The pitch in Chennai was the same for India’s opening game against Australia, so Afghanistan brought in Noor Ahmad for Fazalhaq Farooqi to make it four spinners in their XI. The move, at least for the first 15 overs, backfired. Pakistan moved to 56 for no loss in the first ten overs, the best powerplay they have had in ten innings at the World Cup
Pakistan had actually raced to their 50 in 7.4 overs, with Naveen-ul-Haq and Mujeeb Ur Rahman both leaking runs. The team seemed half-confident, they battered well given the pitch, but they just didn’t seem to be getting it right. Their batting looked pretty consistent, although not the momentum I was expecting. Shafique made a good half-century.
Babar got a 50, his 50th half-century. Babar and Shafique took the innings forward, with Shafique soon reaching his second successive fifty, off 60 balls. However, once the ball got a bit older and the surface a tad bit tired, it started playing a few more tricks. Between the 16th and the 31st overs, Pakistan could only manage two fours and a six and scored 61 runs while losing two key wickets. Noor struck both the telling blows.
Rizwan swept the wrong ball, and fell to the young’un Noor Ahmed. Saud didn’t really play an impactful one and you could see the aggression from Rashid when he got out.
At 206 for 5 at the end of 42 overs, Pakistan is falling short of a par score. But Iftikhar and Shadab changed the script. The two added 73 off just 45 balls, taking apart what was a poor show at the death by the Afghanistan bowlers.
Iftikar and Shadab tried to pull everything together in the 40-50 over period, and this seemed like a decent enough score for that particular track.
In fact we saw some pretty good lofty shots towards the final overs.
How did the Pak bowling just not work? It felt like there was too much pressure on Shaheen; it feels like it’s the case throughout this tournament; the guy needs some top support, Nasim should’ve been that guy but his absence has been felt very dearly. Haris rauf on the other hand, has just been really bad, the pace just isn’t working.
Mickey Arthur looked pissed throughout the tournament, he made a face about everything, even the DJ with their match in Ahmedabad.
And Pakistan looked toothless for most of the chase, the bowlers hardly getting anything out of the surface.
They were playing on the same surface but it probably had something to do with them bowling in the daytime I think they’ve learned to play with their strengths and somehow slow the batting down for Pakistan and just block!
In reply, Afghanistan was switched on like men on a mission. Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran posted a 130-run stand for the opening wicket, with both batters scoring fifties. Once they exited, it was the turn of Rahmat Shah and Hashmatullah Shahidi to shepherd the chase and close it in 49 overs.
Gurbaaz and Zadran put up a fantastic opening partnership which went late into the 22nd over, and they put 130 runs together, which must be their highest as openers. They didn’t spare any bowlers in those overs; they batted like a confident and seasoned unit.
Once they exited, it was the turn of Rahmat Shah and Hashmatullah Shahidi to shepherd the chase and close it in 49 overs.
Ibrahim was short of a century by just 13 runs, I wish this guy gets off the mark soon and get a 100 in this World Cup. So apparently, no one scored a 100 from Afghanistan during World Cups to date, so we have to see who’s getting there first.
While the boundary-scoring was impeccable, their running between the wickets was even better. They were also helped by Pakistan’s sloppy fielding – they were all over the place.
Any thoughts of a collapse, or even a few quick wickets, were quickly shut down by Shahidi and Rahmat. They added 96 unbeaten runs for the third wicket, not once giving Pakistan a sniff. The calmness with which they went about their work was the most striking feature of the chase.
While Rahmat, with five fours and a six, remained unbeaten on 77, Shahidi scored a 45-ball 48*. The captain hit the winning runs, a pull/flick off Afridi to spark emotional scenes in the dugout.
