| 0.0 : Hello and welcome everyone for the first match of the Saturday doubleheader between Pakistan and Afghanistan in Leeds. The Men in Green are on a hot-run at the moment with wins after wins and are eyeing to keep their momentum rolling. They still are very much in contention for the semis and the 1992 WC resemblance suggests that they will be coming on top today as well. Given the team they are facing, we don't actually need that reference but taking Afghanistan lightly will be a mistake Pakistan |
| PITCH REPORT - Ian Bishop and Pommie Mbangwa are the pitch analysts for the game. Bishop says bowling from the Football Stand End, the square boundaries are not big as they are just 63m and 62m respectively on each side. From the Kirkstall End also they are around 60m on the square and it is short near the third man region. Mbangwa from the other side of the pitch looks at the skies and happily says that there are no clouds so the captains' minds should not be clouded on whether the ball will sw |
| TOSS - We are all in readiness for the coin flip. Pakistan skipper, Sarfaraz Ahmed has the coin in his hand. The Afghanistan skipper calls Tails and it comes down in his favour. AFGHANISTAN OPT TO BAT FIRST! |
| Afghanistan skipper, Gulbadin Naib says it looks like a good surface and it's a warm sunny day. Reminds that they have beaten Pakistan in the warm-up game and will give their 100 percent in this match. Informs that Hamid Hassan is in the playing XI, replacing Dawlat Zadran. |
| Pakistan skipper, Sarfaraz Ahmed says that he would have batted first as well but toss is something not in their hand. He is confident about the form of his bowlers and backs his team to chase down the target. Wants to take one game at a time. Confirms that Wahab Riaz is fine and they are going unchanged. |
| Afghanistan (Playing XI) - Gulbadin Naib (C), Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Asghar Afghan, Mohammad Nabi, Samiullah Shinwari, Najibullah Zadran, Ikram Ali Khil (WK), Rashid Khan, Hamid Hassan (IN FOR DAWLAT ZADRAN), Mujeeb Ur Rahman. |
| Pakistan (Unchanged Playing XI) - Imam-ul-Haq, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Mohammad Hafeez, Haris Sohail, Sarfaraz Ahmed (C/WK), Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Amir, Shaheen Afridi. |
| The crowd is slowly building up. It is expected to be jam-packed with Pakistan playing. Time for the national anthems of both teams. Bright and sunny conditions and it's a perfect atmosphere to play the game. |
| Time to play the game! Out come the Afghanistan openers, Gulbadin Naib and Rahmat Shah. Pakistan are beginning with the spin bowling of Imad Wasim. Interesting move considering they have an army of in-form pacers. Anyway, let's play. No slip, five on the off side, two on the leg side inside the circle. |
| 0.1 : I Wasim to R Shah, Starts with a flighted full ball on off, Shah is on the front foot as he pushes it to covers. |
| 0.2 : I Wasim to R Shah, Nice way to get off the mark. Safe shot down the ground. Full and on middle, Shah eases it to long on and Afghanistan are underway with a single. |
| 0.3 : I Wasim to G Naib, Arm ball, landing outside off and skidding in at 96 kph, Naib stays back and blocks it to the off side. |
| 0.4 : I Wasim to G Naib, The line becomes too straight this time and Gulbadin flicks it through square leg and opens his account with a run. |
| 0.5 : I Wasim to R Shah, Working the angle nicely. Imad fires in a full ball on middle, Shah tickles it in the gap at mid-wicket. The long on fielder moves across to his right to stop the ball and they take two. |
| 0.6 : I Wasim to R Shah, Full and straight again, it's knocked down to long on for one. Decent start for Afghanistan, 5 from the first over. |
| Mohammad Amir to operate from the other end with the second new ball. |
| 1.1 : M Amir to R Shah, Straightaway an inswinger. Full and on middle, Rahmat does well to get his bat down in time as he keeps it out safely to mid-wicket. |
| 1.2 : M Amir to R Shah, This time Amir takes a length ball away from the batsman with his natural angle, Shah makes a cautious leave. |
| 1.3 : M Amir to R Shah, Play and a miss! Amir invites the batsman to have a go at a fuller length outside off, Rahmat is sucked into the drive and he misses it completely. It beats the inside edge of his bat. |
| 1.4 : M Amir to R Shah, Back of a length ball around off, angling away, Rahmat is on the back foot as he taps it down to point. |
| 1.5 : M Amir to R Shah, On and around off, Rahmat once again watchfully defends it from the crease towards point. |
| 1.6 : M Amir to R Shah, Excellent start by Amir, a maiden. Offers no room on the last ball. Serves it on a length, close to off stump, Rahmat blocks it from the crease to the off side. |
| 2.1 : I Wasim to G Naib, Flighted and full on off, pushed down towards mid off. The extra cover fielder moved to his right to pick the ball. |
| 2.2 : I Wasim to G Naib, Arm ball on off, defended off the back foot to extra cover. |
| 2.3 : I Wasim to G Naib, Quicker one, full and skidding in with the angle, Naib blocks it off his front foot. Tidy stuff. |
| 2.4 : I Wasim to G Naib, Strides forward and opens the face of his bat to push it to cover-point. Dot ball again. Early pressure. |
| 2.5 : I Wasim to G Naib, Fires it full and on off, not giving anything, Gulbadin drives it to mid off. |
| 2.6 : I Wasim to G Naib, FOUR! This is such a good shot. Spoils a good over. Full and flighted, just around off, Naib brings his drive out and thumps it through the gap between extra cover and mid off. Hafeez gives the chase but then gives up. The outfield is lightning quick. |
| 3.1 : M Amir to R Shah, FOUR! Another chase for Hafeez and once again he fails to pull it back. Delightful is the word to describe this shot. Amir invites the drive by bowling it full on off, Shah accepts the proposal this time and puts it away in the gap through extra cover and mid off. Hafeez chases from mid off, dives forward at the last moment but the ball wins the race. |
| 3.2 : M Amir to R Shah, Around middle and off, defended back from the crease. |
| 3.3 : M Amir to R Shah, Angles across a good length ball outside off, it's left alone. |
| 3.4 : M Amir to R Shah, FOUR! One bounce and over the rope. Excellent start for Afghanistan. Amir tries to surprise the batsman with a short delivery around off. But Rahmat does well to pull it in front of square leg for a boundary. |
| Fine leg is up now. |
| 3.5 : M Amir to R Shah, Strides forward to cover the line and then defends it with gentle hands to the off side. |
| 3.6 : M Amir to R Shah, A length ball on off is offered a back foot defense by Rahmat to close an 8-run over. |
| Shaheen Afridi is coming on to bowl, replacing Imad Wasim. He had an excellent game against New Zealand and would like to repeat that again. |
| 4.1 : S Afridi to G Naib, FOUR! Shaheen is greeted with another glorious drive. Full and wide outside off, Naib reaches out for it and drives it crisply past the left side of the mid off fielder. |
| 0.0 : Third umpire referred for a run out at the striker's end... |
| 4.2 : S Afridi to G Naib, NOT OUT! Too full in length on off, Naib drives it back to the bowler who picks up the ball and breaks the stumps at the striker's end with a direct hit. It deflects to fine leg and the batsmen take two. Aggression from the bowler and it costs him a couple of runs. |
| 4.3 : S Afridi to G Naib, FOUR! 10 runs from Shaheen's first three balls. This time Naib goes over the infield. A length ball outside off, Gulbadin chases it and lofts it over extra cover for a boundary. |
| Huge shout for a caught behind. Shaheen jumps in joy. Pakistan are looking convinced but the umpire isn't. Sarfaraz now thinks for a while before taking the DRS. Is the noise due to bat hitting the ground? Nopes, the Ultra Edge has detected a spike. |
| 4.4 : S Afridi to G Naib, OUT! Caught behind! Shaheen gets his revenge. He serves a very full delivery outside off at 138 kph and Naib spots the opportunity to play yet another drive through the line. He goes hard at it but this time fails to middle his shot. It goes past his bat, Sarfaraz collects the ball and they go up in a huge appeal. The umpire though is not interested. Sarfaraz then has a chat with his players before signalling for the DRS. The Ultra Edge detects a spike. Naib departs afte |
| Hashmatullah Shahidi walks out at number 3. |
| 4.5 : S Afridi to H Shahidi, OUT! Cricket, you beauty. What a leveller! 10 runs conceded off the first three balls and now two wickets in two balls. What a great fightback from the young man. Shaheen spears in a very full ball around middle and leg at 137 kph, Shahidi tries flicking but closes the face of the bat early. It pops out of the leading edge towards mid off where Imad Wasim moves across to his left to take the catch safely. Shaheen on a hat-trick now. |
| Ikram Ali Khil walks out to face the hat-trick ball. |
| 4.6 : S Afridi to Ali Khil, No hat-trick! FOUR LEG BYES! A poor delivery. Very full and sliding down the leg side, Khil tries flicking but misses and it goes off his pads to the fine leg fence. End of an action-packed first over by Shaheen, 14 runs and two wickets in total from it. |
| 5.1 : M Amir to R Shah, Good stop, Hafeez. Full and around off, Shah drives it down the ground and Hafeez dives across to his right from mid off to stop the racing ball. A single taken. |
| 5.2 : M Amir to Ali Khil, Angles in a length ball on middle, Khil defends it off his back foot to the leg side. |
| 5.3 : M Amir to Ali Khil, Wide outside off stump, the batsman leaves it alone. |
| 5.4 : M Amir to Ali Khil, Lands it full and on off, Ikram has played that off the front foot and into the ground. |
| 5.5 : M Amir to Ali Khil, Angling into the batsman, full and around off, Khil gets forward and across before pushing it to mid on. |
| Shout for an lbw! The finger has gone up. Ikram Ali Khil immediately takes the DRS and gestures to his partner that he has edged it. Very confident look on his face. BIG INSIDE EDGE! The Ultra Edge is not even needed. |
| 5.6 : M Amir to Ali Khil, IKRAM IS SAFE! Thanks to the technology. Amir gets a length ball around off to move back in a bit, Khil tries to defend but misses and is hit on the pads. Amir appeals and the umpire agrees. Ikram though quickly takes the DRS as he is confident that he has hit it. The replays roll in and in the first frame itself, a big inside edge is detected. End of yet another exciting over. |
| 6.1 : S Afridi to R Shah, Full around off, Rahmat looks to drive but it comes off the upper half of his bat. |
