- By Manik Sharma
- Mon, 23 Oct 2023 11:23 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
AFG vs PAK: The unwavering support of the crowd during tense, nail-biting matches is a heartwarming experience, as it often comes down to nerves more than skills. Afghanistan's players have frequently referred to India as their second home, and the crowd made this sentiment a reality by reciprocating passionately during their must-win clash against Pakistan.
The spectators chanted the names of players like Rashid Khan and Rahmanullah Gurbaz, providing a significant morale boost to the Afghan team. This special relationship bore fruit as Afghanistan clinched their first-ever ODI victory against Pakistan, winning by eight wickets.
To express their deep appreciation, players like Rashid, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, and Gurbaz took a victory lap, proudly donning the Afghan flag. They clapped and raised their hands in gratitude, radiating excitement as they faced the cameras.
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Afghanistan's journey in the ODI World Cup 2023 has been nothing short of remarkable. After their astonishing victory over England, doubts lingered about whether it was a stroke of luck. The team has already surpassed the expectations by slaying two cricketing giants within two weeks.
The victory marked Afghanistan's first-ever ODI win against Pakistan after eight attempts, and it was a sweet redemption after the heart-wrenching loss they suffered in the previous edition of the World Cup.
The top order of Afghanistan's batting lineup demonstrated remarkable resilience, forging an opening stand of 130 runs. The pivotal innings of 65 runs by Rahmanullah Gurbaz set the stage. Meanwhile, Ibrahim Zadran's masterful innings added 87 runs to the scoreboard before he was caught by Rizwan.
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Rahmat Shah and skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi finished off the game with a 96 runs partnership. Rahmat scored a well-deserved unbeaten 77, which proved to be the turning point, guiding Afghanistan to a convincing victory.
However, the match was not without its share of drama. Mickey Arthur, Pakistan's coach, displayed visible frustration after seeing Pakistan’s fielding, a stark contrast to his team's strong batting performance in the first innings.
Earlier, Pakistan posted a formidable total of 282, thanks in part to the late-inning fireworks ignited by Shadab Khan and Iftikhar Ahmed.