Imamul Haq’s enterprising 94-ball 61 and Haris Rauf’s five-wicket haul powered Pakistan to 142-run victory in a lopsided contest against Afghanistan in the first ODI at Hambantota on Tuesday.
Earlier, Shaheen Shah Afridi struck twice in one over, before Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah also got a wicket each in first ODI. Afghanistan’s hopes were dented early, as they lost four wickets for just 18 runs while chasing a target of 202 runs.**
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For Afghanistan, only two batters could reach double figures – Rahmanullah Gurbaz (18) and Azmatullah Omarzai (16). Other batters failed to show any significant resistance with the bat.
Five of the Afghan batters made their way back to the pavilion without troubling the scorecard – Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi, Rashid Khan, Fazalhaq Farooqi.
Afghanistan batting
Afghanistan looked in trouble from the start, as they scored only 1 run in the first over of Shaheen Shah Afridi and then again 1 run in second over of Naseem Shah.
Shaheen Shah Afridi got a breakthrough in the third over, when he dismissed Ibrahim Zadran for a duck. On the next ball, he got the wicket of Rahmat Shah to send him back for a golden duck.
Afghanistan’s skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi was next, who made sure that Shaheen Shah Afridi did not get his hat-trick. But in the next over Naseem Shah got his wicket for a duck.
Afghanistan’s first three batters who got out, failed to score any run, as they lost three wickets for just four runs.
Haris Rauf also got a wicket in his first over, as he dismissed Ikram Alikhil for just four runs.
Pakistan batting
On a dry and difficult pitch to bat on, Pakistan got off to a bad start as they lost two wickets for just seven runs. Fakhar Zaman was dismissed for 2 runs whereas skipper Babar Azam failed to score any run.
Muhammad Rizwan had 33 runs partnership with Imam-ul-Haq but he also got out after scoring 21 runs.
Agha Salman also failed to reach double figures and could add seven runs to the total, as Pakistan lost their fourth wicket for 62 runs.
Iftikhar Ahmed and Imam-ul-Haq saved Pakistan from batting collapse and had 50 runs partnership, which ended when Imam-ul-Haq was dismissed by Muhammad Nabi after scoring 61 runs.
Iftikhar Ahmed’s 30 and Shadab Khan’s 39 runs made sure that Pakistan were not bowled out under 200, and Naseem Shah added 18 valuable runs as Pakistan got a total of 201 runs on the board.
Afghanistan’s spinners took seven wickets, as Mujeeb-ur-Rehman got 3 wickets whereas Rashid Khan and Muhammad Nabi got two wickets each.
Toss
In the maiden One Day International (ODI) at Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket in Hambantota, Sri Lanka, encounter between Pakistan and Afghanistan, Green shirts won the toss and decided to take the batting initiative. This strategic move, orchestrated by Pakistan’s captain Babar Azam, is intended to apply pressure on Afghanistan by posting a substantial target.
Speaking at the toss, Babar Azam expressed his team’s intent to set a challenging total, aiming to put Afghanistan on the defensive from the outset. With his reputation as a formidable batsman, Babar’s statement underscores Pakistan’s determination to establish an early advantage in the series.
The Pakistani starting lineup boasts names like Imam-ul-Haq, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Muhammad Rizwan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Agha Salman, Shadab Khan, Usama Mir, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Haris Rauf. This formidable combination showcases Pakistan’s commitment to secure a victory in the inaugural match.
As the series unfolds, the second clash between these cricketing nations is slated for August 24, with the final showdown scheduled for August 26. These matches are anticipated to be fiercely contested, with both teams striving to make their mark.