| 6.2 : S Afridi to R Shah, Pulls his length back slightly from the previous one. It is around off, Rahmat pushes it to mid off. |
| 6.3 : S Afridi to R Shah, FOUR! Quality shot! Shaheen overpitches around off, Rahmat gets on the front foot and drives it gloriously straight down the ground for a boundary. As straight as an arrow! |
| 6.4 : S Afridi to R Shah, Lovely pull shot. This batsman is picking the length quite early. Short ball around off, Rahmat plays a controlled pull shot over mid-wicket for a couple of runs. |
| 6.5 : S Afridi to R Shah, Angling away from the batsman, on a shortish length and shooting off with good pace, Rahmat shoulders arms. |
| 6.6 : S Afridi to R Shah, Width on offer outside off, Rahmat plays it down with an angled bat to third man for a run. 7 from the over, Shaheen has been expensive but he has got two wickets to his name also. |
| 7.1 : M Amir to R Shah, Lands it on a good length around off, Rahmat defends it solidly to cover-point. |
| 7.2 : M Amir to R Shah, Pitches it up and outside off, Shah is on the front foot as he pushes it to short cover. |
| 7.3 : M Amir to R Shah, Just a bit short in length around off, Shah plays it down with the angle and taps it towards backward point. |
| 7.4 : M Amir to R Shah, A bit edgy this time. Good length ball on middle and off, nipping away a bit, Shah tries pushing it down with a straight bat but it takes the outer half of his bat. The ball rolls to the right of the point fielder who puts in a dive to stop it. |
| 7.5 : M Amir to R Shah, A top yorker by Amir, around off, Shah digs it out back to the bowler. Good contest. |
| 7.6 : M Amir to R Shah, Slightly short and the line is straight, Rahmat works it in the gap at mid-wicket and takes a run. He will keep strike once again. |
| 8.1 : S Afridi to R Shah, Full and angling away from the batsman, Shah drives it off his front foot to covers. |
| 8.2 : S Afridi to R Shah, On a length and around off at 136 kph, Rahmat defends it with the angle to the off side. |
| 8.3 : S Afridi to R Shah, FOUR! Eased away! Shaheen bowls it on the leg stump line, Rahmat shuffles across the stumps and nudges it fine down the leg side for a boundary. |
| Shaheen Afridi switches to 'round the wicket now... |
| 8.4 : S Afridi to R Shah, Angles in a length ball on middle, Shah closes the face of his bat and helps it to mid-wicket for a run. |
| 8.5 : S Afridi to Ali Khil, Returns to over the wicket for the left-hander. Bowls it full and on off at 140 kph, Khil gets forward and defends it back. |
| 8.6 : S Afridi to Ali Khil, Beauty to beat the bat! Good length ball outside off, a hint of movement there, Khil with uncertain footwork pushes inside the line and misses. |
| Imad Wasim is back into the attack to bowl the last over of Powerplay 1. He bowled two quiet overs at the start also. |
| 9.1 : I Wasim to R Shah, Loopy and full on off, Shah flicks it off his front foot but straight to mid-wicket. |
| 9.2 : I Wasim to R Shah, Muted appeal for an lbw! Arm ball on middle at 93 kph, skidding in, Shah fails to work it around and is hit on the pads. They appeal but it's going down the leg side. |
| 9.3 : I Wasim to R Shah, Defended off the front foot by the batsman presenting the full face of the bat. |
| 9.4 : I Wasim to R Shah, Almost a return catch! Floated full ball on off, Rahmat walks forward and chips it back towards the bowler. Imad stretches his right hand out but it goes wide down to long on for a run. |
| 9.5 : I Wasim to Ali Khil, Flatter and shorter ball on middle, defended back to the bowler. |
| 9.6 : I Wasim to Ali Khil, That missed the outside edge by a whisker! Quicker arm ball, full and on off, skidding away sharply, Khil draws forward to defend but misses. Just one from the over, Afghanistan are 46/2 after the first 10 overs! |
| Powerplay 2 signalled! Now maximum of 4 fielders can be placed outside the 30-yard circle till the 40th over. Mohammad Hafeez to start it. |
| 10.1 : M Hafeez to R Shah, Nicely tossed up ball on off, too full in length, Rahmat drives it down to long on for a run. |
| 10.2 : M Hafeez to Ali Khil, Slider on middle, from 'round the wicket, Khil gets back and works it in front of square leg for a run. |
| 10.3 : M Hafeez to R Shah, Advances down the track to a full ball on off and knocks it down to long on for one. |
| 10.4 : M Hafeez to Ali Khil, Slower through the air but the length is on the shorter side. It spins away and is cut through point for a single, 50 up for Afghanistan. |
| 10.5 : M Hafeez to R Shah, Short again and it's cut with ease to sweeper cover for one. |
| 10.6 : M Hafeez to Ali Khil, Flighted ball on off, turning away a bit, Khil decides to defend it from the crease and does so safely. |
| 11.1 : I Wasim to R Shah, Flighted and full on middle, it's flicked through square leg for a run. |
| 11.2 : I Wasim to Ali Khil, Quicker and shorter arm ball on off, Khil stays back and taps it down towards backward point. |
| 11.3 : I Wasim to Ali Khil, Identical to the last delivery, once again Ikram pushes it towards the fielder at backward point. |
| Two slips in place now. |
| 11.4 : I Wasim to Ali Khil, Mishit! Arm ball again, around off and skidding away, Ikram tries to flick but it takes the leading edge and goes past the diving backward point fielder for a run. |
| 11.5 : I Wasim to R Shah, FOUR! Rahmat gets innovative. Imad continues to dart in his arm ball. It's full and around off, Shah goes down and across before playing the paddle scoop to fine leg. |
| 11.6 : I Wasim to R Shah, OUT! Soft dismissal for Shah! He is distraught and is staring down the pitch. Imad Wasim has outfoxed the batsman here. He darted a few arm balls before bowling a delivery that straightens a bit from middle and off. Rahmat tries to flick thinking it's coming into him but it doesn't and takes the leading half of his blade. The ball lobs up to short cover where Babar Azam takes the simplest of catches. A good little knock comes to an end! |
| Asghar Afghan is the new man in. Afghanistan are in trouble here and will hope their experienced campaigner can now take them out of it. |
| 12.1 : M Hafeez to Ali Khil, Too full in length around middle, it's quietly worked down to long leg for a couple. |
| 12.2 : M Hafeez to Ali Khil, Slider on off, Khil is on the back foot in defense. |
| 12.3 : M Hafeez to Ali Khil, Shortish and on off, firing it in, Khil gets back and somehow keeps it out at the last moment to point. |
| 12.4 : M Hafeez to Ali Khil, Nearly a drag on. Ikram is completely at sea against Hafeez. Fails to pick the slider again. Sticks back to play at it and it takes the inside edge. Goes through his legs to the leg side. |
| 12.5 : M Hafeez to Ali Khil, Shortish and outside off, punched to covers for one. |
| 12.6 : M Hafeez to A Afghan, Floated and full on off, Asghar sweeps it behind square leg for a brace. |
| 13.1 : I Wasim to Ali Khil, Flighted and full on off, defended back off the front foot. |
| 13.2 : I Wasim to Ali Khil, Presses forward to a full ball and drives it through covers for a single. |
| 13.3 : I Wasim to A Afghan, Flatter and full on off, Afghan pushes it to covers and the non-striker comes out of the crease in search of a run. Returns. |
| 13.4 : I Wasim to A Afghan, SIX! This one is dismissed! Asghar Afghan won't die wondering. He will take on the spinners. Picks the in-drifter here, advances down the track and hammers it over mid-wicket for a biggie. |
| 13.5 : I Wasim to A Afghan, Afghan has played that off the front foot and into the ground. |
| 13.6 : I Wasim to A Afghan, In the air... SAFE! Afghan is playing with fire. Wasim smartly slows down the pace of this delivery and serves it full on middle, Asghar tries to slog sweep but gets a top edge. It falls in no man's land at fine leg and the batsmen take two. 9 from the over, an eventful one. |
| Wahab Riaz is into the attack for the first time today. |
| 14.1 : W Riaz to Ali Khil, Wide! A gentle loosener to start the spell. Wahab slips a length ball down the leg side. Khil tries to flick but misses. |
| W Riaz to Ali Khil, Short in length and outside off, Ikram cuts it off his back foot but finds the point fielder. |
| 14.2 : W Riaz to Ali Khil, Wide! Another one going down the leg side, Ikram tries his best to get some free runs out of it but fails to put his bat on ball. |
| W Riaz to Ali Khil, EDGY FOUR! Frustrating start for Wahab. A length delivery in the channel outside off, Ikram gets on the front foot to push inside the line and it takes the outside edge. The ball runs wide of first slip and crosses the fence at third man. |
| 14.3 : W Riaz to Ali Khil, Defended off the back foot by the batsman. |
| 14.4 : W Riaz to Ali Khil, Bouncer around leg, Khil ducks underneath it. |
| 14.5 : W Riaz to Ali Khil, Back of a length delivery on off, Ikram goes on the back foot and taps it down to point. |
| 14.6 : W Riaz to Ali Khil, A length ball close to off stump, Ikram plays it close to his body and pushes it towards point. |
| Time for some leg spin. Shadab Khan is into the attack. No slip in place... |
| 15.1 : S Khan to A Afghan, FOUR! Edged and there is no slip. Lucky boundary for Asghar. Floated leg spinner landing full outside of, Afghan tries driving through covers but it turns away to take the outside edge and runs down to third man for a boundary. |
| 0.0 : And now comes the first slip. He should have been there from the start but better late than never. |
| 15.2 : S Khan to A Afghan, Connects properly with his drive this time and puts it through covers for one. |
| 15.3 : S Khan to Ali Khil, Presses forward to a full ball and strokes it to mid off. |
| 15.4 : S Khan to Ali Khil, A full toss on middle, Ikram helps it off his pads to mid-wicket. |
| 15.5 : S Khan to Ali Khil, A good flick shot across the line but Hafeez makes a superb sliding stop coming across to his right from mid-wicket. |
| 15.6 : S Khan to Ali Khil, Tossed up ball on middle, Khil flicks it towards mid-wicket, this time to the left of Hafeez. 5 from Shadab's first over. |
| 16.1 : W Riaz to A Afghan, Beaten! Perfect line and length this time from Wahab. Good length ball around off, skidding away with the angle, Asghar hangs his bat out and misses. |
| 16.2 : W Riaz to A Afghan, Good length ball on middle, at 144 kph, some extra bounce as well, Asghar fails to work it around and is hit high on the pads. |
| 16.3 : W Riaz to A Afghan, Slightly short and on off, Afghan pushes it down from the crease to covers. |
| 16.4 : W Riaz to A Afghan, Puts it on a length close to off stump, Afghan plays it with an angled bat towards backward point. Waits for the fielder to dive and as soon as he fails to stop the ball, they cross for a run. |
