Rahmanullah Gurbaz's century goes in vain as Pakistan clinch thrilling final-over win over Afghanistan in 2nd ODI

Rahmanullah Gurbaz's outstanding century was in vain as Pakistan secured a narrow one-wicket victory against Afghanistan, solidifying their unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match ODI series held in Hambantota, Sri Lanka.

Afghanistan's captain, Hashmatullah Shahidi, won the toss and elected to bat first. The opening duo of Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran provided Afghanistan with a remarkable start, relentlessly attacking the Pakistani bowling attack and sending the ball soaring to all corners of the park.

Gurbaz and Zadran formed an impressive partnership, amassing a colossal 227 runs to firmly establish their team's dominance. This opening-wicket alliance between Gurbaz and Zadran now stands as the second-highest partnership ever recorded by Afghanistan in one-day internationals.

The partnership was eventually disrupted when Zadran fell victim to Usmana Mir's bowling prowess in the 40th over. Zadran's contribution was commendable, scoring 80 runs off 101 balls, including six boundaries and two maximums. Meanwhile, Gurbaz continued his onslaught, reaching a well-deserved century before being dismissed by Shaheen Shah Afridi after a remarkable 151 runs off as many balls. Gurbaz's innings was adorned with 14 boundaries and three sixes.

This remarkable feat marked Gurbaz's fifth ODI century, making him the first Afghan batsman to achieve such a milestone against Pakistan. Furthermore, he joined the ranks of the elite as the third-fastest player to reach five ODI centuries, accomplishing this feat in just 23 innings. Surpassing the likes of Babar Azam, Gurbaz now trails behind only South Africa's Quinton de Kock and Pakistan's Imam-Ul-Haq, who achieved this feat in 19 innings each.

After Gurbaz's departure, the experienced all-rounder Mohammed Nabi contributed a valuable 29 runs off 29 balls, maintaining a run-a-ball pace to help Afghanistan reach a formidable total of 300 for 5 on the scoreboard. Among the Pakistani bowlers, Afridi showcased his skills, claiming the crucial wickets of Gurbaz and Rashid Khan, while conceding 58 runs in his 10 overs.

In the second innings, Pakistan got off to a flying start with Fakhar Zaman and Imam-ul-Haq forming a solid partnership of 52 runs. However, their momentum was halted when Fazalhaq Farooqi dismissed Zaman in the ninth over.

Pakistan's captain, Babar Azam, joined forces with Imam and together they built a crucial partnership of 118 runs, with both players reaching their half-centuries. Unfortunately, Babar's innings came to an end after scoring 53 runs off 66 balls, as Farooqi claimed his second wicket of the day.

Iftikhar Ahmed contributed a quick 17 runs off 24 balls, but it was the all-rounder Shadab Khan who injected new life into Pakistan's chase of 301 runs. Shadab played a brilliant innings, scoring 48 runs off just 35 balls, taking the match down to the wire. With only two wickets remaining, Pakistan needed 11 runs to secure victory in the final over.

However, Farooqi added a twist to the tale when he dislodged Shadab's bails during his bowling run-up. He had noticed Shadab leaving his crease from the non-striker's end, dealing a devastating blow to Pakistan's hopes of winning. Nevertheless, Naseem Shah remained composed under pressure and smashed two boundaries in the last over, sealing a series-clinching victory for Pakistan.

This triumph not only gave Pakistan an insurmountable 2-0 lead in the three-match ODI series but also extended their winning streak against Afghanistan to six matches.

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