PAK vs AFG: Thanks to the deadly bowling of Haris Rauf (18/5), Pakistan registered a huge 142-run victory in the first ODI of the three ODI series played in Hambantota on Tuesday, including Afghanistan for just 59. Chasing a target of 202 runs to win over Pakistan, Afghanistan’s team was reduced to 59 runs in 19.2 overs. With this victory, Pakistan has taken a 1-0 lead in the three ODI series.
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Pakistani pace stars trio – Afridi, Shah, and Rauf
The Afghani batting trio of Pakistani pace stars Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Haris Rauf looked shaky in front of the fiery bowling and were bundled out for 59 runs. Haris Rauf took 5 for 18 for Pakistan, while Afridi took 2 for 9 and Naseem took 1 for 12.
Haris Rauf did his best performance in ODIs
In this match, Pakistani fast bowler Haris Rauf gave his best performance in ODI cricket. Rauf took 5 wickets for 18 runs. Rauf has taken 5 wickets in a match for the first time in his ODI career. Earlier, his best bowling performance in ODIs was 4 for 65 against England in July 2021.
Rauf took the wickets of Afghanistan’s Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ikram Alikhil, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, and Mujeeb Ur Rahman in this ODI.
5 Afghan batsmen could not even open the account
The fate of Pakistan’s deadly bowling was such that in this match, 5 players of Afghanistan could not open the account, while 4 batsmen returned to the pavilion with the score of a single digit. Only two batsmen Rahmanullah Gurbaz (18) and Azmamatullah Omarji (16) could reach double digits.
In front of the deadly bowling of Rauf, Naseem, and Shaheen, the Afghan team, chasing the target of 202 runs, had lost its 5 wickets in just 35 runs, and in the end, the whole team was piled up for just 59 runs.
Pakistan all out for the first time in ODIs against Afghanistan
Earlier, winning the toss, the Pakistani team was all out for 201 runs in 47.1 overs playing first. This is the first time that Pakistan’s team got all out against Afghanistan in ODIs.
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Pakistan made it difficult for Afghanistan to score each run
Afghanistan spinners Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi, and Mujeeb ur Rehman put the Pakistani batsmen to the test after winning the toss and made it difficult to score single runs. For Afghanistan, Mujeeb took 3 for 33 in 10 overs, Nabi took 2 for 34 and Rashid Khan took 2 for 42 to prevent the Pakistani batsmen from taking any respite.
Pakistan got off to a bad start and Fakhar Zaman (2) and captain Babar Azam (0) were dismissed for 7 runs. Even after this, Pakistani wickets kept falling and on 62 their 4 and 5 wickets had fallen to 112 runs. However, one end was handled by opener Imam-ul-Haq who played a brilliant inning of 61 runs.
Apart from them, with the help of the important innings of Iftikhar Ahmed (30) and Shadab Khan (39), the Pakistani team managed to score 201 runs in 47.1 overs before collapsing.
Record of lowest ODI score of any team against Pakistan
With Afghanistan’s team being reduced to 59 runs. The record was set for the lowest ODI score by any team against Pakistan. Earlier this record was in the name of New Zealand, which was limited to a score of 64 against Pakistan in Sharjah. At the same time, Afghanistan scored their second-lowest score in ODIs as they were bundled out for 59 runs.
Lowest score in ODI against Pakistan
- 59-Afghanistan, Hambantota, 2023
- 64-New Zealand, Sharjah, 1984
- 67-Zimbabwe, Bulawayo, 2018
- 74-New Zealand, Sharjah, 1990
- 78-Sri Lanka, Sharjah, 2002