| 16.5 : W Riaz to Ali Khil, Bouncer on middle, Khil ducks underneath it. |
| 16.6 : W Riaz to Ali Khil, Extra bounce from a length around off, Ikram goes on the back foot in defense but it takes the inside edge and hits him onto the pads. Better over from Wahab! |
| Drinks break. Excellent beginning from Pakistan. They have snapped three top order wickets of Afghanistan and have the upper hand. Their pacers once again were brilliant with the new balls however they gave away a few easy runs. There is some spin on offer here and their spinners will like to nip in a few more quick wickets to break Afghanistan's batting. |
| 17.1 : S Khan to A Afghan, Too full in length on off, Asghar drives it off his front foot to covers. |
| 17.2 : S Khan to A Afghan, FOUR! Well struck! Flighted delivery, landing full around off, Asghar comes running down the track and smashes it over extra cover for a boundary. Excellent footwork. |
| 17.3 : S Khan to A Afghan, Probably a googly, landing full on middle, Afghan flicks it on the leg side for one. |
| 17.4 : S Khan to Ali Khil, Very full and on middle, Ikram walks forward and pushes it down to long on for a run. |
| 17.5 : S Khan to A Afghan, SIX! Here he goes again... Shadab serves it full and around leg, Afghan shimmies down the track and towers it over wide long on for a biggie. Shadab is under attack here. |
| 17.6 : S Khan to A Afghan, Quietly drops it with soft hands towards short mid-wicket and calls his partner through for a quick single. 13 from the over! |
| 18.1 : W Riaz to A Afghan, FOUR! Slapped away! Afghan is batting with positive intent and is putting away all the bad balls. Short and wide outside off, Asghar latches onto it and slaps it through point. 100 up for Afghanistan! |
| 18.2 : W Riaz to A Afghan, Bouncer! The batsman does well to evade it. |
| Sarfaraz Ahmed comes up to have a chat with his bowler. |
| 18.3 : W Riaz to A Afghan, Taps a length ball gently towards mid on for a sharp single. |
| 18.4 : W Riaz to Ali Khil, Arrows in a length ball on off, Ikram defends it from the inner half of his bat. |
| 18.5 : W Riaz to Ali Khil, Bumper around off, to push the batsman deep inside the crease, Ikram ducks. Will Wahab follow it up with a yorker? |
| 18.6 : W Riaz to Ali Khil, Not a yorker but a swinging fuller length ball around middle and leg, Khil has no idea about it, tries flicking but misses and is hit on the pads. |
| 19.1 : S Khan to A Afghan, Loopy and full around off, Asghar draws forward and defends it to the off side. |
| 19.2 : S Khan to A Afghan, Risky single! Asghar presses forward and pushes it with gentle hands towards covers for a quick run. Hafeez there is late in setting off and by the time he throws the ball to the keeper, Khil is well in. |
| 19.3 : S Khan to Ali Khil, Played to the point region by the batsman. They pick up a single. |
| 19.4 : S Khan to A Afghan, Turn and bounce on this occasion! It's around off, Asghar initially looks to give the charge but then decides to play off the front foot. Gets beaten comprehensively by the spin. |
| 19.5 : S Khan to A Afghan, The batsman has flicked the ball off his pads. One run added to the total. |
| 19.6 : S Khan to Ali Khil, Tossed up ball on middle and leg, turning down, Ikram tries to work it around from the crease but misses. He is hit on the pads, Sarfaraz appeals slightly but nothing doing. A better over by Shadab, just three runs from it. |
| 20.1 : W Riaz to A Afghan, Lands it on a length around off, Afghan gets it away from the inner half of his bat. It rolls behind square leg and the batsmen cross. |
| 20.2 : W Riaz to Ali Khil, Fullish and on middle, it's clipped on the leg side but straight to mid-wicket. |
| 20.3 : W Riaz to Ali Khil, Fractionally short in length outside off, Khil remains on the back foot and pushes it out without much timing to mid off. |
| 20.4 : W Riaz to Ali Khil, Bumper. Well-directed. Khil ducks at the last moment. He has struggled but has somehow managed to hang in there. |
| 20.5 : W Riaz to Ali Khil, Shortish and on middle, Khil goes on his toes and turns it behind square leg for one. |
| 20.6 : W Riaz to A Afghan, Short and on off, Asghar pulls it firmly across the line, intentionally keeps it down all along the ground through square leg. A single is taken. 50-run stand comes up and Ikram has contributed 11 runs in it! |
| 21.1 : S Khan to A Afghan, Walks forward and flicks it through mid-wicket for a single. |
| 21.2 : S Khan to Ali Khil, Too full in length on middle, Khil sweeps it behind square leg and the fielder in the deep, who is standing way ahead of the fence, stops the ball. One run added to the total. |
| 21.3 : S Khan to A Afghan, Short and wide outside off, Afghan cuts but finds point. |
| 21.4 : S Khan to A Afghan, Loopy this time, full and on off, the batsman defends it off his front foot. |
| 21.5 : S Khan to A Afghan, Gets on the front foot and drills it past the flying cover fielder for a run. |
| 21.6 : S Khan to Ali Khil, Flighted and on middle, Khil moves back and gently works it with the spin to square leg for a single. A good phase for Afghanistan, this. |
| Imad Wasim is back! 5-0-25-1, his figures so far. |
| 22.1 : I Wasim to Ali Khil, Flighted and full outside off, Khil stretches forward and defends it back with the spin. |
| 22.2 : I Wasim to Ali Khil, Fires it very full on middle, Khil gets back and forces it down towards mid on. Shadab moves across to his right from mid-wicket, tries to stop the ball with a dive but fails. A single taken. |
| 22.3 : I Wasim to A Afghan, The batsman works it down the leg side. They pick up a single. |
| 22.4 : I Wasim to Ali Khil, Helps it off his pads to square leg and rotates the strike. |
| 22.5 : I Wasim to A Afghan, Grip and turn! Wasim slows it up in the air and serves it around off, Afghan tries playing inside the line from the back foot but is beaten by the extra spin and bounce. |
| 22.6 : I Wasim to A Afghan, Stays back and punches it towards point. End of a tidy over by Imad. |
| 23.1 : S Khan to Ali Khil, Leans forward to a full ball and flicks it with the spin to square leg. Dot ball. |
| 23.2 : S Khan to Ali Khil, Quicker and flatter on middle, it's defended off the back foot by Ikram. |
| 23.3 : S Khan to Ali Khil, Gives the charge to the leg spinner and drills a full ball to long on for one. |
| Silly point comes in. There is a slip in place also. |
| 23.4 : S Khan to A Afghan, Tossed up ball on off, too full in length, Asghar sits down on one knee and sweeps it behind square leg for one. |
| 23.5 : S Khan to Ali Khil, Flighted and on middle, helped with the spin to square leg. |
| 23.6 : S Khan to Ali Khil, Fullish and on off, Ikram pulls out the sweep shot from his repertoire and sends it to fine leg for a run. |
| 24.1 : I Wasim to Ali Khil, Full and flighted on off, swept down to fine leg for a run. |
| 24.2 : I Wasim to A Afghan, Full again, on middle, it's flicked through mid-wicket for a run. |
| 24.3 : I Wasim to Ali Khil, Allows the ball to spin back into him from outside off and then taps it down on the leg side. Not in the gap. |
| 24.4 : I Wasim to Ali Khil, Full and around off, Ikram skips down the track and pushes it back to the bowler. |
| 24.5 : I Wasim to Ali Khil, Played to the point region by the batsman. No run. |
| 24.6 : I Wasim to Ali Khil, Aerial! Turning back into the batsman from around off, Ikram goes deep inside the crease and punches it uppishly down towards long on for one. |
| 25.1 : S Khan to Ali Khil, Full and around off, Ikram dances down the track to flick but it takes the inside edge and goes to fine leg for a run. |
| 25.2 : S Khan to A Afghan, OUT! Afghan is bowled! Shadab dishes out a leg spinner around off, at 87 kph, Afghan shimmies down the track for a big shot but fails to make any contact. The ball doesn't turn much after landing and tickles the off stump. The attacking field set probably prompted Afghan to have a real go at it. But he is undone here due to his own aggression. The 64-run stand has been broken. Afghan hit the leg spinner at a strike rate of 129.41 and it's a sweet revenge for Shadab. |
| Mohammad Nabi is the new batsman. |
| 25.3 : S Khan to M Nabi, Spinning away from the batsman outside off, Nabi stands back and allows it through to the keeper. |
| 25.4 : S Khan to M Nabi, Full and on middle, pushed down towards mid on. |
| 25.5 : S Khan to M Nabi, Goes on the back foot and slaps a short ball to deep cover for a run. |
| DRS time! LBW shout against Ikram Ali Khil is referred upstairs by Pakistan. The batsman has come down the track, so it looks a bit tight call. Hitting the top of middle stump, shows the Ball Tracker. Umpire's call. |
| 25.6 : S Khan to Ali Khil, NOT OUT! A quicker leg spinner on middle, Khil advances down the track and then tries to defend. But he fails to put bat on ball and is hit on the pads. Pakistan appeal but the umpire remains still. Sarfaraz has a chat with his bowler and then takes the DRS. The Ball Tracker shows that it's hitting the top of the stumps. Umpire's call. Pakistan retain their review. |
| 26.1 : I Wasim to M Nabi, Flatter on off, Nabi defends it with soft hands towards point and gets a quick single. |
| 26.2 : I Wasim to Ali Khil, Floated on off, Ikram gets down on one knee and sweeps it towards backward square leg for one. |
| 26.3 : I Wasim to M Nabi, Shorter on off, Nabi cuts it to point and rotates the strike. |
| 26.4 : I Wasim to Ali Khil, Floated on off, Ikram comes down the track and defends it. |
| 26.5 : I Wasim to Ali Khil, Shorter on off, Ikram looks to play the paddle but it comes off the upper half of his bat. It lobs over Sarfaraz's head. |
| 26.6 : I Wasim to Ali Khil, OUT! Ikram Ali Khil holes out. Imad tosses it up on middle, Ikram comes down the track and looks to go over long on. He gets a good amount of height on it but not the distance. The ball goes straight down the throat of Hafeez at long on. The experienced man in the deep makes no mistake. Ikram's gritty knock comes to an end. He had taken his time out in the middle and just when he was looking to accelerate, he departs. |
| Najibullah Zadran is in next. Afghanistan cannot afford to be so flashy with their batting. They need to put their heads down and concentrate on building partnerships. |
| 27.1 : S Khan to M Nabi, Defended off the front foot by the batsman presenting the full face of the bat. |
| 27.2 : S Khan to M Nabi, Short and outside off, cut off the back foot but straight to backward point. |
