish of the evening. It grew to become a battle of egos as an Afghan-dominated crowd thronged the stadium.
Afghanistan, as they most frequently do, did give a scare on the high of the innings when Hazratullah Zazai and Rahmanullah Gurbaz received them off to a flying begin, scoring 36 in 3.5 overs. The further tempo of Pakistan quick bowlers, on a pitch that resembled a glass sheet, seemed to be working in favour of Afghanistan as they began exploiting the brief boundaries.
UNBELIEVABLE FINISH! 🤩Pakistan are by way of to the Asia Cup last💪#AsiaCup2022 | #AFGvPAK https://t.co/T2KGjTmo5k
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) 1662572049000
The identical pitch appeared like powdered glass by the tip of the match and the Afghan bowlers began to weave a stranglehold on the Pakistan batters from the second ball of the innings when Farooqi trapped captain Babar Azam proper in entrance of the stumps.
Farooqi (3/31) and fellow left-arm pacer Fareed Ahmad (3/31) backed up Rashid Khan (2/25) and Mujeeb Ur Rahman (0/12) immaculate spells just for Naseem to spoil their social gathering.
However, the Pakistan assault is simply too effectively seasoned to be exploited by a batting lineup that’s but to achieve a premium commonplace in worldwide cricket. Soon, the additional tempo grew to become too sizzling to deal with for the inexperienced Afghanistan batters. And then the spinners Mohammad Nawaz and Shadab Khan got here in and choked them.
The Pakistan tempo trio of Naseem Shah (1/19), Mohammad Hasnain (1/34) and Haris Rauf (2/26) determined to amp up the warmth as a soothing breeze swept throughout the bottom. They began delivering the heavy balls, hitting the laborious size and relentlessly attacking the stumps. As a end result, Zazai, Gurbaz and skipper Mohammad Nabi all have been bowled.
Ibrahim Zadran, somebody recognized by Afghanistan, to anchor their innings confirmed glimpses of his expertise that may’t be ignored. Even as he tried rebuilding, the strain swelled from the opposite finish. His companions Karim Janat and Najibullah Zadran, tasked with rising the run-rate, have been left suffocated by the Shadab and Nawaz. Both of them perished making an attempt to clear the straight boundary.
Despite Ibrahim sticking round for his 35 off 37, the large flourish by no means got here. It was as much as Afghanistan’s greatest Rashid Khan to land a few lusty blows within the final over off Rauf that gave them a distant probability to show issues their manner with the ball.