| 27.3 : S Khan to M Nabi, Leans forward and gently pushes it with the spin to cover-point. |
| 27.4 : S Khan to M Nabi, Risky but safe! Fullish and on off, Nabi pushes it gently in front of square on the off side and pinches a single. Fakhar attacks the ball there and fumbles. Sarfaraz is not a happy man. He wants absolute brilliance. |
| 27.5 : S Khan to N Zadran, Flighted and full on middle, it's defended back to the bowler. |
| 27.6 : S Khan to N Zadran, Quicker and on middle, worked past short leg to the fielder at square leg. |
| Shaheen Afridi returns. 3-0-22-2, his figures so far. |
| 28.1 : S Afridi to M Nabi, Big shout for a caught behind! The umpire shakes his head. No review taken. A cross-seam delivery, landing on a length around off and skidding away, Nabi tries defending but it whizzes past the outside edge. Sarfaraz and the bowler are absolutely convinced as they appeal. But they don't take the DRS once the umpire turns it down. There was nothing on the Ultra Edge. So a good call not to refer it. |
| 28.2 : S Afridi to M Nabi, Back of a length ball on off, extra bounce there, hurrying up the batsman, Nabi fends it off awkwardly. It's a bit uppish but drops safely on the off side. |
| 28.3 : S Afridi to M Nabi, Played to the point region by the batsman. They pick up a single. |
| 28.4 : S Afridi to N Zadran, Wide called for height! Bumper on middle and leg, Najibullah ducks. |
| S Afridi to N Zadran, On a length and outside off, defended from the crease to point. |
| 28.5 : S Afridi to N Zadran, Wide again for height! Shaheen is steaming in here. Effort ball by him. Digs in a short ball outside off, Zadran lets it be and it goes over him to the keeper. |
| S Afridi to N Zadran, Played to the point region by the batsman. No run. |
| 28.6 : S Afridi to N Zadran, Back of a length ball on off, Zadran pushes it softly through the gap at cover-point for one. |
| Mohammad Amir is back on. Pakistan are on the kill here. They don't want Afghanistan to reach 200. |
| 29.1 : M Amir to N Zadran, Width on offer outside off, Najibullah has slashed it hard through the point region. One run added to the total. |
| 29.2 : M Amir to M Nabi, Shortish and on off, Nabi punches it off his back foot to deep cover for a run. |
| 29.3 : M Amir to N Zadran, Serves it on a length outside off, Zadran drives it through covers and picks up a single. |
| 29.4 : M Amir to M Nabi, Short around off, pulled to deep square leg for a run. |
| 29.5 : M Amir to N Zadran, Driven towards the mid on region. No run. |
| 29.6 : M Amir to N Zadran, Fullish and on off, a mistimed stroke towards mid on to complete the over. |
| 30.1 : S Afridi to M Nabi, A touch short and close to off, angling away, Nabi stays back and forces it to sweeper cover for a run. |
| 30.2 : S Afridi to N Zadran, Lands it outside off, it's driven off the front foot but straight to mid off. |
| 30.3 : S Afridi to N Zadran, FOUR! Nice shot! Back of a length ball on off, Najibullah brings his strong bottom hand to good use, gets on top of the bounce and clobbers it behind square leg. The fine leg fielder tries his best to get around it but fails. Sarfaraz, as usual, is not impressed. |
| 30.4 : S Afridi to N Zadran, Width there outside off, Najibullah guides it to third man. They pick up a single. |
| 30.5 : S Afridi to M Nabi, Play and a miss! Excellent delivery. A good length delivery outside off, from 'round the wicket, it moves away after landing, Nabi flashes and misses. |
| Mohammad Nabi pulls out at the last moment. Maybe, some disturbance near the sightscreen. It's tough for a fast bowler to run in and then stop just before delivering. Shaheen will have to go back to his mark. |
| 30.6 : S Afridi to M Nabi, Shortish and around off, Nabi stands tall inside the crease and taps it down to point. |
| 31.1 : M Amir to N Zadran, Good length ball just outside off, Najibullah runs it down to third man for a run. |
| 31.2 : M Amir to M Nabi, On and around off, blocked from the crease by Nabi. |
| 31.3 : M Amir to M Nabi, Hangs on the back foot to a short ball and punches it to mid off. |
| 31.4 : M Amir to M Nabi, Shortish delivery and outside off, angling away, Nabi tries to steer it through the line but it takes the outside edge and goes to third man. A single is taken. |
| 31.5 : M Amir to N Zadran, Pitches it up and outside off, Najibullah drives but finds mid off. Not quite finding the gap here, Zadran. |
| 31.6 : M Amir to N Zadran, A length delivery outside off, Zadran reaches out for it and hits it to covers. This stand has moved to 17 after consuming 30 balls. |
| 32.1 : S Afridi to M Nabi, Attacks the off stump from 'round the wicket with a length ball, Nabi defends it off his back foot. |
| 32.2 : S Afridi to M Nabi, Uppish but safe! Too full in length and outside off, Nabi tries to power it over covers but he ends up slicing it over point. Wahab runs across to his right from third man to stop the ball and the batsmen take a run. |
| 32.3 : S Afridi to N Zadran, Very full and on off, it's driven to covers. |
| 32.4 : S Afridi to N Zadran, Wide! Bouncer down the leg side, Zadran gets away from the line. |
| S Afridi to N Zadran, Shortish and on off, punched from the back foot but the point fielder made a good diving stop. |
| 32.5 : S Afridi to N Zadran, Slower one. A length ball on off, Zadran tries to tap and run but it goes quickly to cover-point and Nabi sends him back. |
| 32.6 : S Afridi to N Zadran, Sharp single. Back of a length ball on off, Zadran plays it to the right of the cover fielder and rushes to the other end. |
| Drinks Break! Pakistan have bowled really well here but the assistance their spinners have got will encourage Afghanistan also. They will be looking to get to a total close to 250 as this is not an easy pitch to bat on. Mohammad Nabi holds the key here as once he settles down, he can accelerate at will. Pakistan, meanwhile will be looking to wrap up this innings under 200. |
| 33.1 : M Amir to N Zadran, Lands it on a length outside off, Najibullah taps it down with an angled bat to backward point. He has played some good shots today but has mostly found the fielders. |
| 33.2 : M Amir to N Zadran, Shortish and on off, angling in, Najibullah swings his bat across the line and it goes off the inner half to fine leg for one. |
| 33.3 : M Amir to M Nabi, On a length around off, tapped down from the crease through cover-point for a single. |
| 33.4 : M Amir to N Zadran, Wide called for height! Amir digs in a short delivery and it goes well over the head of the ducking batsman. |
| M Amir to N Zadran, Pitches it up and on off, Zadran defends it with an angled bat to point. |
| 33.5 : M Amir to N Zadran, FOUR! Finds the gap and finds the boundary! Amir spears in a full ball on middle, Zadran whips it across the line and sends it screaming through the gap between short mid-wicket and mid on. |
| 33.6 : M Amir to N Zadran, A length delivery on off, Zadran drives it on the up but finds extra cover. |
| Wahab Riaz is back on. He was a bit inconsistent with his lines in the first spell and would like to improve this time around. |
| 34.1 : W Riaz to M Nabi, Shortish and on off, Nabi has played it square of the wicket on the off side. They manage to come back for the second. |
| 34.2 : W Riaz to M Nabi, Four leg byes! Slips a length ball down the leg side, Nabi fails to flick but it takes his pads and speeds away to the fine leg fence. |
| 34.3 : W Riaz to M Nabi, On a length outside off, staying a bit low, Nabi tries to defend but it takes the bottom half and rolls behind to the keeper. |
| 34.4 : W Riaz to M Nabi, Pushed to the cover region by the batsman. No run. |
| 34.5 : W Riaz to M Nabi, Short and on off, pulled behind square leg for a run. |
| 34.6 : W Riaz to N Zadran, Lands it on a length outside off, Zadran defends it off his back foot. |
| Imad Wasim is back into the attack as well. Pakistan want to break this partnership that is worth 34 now. Can become dangerous. |
| 35.1 : I Wasim to M Nabi, Defended off the front foot by the batsman presenting the full face of the bat. |
| 35.2 : I Wasim to M Nabi, Fuller and off, driven down to mid on. |
| 35.3 : I Wasim to M Nabi, Quicker and on middle, flicked through square leg for one. |
| 35.4 : I Wasim to N Zadran, FOUR! Well played! Loopy full ball landing on middle, Najibullah kneels down and reverse sweeps it neatly through backward point for a boundary. |
| 35.5 : I Wasim to N Zadran, Fires in a very full ball on off, Zadran fails to dig it out and it misses the stumps by not much. Wasim has his hands on his head. |
| 35.6 : I Wasim to N Zadran, Full and flighted on off, driven off the front foot to covers. |
| 36.1 : W Riaz to M Nabi, Wide! Wahab continues to struggle with his line. Drifting down the leg side, a shade short in length, Nabi attempts to pull but misses. |
| W Riaz to M Nabi, Pushed to the cover region by the batsman. They pick up a single. |
| 36.2 : W Riaz to N Zadran, Some chin music for the batsman, he lets that bouncer through to the wicket-keeper. |
| 36.3 : W Riaz to N Zadran, A very full ball on middle is the follow-up delivery to a bouncer, Zadran drives it straight back past the bowler for a run. |
| 36.4 : W Riaz to M Nabi, OUT! Nabi is bounced out! A well-judged catch in the deep by Mohammad Amir. Wahab digs in a short ball on middle, Nabi attempts to wheel a pull shot but gets a top edge. It flies high in the air, Amir moves across to his left from fine leg and takes a fine catch by going down low. Wahab is ecstatic as his plan to bowl short has worked. Another blow to Afghanistan. A good looking partnership of 42 runs is cut short. |
| The new batsman in is Samiullah Shinwari. A slip is in place. |
| 36.5 : W Riaz to S Shinwari, Back of a length ball around off, Shinwari pushes inside the line and edges it wide of first slip to third man. A single is taken. |
| 36.6 : W Riaz to N Zadran, Shortish around leg, it's tickled down to fine leg for a run. |
| 37.1 : I Wasim to N Zadran, FOUR! Nicely played, a bit uppish but in the gap. A low full toss on off, Zadran brings out the reverse sweep and nails it fine down to third man for a boundary. |
| 37.2 : I Wasim to N Zadran, Beaten! Tossed up ball outside off, not spinning in, Zadran plays for the spin off his front foot and misses. |
| 37.3 : I Wasim to N Zadran, FOUR! Easy pickings! Full and floated outside off, Najibullah chips it over the inner circle at covers for a boundary. Nicely read the field there. |
| 37.4 : I Wasim to N Zadran, Imad switches to 'round the wicket and bowls it flat and full on middle, Zadran eases it through wide mid on for one. |
| 37.5 : I Wasim to S Shinwari, Quicker arm ball on off, defended back from the crease. |
| 37.6 : I Wasim to S Shinwari, Another arm ball, landing full around off, Shinwari presses forward and defends it back from the inner half of his bat. |
| 38.1 : W Riaz to N Zadran, Fuller in length and outside off, driven back to the bowler. |
| 38.2 : W Riaz to N Zadran, Shortish and outside off, hit square of the wicket on the off side and the point fielder made a good stop. |
| 38.3 : W Riaz to N Zadran, Bouncer around middle and leg, Najibullah ducks under it at the last moment. |
| 38.4 : W Riaz to N Zadran, A length ball close to off and cutting back in, Najibullah gets it away off the inside edge. It rolls to mid-wicket and they cross. |
| 38.5 : W Riaz to S Shinwari, Leans forward to a full ball and drives it through covers for a run. Looks for the second run but then aborts. The fielder throws the ball at the bowler's end where Wahab is not ready and doesn't like that. Gives a stare to the fielder. |
| 38.6 : W Riaz to N Zadran, The batsman has flicked the ball off his pads through square leg. One run added to the total. |
| Shadab Khan is back on. |
| 39.1 : S Khan to N Zadran, Turning back in, it's worked in the gap on the leg side for one. |
| 39.2 : S Khan to S Shinwari, Presses forward to a full ball and pushes it to covers. |
| 39.3 : S Khan to S Shinwari, Very full and on off, driven to deep cover for a run. |
| 39.4 : S Khan to N Zadran, Lets the ball turn back in and then nudges it to short fine leg. |
| 39.5 : S Khan to N Zadran, Wide! Spinning down the leg side, Zadran fails to flick. |
| S Khan to N Zadran, Driven towards the mid on region. No run. |
| 39.6 : S Khan to N Zadran, Flighted and on middle, spinning in, Zadran tickles it behind square leg. |
| Powerplay 3 time! Now a maximum of 5 fielders can be placed outside the 30-yard circle. Also, Shaheen Afridi is back into the attack. 6-0-35-2, his figures so far. |
| 40.1 : S Afridi to S Shinwari, Beaten! Shaheen begins his new spell from 'round the wicket and serves a slower length ball outside off, Shinwari pushes at it and misses. |
| 40.2 : S Afridi to S Shinwari, Leans forward to a full ball on off and drives it to point. A good stop there. |
| 40.3 : S Afridi to S Shinwari, Beauty! Shaheen angles in a full ball around off and gets it to straighten from there, Shinwari tries playing with a straight bat but is beaten. Reverse swing happening. |
| 40.4 : S Afridi to S Shinwari, Four dot balls. Fullish and on middle, Samiullah keeps it out to mid-wicket. |
| 40.5 : S Afridi to S Shinwari, Misfield! Fullish and on middle, it's pushed towards mid on where Haris Sohail misfields and gifts a run. |
| 40.6 : S Afridi to N Zadran, A low full toss on off, it's whipped across the line but Shadab makes a nice diving stop at mid-wicket. |
| 41.1 : S Khan to S Shinwari, Floated on off, Shinwari pushes it to cover. |
| 41.2 : S Khan to S Shinwari, This time strokes it wide of cover and to sweeper cover for a single. |
| 41.3 : S Khan to N Zadran, Huge appeal for LBW but it is turned down. Tossed up leg spinner, it is very full around off, Zadran looks to sweep but misses. Big appeal follows but the umpire turns it down. |
| 41.4 : S Khan to N Zadran, Floated on off, Zadran strikes it wide of sweeper cover and gets a couple. |
| 41.5 : S Khan to N Zadran, On middle, Zadran gets down on one knee and reverse sweeps it to sweeper cover for one. |
| 41.6 : S Khan to S Shinwari, Shorter on off, Shinwari punches it to the off side and keeps the strike. |
| 42.1 : S Afridi to S Shinwari, Full on off, Shinwari drives it but Shadab dives to his left at point and stops the ball. |
| 42.2 : S Afridi to S Shinwari, Ohh! Good length ball outside off, Shinwari looks to drive but misses. The ball goes past the outside edge and to the keeper. That was just inches away from finding the edge of the bat. |
| 42.3 : S Afridi to S Shinwari, Full on off and middle, Shinwari nudges it to mid on. |
| 42.4 : S Afridi to S Shinwari, WIDE! Shaheen misses his line and bowls it down the leg side. Shinwari looks to flick but misses. It has been wided by the umpire. 17th extra of this innings. |
| S Afridi to S Shinwari, DROPPED! Tough chance though. Full and slower on off, Shinwari looks to drive straight but does so uppishly. It goes to Shaheen but he cannot take it on full in his followthrough. |
| 42.5 : S Afridi to S Shinwari, Slow again on middle, Shinwari flicks it to deep mid-wicket and gets a single. |
| 42.6 : S Afridi to N Zadran, Good length ball on off, Zadran drives it but finds the man at cover. |
| 43.1 : S Khan to S Shinwari, Gets on the front foot and pushes it gently towards cover-point for a run. |
| 43.2 : S Khan to N Zadran, Too full in length on off, it's forced down through mid on for a single. |
| 43.3 : S Khan to S Shinwari, Loopy leg spinner on middle, Shinwari slices his attempted drive to point. |
| 43.4 : S Khan to S Shinwari, Goes back and punches it to sweeper for one. |
| 43.5 : S Khan to N Zadran, Tossed up ball on off, Najibullah mistimes his attempted reverse sweep towards extra cover. Smiles as he crosses for a run. |
| 43.6 : S Khan to S Shinwari, Very full on middle, Shinwari has driven it through mid off. One run added to the total. Shadab has bowled out, 10-0-44-1 for him. Decent effort. |
| 44.1 : S Afridi to S Shinwari, It's been driven superbly through the covers. They pick up a single. |
| 44.2 : S Afridi to N Zadran, Swing and a miss! Shortish ball just inside the tramline outside off, Zadran throws his bat at it and misses. |
| 44.3 : S Afridi to N Zadran, FOUR! Fine shot! Fuller in length and outside off, Zadran reaches out for it and smashes it over point for a boundary. 200 up for Afghanistan! |
| 44.4 : S Afridi to N Zadran, OUT! Drags it on! Third wicket for Shaheen again! He angles in a length ball around off at 137 kph, Zadran tries to power it through the line but gets a thick inside edge onto the pads. It then deflects onto the stumps. Shaheen is off in his celebration. |
| In walks, Rashid Khan. He is a handy batsman but has not impressed so far in this tournament. |
| 44.5 : S Afridi to R Khan, Ouch! Bouncer to greet the new batsman, Rashid tries to duck but it brushes the back of his shoulder before going to Sarfaraz. Khan shows no pain there. |
| 44.6 : S Afridi to R Khan, On the pads, flicked through square leg for a run. |
| Mohammad Amir is back! He has been economical today but hasn't got any wicket. 7-1-23-0, so far. |
| 45.1 : M Amir to R Khan, Good length ball on off, Rashid defends it back to the bowler. |
| 45.2 : M Amir to R Khan, Hits the deck hard and bowls it on top of middle, Rashid tucks it towards mid on and shouts a loud no. |
| 45.3 : M Amir to R Khan, On off, Rashid strokes it to point. |
| 45.4 : M Amir to R Khan, Slower ball on a length, Rashid looks to defend but the ball comes on later than he expected. He defends it off the upper half of his bat. |
| 45.5 : M Amir to R Khan, FOUR! What a shot! Magnificent! Full on middle, Rashid plays a half helicopter shot to hit it through mid-wicket for a boundary. |
| 45.6 : M Amir to R Khan, Back of a length from Amir now. Rashid pulls it to mid-wicket and gets a single. |
| 46.1 : S Afridi to R Khan, Nicely bowled! Slower ball outside off, Rashid comes down the track and looks to hit it but misses. |
| 46.2 : S Afridi to R Khan, Full on off, Rashid clears his front leg and lofts it over covers. He does not time it well so the ball doesn't reach the fence. The batsmen take two as the fielder gathers it. |
| 46.3 : S Afridi to R Khan, Bouncer! It is on the body, Rashid sits under it. Good ball this as the fine leg and third man are deep. |
| 46.4 : S Afridi to R Khan, OUT! Caught! Shaheen gets his fourth of the game and he is having a blast! Slower ball on off, Rashid gets outfoxed by the change in pace. Khan looks to hit it straight but he is way too early in his shot. Rashid ends up chipping it towards mid off. Fakhar Zaman runs to his left and takes an easy catch. |
| The new man in is Hamid Hassan. |
| 46.5 : S Afridi to S Shinwari, Full outside off, Shinwari swings his bat at it but misses. |
| 46.6 : S Afridi to S Shinwari, Full on middle, Shinwari flicks it to deep mid-wicket and keeps the strike. Shaheen finishes with the figures of 10-0-47-4. |
| 47.1 : M Amir to S Shinwari, EDGED AND FOUR! Good length ball outside off, Shinwari swings his bat it. He gets a thick inside edge and luckily for him it goes past the stumps and on to the fine leg fence. Afghanistan will take it no matter how it comes. |
| 47.2 : M Amir to S Shinwari, Very full ball on middle, Shinwari milks it down to long on and gets just a single. |
| 47.3 : M Amir to H Hassan, Smart bowling this. Amir takes the pace off the ball and bowls it outside off, Hassan looks to run it down on the off side but misses. |
| 47.4 : M Amir to H Hassan, Full on the stumps, Hassan strokes it to long on and gives Shinwari the strike. |
| 47.5 : M Amir to S Shinwari, Outside off, Shinwari leaves it alone. He thinks it will be wided but the umpire feels it is at the right side of the tramline. |
| 47.6 : M Amir to S Shinwari, Full on middle, Shinwari nudges it to long on and keeps the strike. |
| Wahab Riaz to bowl the penultimate over of this innings. He has not gone for many but has been pretty inconsistent with his lines. Pakistan will hope he finishes well. |
| 48.1 : W Riaz to S Shinwari, Spears it in on middle, Shinwari does well to flick it to deep mid-wicket. He though manages to get just a single. |
| 48.2 : W Riaz to H Hassan, OUT! Bowled! Comes 'round the wicket and bowls a fast yorker on middle and off at 140 kph. This is just too good a ball for the number 10. Hassan is outdone by the pace. The ball goes on to disturb the stumps. Afghanistan once again might not play out their quota of 50 overs here. |
| Mujeeb Ur Rahman is the last batsman for Afghanistan. Can they bat out the remaining 8 balls? |
| 48.3 : W Riaz to Ur Rahman, WIDE! Poor delivery this. Bowls it down the leg side to the number 11. Mujeeb leaves it alone and it is wided. |
| W Riaz to Ur Rahman, Oh! That was almost the end of the innings. Full outside off, Mujeeb looks to drive but gets beaten. |
| 48.4 : W Riaz to Ur Rahman, Well played. Yorker around off, Mujeeb moves and does well to tap it to point. |
| 48.5 : W Riaz to Ur Rahman, Another yorker. Mujeeb once again does well to get his bat down. This time the ball goes towards third man and they take a single. |
| 48.6 : W Riaz to S Shinwari, Full on off, Shinwari strokes it to sweeper cover and for some reason they do not take the run. |
| 49.1 : M Amir to Ur Rahman, Slower one outside off, Mujeeb swings his bat at it but misses. |
| 49.2 : M Amir to Ur Rahman, Slower ball outside off, once again Mujeeb swings his bat and fails to connect yet again. |
| 49.3 : M Amir to Ur Rahman, Outside off on a length, Mujeeb looks to hit but fails again. |
| 49.4 : M Amir to Ur Rahman, FOUR! Good length ball on off, Mujeeb throws his bat at it. This time Mujeeb gets a thick outside edge and the ball goes to the third man fence for a boundary. |
| 49.5 : M Amir to Ur Rahman, Back of a length ball outside off, Amir takes the pace off it. Mujeeb tries to hit but misses. |
| 49.6 : M Amir to Ur Rahman, Full on middle, Mujeeb strokes it to long on and takes a run. Shinwari calls him for the second and Mujeeb responds. It was always going to be risky. The fielder throws it at the keeper's end. The throw though is wide of the stumps. Sarfaraz collects it and looks to hit the stump with a diving underarm throw. He misses and his dive in the meanwhile takes down Mujeeb too. Shinwari looks for another run but Mujeeb hasn't recovered after his mini-collision. AFGHANISTAN FI |
| Superb bowling effort by Pakistan but they will be a bit disappointed to allow Afghanistan bat out 50 overs and get their total to 227. It was a real struggle for the Afghans right from the beginning. Shaheen Afridi struck twice in his first over and pegged them back. Rahmat Shah played some delightful shots after that but then he was sent packing by Imad Wasim. A little stand between Ikram Ali Khil and Asghar Afghan steadied the ship somewhat but after that partnership was broken, Afghanistan w |
| At one moment, it looked like Afghanistan won't bat out their full quota of overs but Najibullah Zadran then constructed a couple of handy partnerships to help them reach a respectable total. Shaheen Afridi was the most impressive bowler on show and he was nicely assisted by other bowlers. The young man finished with a 4-wicket haul to back up his 3-wicket effort against New Zealand. Imad Wasim and Shadab Khan also combined for three wickets although on this pitch, Pakistan would have expected a |
| Imad Wasim gives a quick interview. Says that the crowd is supporting them a lot and it feels like home. On his first wicket of this World Cup, he replies that it was not in his mind as he was just looking to bowl according to his skipper's plan. Imad says after Powerplay 1 there was some moisture and later on it started to skid and hence he changed his plan and bowled slow. On the surface, Wasim feels if a bowler bowls slowly through the air, they will be rewarded and the ball will grip too. Im |
| Right then, the pitch is offering turn and Afghanistan have some good spinners in their ranks. So far, Rashid Khan has not left much impact in this World Cup and would like to roar back to form. Pakistan have an in-form batting line-up and should chase it down easily but they need to be careful in their approach. Do join us in a short while for the chase. |
| 0.0 : We are back for the chase! The Afghanistan players are in a huddle before they take their respective position in the field. Imam-ul-Haq and Fakhar Zaman walk out to open the innings for Pakistan. Mujeeb Ur Rahman to operate with the first new ball. |
| 0.1 : Ur Rahman to F Zaman, Starts with a flighted delivery on off. No spin on this one, Fakhar defends it off the front foot. |
| Wicket second ball for Afghanistan! Mujeeb is running in celebration. But hang on, Fakhar wants to review it. He feels there is an inside edge. The third umpire is having a close look. It seems that the ball has hit the pad and bat at the same time. Very close. |
| 0.2 : Ur Rahman to F Zaman, OUT! LBW! Pakistan not just lose their first wicket but they also lose their review. Flighted ball on off, skidding back in, Fakhar looks to defend but misses. The ball hits him on the pads. The Afghanistan players put in a loud appeal and the umpire agrees with them. Fakhar has a word with Imam and then takes it upstairs. Replays roll in and Ultra Edge shows that the ball has missed the inside edge by just a fraction. Ball Tracker then confirms Zaman is caught dead in |
| Babar Azam is the number 3 batsman. He has been in supreme form for Pakistan and is fresh from a century against New Zealand. |
| 0.3 : Ur Rahman to B Azam, Floated on off, Babar starts his innings with a confident push to cover. |
| 0.4 : Ur Rahman to B Azam, On the stumps, Azam defends it. |
| 0.5 : Ur Rahman to B Azam, FOUR! The run chase is off the mark and so is Babar. It is a glorious start for him. Flighted and full outside off, Babar drives it delightfully through covers. What a good looking batsman he is! |
| 0.6 : Ur Rahman to B Azam, On the pads, Azam flicks it towards deep mid-wicket and gets a couple. Eventful first over! |
| Hamid Hassan to bowl with the second new ball. |
| 1.1 : H Hassan to Imam, Back of a length ball outside off, Imam looks to drive but misses. |
| 1.2 : H Hassan to Imam, FOUR! Imam is off the mark. Short around the body, Imam pulls it through mid-wicket and starts with a boundary. |
| 1.3 : H Hassan to Imam, Follows it up with a solid leave outside off. |
| 1.4 : H Hassan to Imam, Play and miss. Good length ball just outside off, Imam looks to defend but misses. |
| 1.5 : H Hassan to Imam, On off, Imam pushes it to mid off. |
| 1.6 : H Hassan to Imam, Outside off on a length, Imam lets that go to the keeper. |
| 2.1 : Ur Rahman to B Azam, On the pads, Babar flicks it to square leg for a single. |
| 2.2 : Ur Rahman to Imam, FOUR! Poor ball from Mujeeb. He bowls it on the pads, Imam just helps it on its way fine down the leg side for a boundary. |
| 2.3 : Ur Rahman to Imam, Better, this. Tosses it up on off, Imam defends it off the front foot. |
| 2.4 : Ur Rahman to Imam, On middle, Imam turns it behind square on the leg side for a single. |
| 2.5 : Ur Rahman to B Azam, Off spinner pitching on leg, Babar looks to flick but misses. The ball hits him on his pad. There is a stifled appeal but the umpire is not interested. |
| 2.6 : Ur Rahman to B Azam, On the pads, Azam flicks it to deep mid-wicket and keeps the strike. |
| 3.1 : H Hassan to B Azam, FOUR! Nicely played! Good length ball around off, Babar plays it with soft hands and just runs it down to third man for a boundary. |
| 3.2 : H Hassan to B Azam, Follows it up with a solid front foot defense to point. |
| 3.3 : H Hassan to B Azam, Good length ball outside off, Azam looks to play it on the off side but gets beaten. |
| 3.4 : H Hassan to B Azam, FOUR! Hamid is guilty of bowling it on the pads. Azam, with the form he is in, won't miss that. He flicks it with ease through mid-wicket for a boundary. |
| 3.5 : H Hassan to B Azam, Good length ball on middle and off, Babar defends it off the back foot. Hamid is having some issues with his hamstring. He looks to be in a lot of pain here. |
| 3.6 : H Hassan to B Azam, Length ball outside Babar guides it towards backward point and gets a single. |
| Hamid Hassan is seen trudging off the field. He seems to be struggling with his hamstring. |
| 4.1 : Ur Rahman to B Azam, Tossed up on off, Babar milks it to long on and gets a single. |
| 4.2 : Ur Rahman to Imam, Shorter on off, Imam punches it to long on and rotates the strike. |
| 4.3 : Ur Rahman to B Azam, On the pads, Babar eases his flick to deep mid-wicket for a single. |
| 4.4 : Ur Rahman to Imam, Floated on off, Imam defends it off the front foot. |
| 4.5 : Ur Rahman to Imam, Shorter on middle, Imam punches it towards mid-wicket and gets a run. |
| 4.6 : Ur Rahman to B Azam, Fuller and flighted on off, Babar drives it straight to Mujeeb. |
| Hamid Hassan cannot continue to bowl as of now. So the skipper brings himself into the attack. |
| 5.1 : G Naib to Imam, Starts with a good length ball outside off, Imam leaves it alone. |
| 5.2 : G Naib to Imam, Length ball around off, Imam cuts it but to the man at point. |
| 5.3 : G Naib to Imam, Well fielded. Full on off, Imam drives it to the right of cover. Rashid Khan there dives on that side and saves runs for his side. |
| 5.4 : G Naib to Imam, Around off on a length, Imam guides it down to third man and gets a single. |
| 5.5 : G Naib to B Azam, Full on middle, Babar flicks it to deep mid-wicket and picks up an easy single. |
| 5.6 : G Naib to Imam, Outside off, Imam shoulders arms to it. 196 runs needed off 264 balls now. |
| 6.1 : Ur Rahman to B Azam, Tossed up around off, Azam gets his front foot to the line of the ball and blocks it. |
| 6.2 : Ur Rahman to B Azam, Shorter on off, Azam punches it to cover. |
| 6.3 : Ur Rahman to B Azam, Floated on the stumps, Babar defends it off the front foot. |
| 6.4 : Ur Rahman to B Azam, Once again it is in line of the stumps and Babar blocks it with calmness. |
| 6.5 : Ur Rahman to B Azam, Around the pads, Azam looks to flick but the ball kisses his thigh pad. |
| Shout for an lbw against Babar Azam! This time the finger has stayed down. Almost all the Afghanistan players come together and then Gulbadin Naib is seen signalling for the DRS. Impact looks to be an issue here. It indeed is. The replays confirm that and the crowd erupts in joy. Both teams have now ZERO review left. |
| 6.6 : Ur Rahman to B Azam, SAFE! The impact is way outside off and now even Afghanistan have lost their review. Floated outside off, Babar looks to defend but misses. The ball hits him on his pad. Afghanistan players put in an appeal but the umpire is unmoved. Naib signals the 'T' and replays roll in. Ultra Edge shows no involvement of the bat. Ball Tracker rolls in next and it shows the impact was well outside off. A maiden for Mujeeb and both the teams now have no reviews left for the rest of t |
| 7.1 : G Naib to Imam, Misfield and they get an extra run. Good length ball on the pads, Imam flicks it. The fielder there gets to the ball but fumbles. The batsmen make the most of it and come back for the second. |
| 7.2 : G Naib to Imam, Good length ball on the stumps, Imam blocks it. |
| 7.3 : G Naib to Imam, FOUR! Off cutter on off, Imam looks to defend but the ball races off the outside edge towards the third man fence for a boundary. |
| 7.4 : G Naib to Imam, FOUR! Misfield again. Full on off, Imam drives it to the right of mid on. Afghan there misfields and the ball goes through him for a boundary. |
| 7.5 : G Naib to Imam, Now pushes it to mid on and Afghan this time gets to the ball and holds onto it. |
| 7.6 : G Naib to Imam, Outside off, Imam leaves it alone. 10 runs off the over. A very good one for Pakistan. |
| 8.1 : Ur Rahman to B Azam, Tossed up on middle, Azam comes down the track and strokes it to long on for one. |
| 8.2 : Ur Rahman to Imam, Shorter on off, Imam defends it onto the ground. |
| 8.3 : Ur Rahman to Imam, On the pads, Imam flicks it to the on side and rotates the strike. |
| 8.4 : Ur Rahman to B Azam, Flighted outside off, it is a carrom ball. Azam looks to drive but the ball spins away. |
| 8.5 : Ur Rahman to B Azam, Floated on off, Azam blocks it. |
| 8.6 : Ur Rahman to B Azam, Floated on middle, Azam strokes it to long on and keeps the strike. |
| 9.1 : G Naib to B Azam, Good length ball on middle, Babar tucks it towards mid-wicket and gets to the other end. |
| 9.2 : G Naib to Imam, Full on middle and off, Imam taps it back to the bowler. |
| 9.3 : G Naib to Imam, Good running. Good length ball on off and middle, Imam flicks it wide of deep mid-wicket. Shinwari there gets to the ball and has a throw at the keeper's end but Imam is quick and is safely back home for the second. |
| 9.4 : G Naib to Imam, Length ball on off, Imam defends it towards cover. |
| 9.5 : G Naib to Imam, Length delivery around off, Imam runs it down to third man and gets a single. |
| 9.6 : G Naib to B Azam, Good length ball around off, Imam taps it to the man at first slip. Pakistan are 49/1 at the end of Powerplay 1. |
| Powerplay 2 time. Now 4 fielders can be placed outside the 30-yard circle till the 40th over. |
| 10.1 : Ur Rahman to Imam, Shorter around off, Imam cuts it wide of sweeper cover and gets a couple. 50 comes up for Pakistan with this brace. |
| 10.2 : Ur Rahman to Imam, Floated on off, Imam milks it to long on for a run. |
| 10.3 : Ur Rahman to B Azam, On the pads, Babar flicks it but finds short fine leg. |
| 10.4 : Ur Rahman to B Azam, In the air but safe. Shorter on off, Azam looks to push it straight but it comes off the upper half of his bat. It goes uppishly back towards the bowler. Fortunately for him, it falls short of Mujeeb. |
| 10.5 : Ur Rahman to B Azam, Defended off the front foot by Azam. |
| 10.6 : Ur Rahman to B Azam, On the pads, Babar flicks it to the man at square leg. |
| Change in bowling. Mohammad Nabi has been inserted into the attack. His off spinners will come in handy against Imam. A slip in place. |
| 11.1 : M Nabi to Imam, Floated on off, Imam defends it off the front foot. |
| 11.2 : M Nabi to Imam, Tossed up on off, Imam defends it towards cover and looks for a quick single but then decides not to go with it. |
| 11.3 : M Nabi to Imam, Direct hit and Babar could have been in trouble. Floated on off, Imam once again defends it towards cover and then hesitates for a run. Azam though puts his head down and goes for it. The fielder has a shy at the keeper's end but cannot score. |
| 11.4 : M Nabi to B Azam, On the pads, Azam flicks it to the on side and gets a single. |
| 11.5 : M Nabi to Imam, Floated on off, Imam blocks it. |
| 11.6 : M Nabi to Imam, Dot to end the over. It is an off spinner around off, Imam gets on his front foot and defends it. |
| Change of ends for Gulbadin Naib. |
| 12.1 : G Naib to B Azam, Full on off, Azam taps it back to the bowler. The ball goes towards Naib on a bounce. The ball hits his finger and goes to mid off. |
| 12.2 : G Naib to B Azam, Fuller around off, Babar strokes it towards sweeper cover and gets a single. |
| 12.3 : G Naib to Imam, Outside off, Imam does not disturb it and lets it go to the keeper. |
| 12.4 : G Naib to Imam, Length ball on middle and leg, Imam flicks it wide of deep mid-wicket and gets a couple as Rashid cleans it up. He throws it at the bowler's end and the fielder covering there dislodges the bails but Azam is well home. |
| 12.5 : G Naib to Imam, Around off, Imam guides it to third man for a single. |
| 12.6 : G Naib to B Azam, On the pads, Azam flicks it towards deep mid-wicket and gets a couple. |
| 13.1 : M Nabi to Imam, Shorter around off, Babar punches it towards cover and gets a single. |
| 13.2 : M Nabi to B Azam, On the stumps, Babar calmly blocks it. |
| 13.3 : M Nabi to B Azam, Azam uses his wrist beautifully as he flicks it to the on side for a single. |
| 13.4 : M Nabi to Imam, Turn and bounce. Floated around off, it spins away after pitching. Imam looks to defend but gets beaten. |
| 13.5 : M Nabi to Imam, Tossed up on off, Imam drives it wide of sweeper cover for a couple. |
| 13.6 : M Nabi to Imam, Loopy ball spinning away. Imam looks to defend but the ball goes past his outside edge. Ikram goes up in appeal but no one else joins him. |
| It's Rashid time. Rashid Khan is now introduced into the attack. |
| 14.1 : R Khan to B Azam, Starts with a short ball around off, Babar cuts it towards deep point. Najibullah runs to his left from sweeper cover and stops it before the fence. Two runs saved by him. |
| 14.2 : R Khan to B Azam, FOUR! Bad ball this from Rashid. Short on off, Babar pulls it over mid-wicket for a boundary. He shares a smile with Rashid. Dominating the leggie, Babar. |
| 14.3 : R Khan to B Azam, Googly now. Babar picks it early and turns it with the spin to the leg side for a single. |
| 14.4 : R Khan to Imam, Wrong 'un again. Imam defends it off the back foot. |
| 14.5 : R Khan to Imam, Quicker on the pads, Imam looks to defend but gets hit on the pads. There is a stifled appeal but the umpire is unmoved. |
| 14.6 : R Khan to Imam, Floated on the stumps, Imam defends it off the front foot. |
| 15.1 : M Nabi to B Azam, On middle, Babar sweeps it to fine leg for one. |
| 15.2 : M Nabi to Imam, Flighted on off, Imam defends it towards point. |
| 15.3 : M Nabi to Imam, Tossed up on off, Imam defends it off the front foot. |
| 15.4 : M Nabi to Imam, Shorter around off, Imam punches it to point. |
| 15.5 : M Nabi to Imam, Short again on off and middle, Imam turns it behind square on the leg side and looks for a single but does not get it. |
| Stumping appeal! Imam-ul-Haq is already walking. But the square leg umpire wants to be extra sure. He has taken it upstairs. |
| 15.6 : M Nabi to Imam, OUT! Stumped! Brilliantly bowled by Nabi. He gives it some extra air and bowls it slower on off. Imam comes down the track and looks to hit it. The ball though spins away from him and Ikram Ali Khil behind the stumps whips the bails off quickly. Imam looks to plonk his bat inside the crease but he is very late. The umpire takes it upstairs but it is a mere formality as Imam does not wait and starts walking back. Once again Imam fails to convert his start. 156 needed off 204 |
| Mohammad Hafeez arrives in the middle. He has been in decent form of late and would like to put together another partnership with Babar Azam. |
| 16.1 : R Khan to B Azam, Tossed up on off, Babar blocks it. |
| 16.2 : R Khan to B Azam, Floated on off, Azam drives it wide of sweeper cover and gets a couple. |
| 16.3 : R Khan to B Azam, Tossed up on off, Azam defends it off the back foot. |
| 16.4 : R Khan to B Azam, Short around off, Azam pulls it wide of deep mid-wicket for a brace. |
| 16.5 : R Khan to B Azam, FOUR! Brilliant effort in the field but in vain. Tossed up outside off, Babar drives it past backward point. Naib runs after it and looks to pull it back with a dive. He though fails to keep it in and the ball touches the rope. Full marks for the effort there. |
| 16.6 : R Khan to B Azam, Tossed up on middle, Azam strokes it to long on for a single. |
| 17.1 : M Nabi to B Azam, Pitching around off and middle and spins in a lot. Azam looks to flick but misses. The ball kisses his pads and goes to the keeper. |
| 17.2 : M Nabi to B Azam, OUT! Bowled 'em! The dangerous Babar is out of here. Nabi tosses it up on leg, Azam looks to sweep but misses. The ball goes straight and disturbs the leg pole. Azam hears the horrible noise of the ball meeting the stumps. Babar was looking so good out in the middle but now he has to walk back. Second wicket for Nabi and Afghanistan have a real chance here to take down Pakistan. |
| Drinks break. Mohammad Nabi has sent jitters to the Pakistan dressing room here. Two wickets in quick succession, dismissing both the set batsmen, and Afghanistan have gained some momentum here. 147 needed more with a new pair in the middle. Haris Sohail has joined Mohammad Hafeez. |
| 17.3 : M Nabi to H Sohail, Loopy full ball on off, Haris Sohail is on the front foot in defense. |
| 17.4 : M Nabi to H Sohail, Flatter and shorter on middle, Sohail moves back and defends it back off the outer half of his bat. |
| 17.5 : M Nabi to H Sohail, Gets off the mark. Full and flighted outside off, Haris drives it through covers for a run. |
| 17.6 : M Nabi to M Hafeez, Skidding in from around off, Hafeez sticks back inside the crease in defense. Another successful over from Nabi! |
| 18.1 : R Khan to H Sohail, Shout for an lbw, not given! Flatter leg spinner, landing around leg and turning down, Sohail fails to flick and it goes off his pads to short fine leg. The bowler is busy appealing and the batsmen cross for a leg bye. |
| 18.2 : R Khan to M Hafeez, Poor fielding. Shortish and on off, Hafeez plays it down to short third man where the fielder misfields and allows a single. |
| 18.3 : R Khan to H Sohail, A googly around off, Haris is on the front foot as he dabs it to short third man. |
| 18.4 : R Khan to H Sohail, Quicker and in the line of the stumps, defended. |
| 18.5 : R Khan to H Sohail, Flighted and on middle, Sohail flicks but not in the gap, finds mid-wicket. |
| 18.6 : R Khan to H Sohail, Huge shout for an lbw! Once again the umpire shakes his head. A leg spinner landing full outside off, Sohail presses forward to defend but it spins back in with some extra bounce and pings him on the front pad. The appeal is made but the umpire is not interested. The replays confirms that the impact is umpire's call but it's heading over the off stump. |
| 19.1 : M Nabi to M Hafeez, Floated on middle, Hafeez flicks it but finds short mid-wicket. |
| 19.2 : M Nabi to M Hafeez, Now flicks it to square leg for a single. |
| 19.3 : M Nabi to H Sohail, Tossed up on middle, Sohail looks to defend but the ball goes to the on side off the inside edge for a single. |
| 19.4 : M Nabi to M Hafeez, Shorter on off, Hafeez punches it to point. |
| 19.5 : M Nabi to M Hafeez, On the stumps, Hafeez defends it off the front foot. |
| 19.6 : M Nabi to M Hafeez, Loopy ball on off, Hafeez flicks it to square leg and keeps the strike. |
| 20.1 : R Khan to M Hafeez, Tossed up on off, Hafeez pushes it back to the bowler. |
| 20.2 : R Khan to M Hafeez, Flighted on off, Hafeez pushes it to cover and gets a single. |
| 20.3 : R Khan to H Sohail, On the pads, Haris flicks it to the man at mid-wicket. |
| 20.4 : R Khan to H Sohail, Floated on off, Sohail defends it off the front foot. |
| 20.5 : R Khan to H Sohail, Shorter on off, Haris punches it wide of cover for a single. |
| 20.6 : R Khan to M Hafeez, Floated on off, Hafeez milks it to long off and gets a single. He will keep the strike. |
| 21.1 : M Nabi to M Hafeez, Floated on off, Hafeez punches it to mid off. |
| 21.2 : M Nabi to M Hafeez, Turn and bounce on this one. Short on off, Hafeez taps it towards short third man. |
| 21.3 : M Nabi to M Hafeez, On the pads, Hafeez flicks it to the on side and gets a single. |
| 21.4 : M Nabi to H Sohail, Floated on the stumps, Haris blocks it. |
| 21.5 : M Nabi to H Sohail, On off, Haris pushes it to cover. |
| 21.6 : M Nabi to H Sohail, Floated on the stumps, HS defends it off the front foot. |
| Rahmat Shah is on now. Hold on, he was all set to bowl but there was a long chat and now the ball is thrown to Samiullah Shinwari. He is going to bowl now. |
| 22.1 : S Shinwari to M Hafeez, Starts with a loopy ball on off, Hafeez taps it back to the bowler. |
| 22.2 : S Shinwari to M Hafeez, Short and straight on middle and off, Hafeez taps it towards backward point and gets a single. |
| 22.3 : S Shinwari to H Sohail, Short again on off. Haris gets on his back foot and cuts it to backward point. |
| 22.4 : S Shinwari to H Sohail, Loopy on middle and leg, Haris pushes it to the left of the bowler. Shinwari dives on that side and saves runs. |
| 22.5 : S Shinwari to H Sohail, On the pads, Haris flicks it to the on side and gets a single. |
| 22.6 : S Shinwari to M Hafeez, Giggles around the ground. Shinwari bowls it short, Hafeez mistimes his pull towards mid on. Rashid throws it at the keeper's end. The ball goes onto hit Naib straight into his back. |
| 23.1 : M Nabi to M Hafeez, Shorter on off, Hafeez punches it wide of cover for one. |
| 23.2 : M Nabi to H Sohail, Flighted on the stumps, Sohail blocks it. |
| 23.3 : M Nabi to H Sohail, Lovely ball! Slower through the air around off. Sohail looks to defend but the ball spins and bounces away from him to the keeper. |
| 23.4 : M Nabi to H Sohail, Floated on off, Sohail defends it with soft hands towards cover and gets a single. |
| 23.5 : M Nabi to M Hafeez, The batsman has played that off the front foot and into the ground. |
| 23.6 : M Nabi to M Hafeez, Floated on the stumps, blocked off the front foot by Hafeez. |
| 24.1 : S Shinwari to H Sohail, A very full ball around off, Haris milks it to long on for a single. |
| 24.2 : S Shinwari to M Hafeez, Tossed up outside off, Hafeez defends it to point. |
| 24.3 : S Shinwari to M Hafeez, Short on off, Hafeez squeezes it past point and gets a couple. |
| 24.4 : S Shinwari to M Hafeez, Slower through the air on off, Hafeez defends it back to the bowler. |
| 24.5 : S Shinwari to M Hafeez, FOUR! Brings Pakistan's 100 in style. Short around off, Hafeez gets on his back foot and pulls it over mid-wicket. There is no one in the deep, so in the end it's a no risk boundary. |
| 24.6 : S Shinwari to M Hafeez, Flighted around off, Hafeez looks to defend but gets beaten. It feels like the wicket is right around the corner here. |
| Gulbadin Naib is back on. His figures so far 4-0-22-0. |
| 25.1 : G Naib to H Sohail, Good length ball on off, Haris guides it down to third man for a single. |
| 25.2 : G Naib to M Hafeez, Fuller on off, Hafeez plays it to point and gets a single. |
| 25.3 : G Naib to H Sohail, Good length ball on off, Haris taps it down to third man and gets a single. |
| 25.4 : G Naib to M Hafeez, Back of a length ball, Hafeez pulls it away for a single. |
| 25.5 : G Naib to H Sohail, Good length ball on off, Haris guides it down to third man for a single. |
| 25.6 : G Naib to M Hafeez, Length ball around the 4th stump line, Hafeez punches it to point. 120 runs needed in 144 balls now. |
| 26.1 : S Shinwari to H Sohail, FOUR! Excllent shot! Haris has been in good form and this is a proof of it. Short and around off, Haris makes room and smashes it through covers for a boundary. |
| 26.2 : S Shinwari to H Sohail, WIDE! Pressure on the bowler. Shinwari sprays this down the leg side. Wide signalled. |
| S Shinwari to H Sohail, On the pads, HS flicks it to the man at mid-wicket. |
| 26.3 : S Shinwari to H Sohail, Once again finds the man at mid-wicket with his flick. |
| 26.4 : S Shinwari to H Sohail, On middle and leg, Sohail flicks it but straight to the fielder. |
| 26.5 : S Shinwari to H Sohail, On the stumps, Haris blocks it off the front foot. |
| 26.6 : S Shinwari to H Sohail, Floated on off, Sohail plays it back to the bowler. |
| 27.1 : G Naib to M Hafeez, Naib runs in hard and lets out a slower full ball outside off, Hafeez prods forward and pushes it to point. |
| 27.2 : G Naib to M Hafeez, Beaten! Another slower one, a leg cutter, Hafeez pushes inside the line and misses. Ikram gets a bad bounce and he fails to stop it. Parries it towards short fine leg and Sohail calls his partner for a run. Hafeez is late in setting off but reaches the other end safely. |
| 27.3 : G Naib to H Sohail, Naib changes his angle for the left-hander. Bowls it on a shorter length outside off, Sohail flashes and misses. |
| 27.4 : G Naib to H Sohail, FOUR! Connects and connects properly this time. Naib pushes his luck too much there. Got away with the last delivery but not this one. A half-tracker outside off, Haris camps back and whacks it through point for a boundary. The deep fielder tries his best but comes second best. |
| 27.5 : G Naib to H Sohail, A length ball on off, angling in, it's defended off the back foot. |
| 27.6 : G Naib to H Sohail, Huge shout for a caught behind! Not given. The keeper cannot believe it. There is no referral left. Good length delivery drifting down the leg side, Sohail tries to flick but fails to middle it. However, there is some noise as it goes past the bat. Khil collects and appeals, nothing from the umpire. Hang on. Goodness me, the Ultra Edge shows a spike. Big reprieve for Haris. |
| 28.1 : S Shinwari to M Hafeez, Shortish on off, played down from the back foot to point. |
| 28.2 : S Shinwari to M Hafeez, Hafeez has defended it by getting right behind the line of the delivery. |
| 28.3 : S Shinwari to M Hafeez, Flatter and shorter outside off, Hafeez gets back to cut but bottom edges it behind. |
| 28.4 : S Shinwari to M Hafeez, Makes good connection this time. Hafeez rocks back and slaps it through cover-point for one. |
| 28.5 : S Shinwari to H Sohail, Driven towards the mid on region. They pick up a single. |
| 28.6 : S Shinwari to M Hafeez, Short again from Shinwari, wide outside off, Hafeez hits it off his back foot to sweeper cover for a run. 107 needed off 126 balls. |
| Mujeeb Ur Rahman is back into the attack. He was brilliant in his first spell and also dismissed Fakhar Zaman for a 2-ball duck. Afghanistan want more from him. |
| 29.1 : Ur Rahman to M Hafeez, OUT! What an inspired bowling change this is! Afghanistan needed wickets and Naib turns to his strike bowler Mujeeb, and he delivers. Shorter outside off, there was hardly any turn on this one. Hafeez goes for the cut. The ball is away from his body, so he reaches out. Mohammad hits it uppishly straight to Shahidi. The 40-run stand is broken and once again the match tilts right in the balance. 107 runs more needed. |
| 0.0 : Skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed strides out to the centre with Pakistan in a little spot of bother. More than hundred runs needed. A slip is in place. |
| 29.2 : Ur Rahman to S Ahmed, Floated on middle, Sarfaraz plays it to mid on. |
| 29.3 : Ur Rahman to S Ahmed, Sarfaraz is off the mark. He punches this short ball towards cover-point and gets a single. |
| 29.4 : Ur Rahman to H Sohail, Shorter on off, Haris punches it wide of cover and gets a single. |
| 29.5 : Ur Rahman to S Ahmed, Sarfaraz stands tall and punches it wide of cover for one more. |
| 29.6 : Ur Rahman to H Sohail, Stroked to the man at point. Excellent over from Mujeeb. Just 3 runs and more importantly a wicket. |
| 30.1 : S Shinwari to S Ahmed, DROPPED! Shinwari bowls a full toss on off, Sarfaraz hits it uppishly to the right of the bowler. Shinwari moves to that side but the ball goes in and out of his hand. How costly will this dropped chance be? |
| 30.2 : S Shinwari to S Ahmed, Tossed up on off, Sarfaraz pushes it to point for a single. |
| 30.3 : S Shinwari to H Sohail, Shorter around off, Haris punches it wide of sweeper cover for a couple. |
| 30.4 : S Shinwari to H Sohail, On middle and leg, Haris flicks it to square leg for a single. |
| 30.5 : S Shinwari to S Ahmed, Floated on off, Sarfaraz strokes it to point and gets a single. |
| 30.6 : S Shinwari to H Sohail, Floated on the stumps, Sohail defends it off the front foot. |
| Mohammad Nabi is back into the attack. He was outstanding in his first spell where he hunted down Imam and Babar. Gulbadin Naib has gone back to his main spinners here. He knows that only wickets can win them this match. |
| 31.1 : M Nabi to S Ahmed, Slower through the air on off, Sarfaraz strokes it to long on for a single. |
| 31.2 : M Nabi to H Sohail, Floated on the stumps, Haris defends it off the front foot. |
| 31.3 : M Nabi to H Sohail, On the pads, Haris flicks it to the on side and gets a single. |
| 31.4 : M Nabi to S Ahmed, Floated on middle, Sarfaraz pushes it to mid on. |
| 31.5 : M Nabi to S Ahmed, On the pads, Sarfaraz looks to flick but the ball goes off his pads to the on side and they get a single. |
| 31.6 : M Nabi to H Sohail, Flighted on the stumps, Sohail blocks it. |
| 32.1 : S Shinwari to S Ahmed, Tossed up on off, Sarfaraz comes down the track and milks it to sweeper cover for a single. |
| 32.2 : S Shinwari to H Sohail, On the pads, Haris flicks it to the man at short fine leg. |
| 32.3 : S Shinwari to H Sohail, Tossed up on middle, Haris strokes it to the man at mid on. |
| 32.4 : S Shinwari to H Sohail, Loopy ball on the stumps, HS defends it off his front foot. |
| 32.5 : S Shinwari to H Sohail, Flipper around off, Sohail gets on his back foot and opens the face of the bat to get it between point and extra cover. Haris gets a couple as the sweeper cover mops it up. |
| 32.6 : S Shinwari to H Sohail, Short and this time Haris punches it to cover. |
| 33.1 : M Nabi to S Ahmed, Floated on middle, Sarfaraz nudges it to long on for a single. |
| 33.2 : M Nabi to H Sohail, Tossed up on off, Sohail defends it with soft hands towards point and gets a single. |
| 33.3 : M Nabi to S Ahmed, Loopy ball on middle, Sarfaraz milks it to long on for another single. |
| 33.4 : M Nabi to H Sohail, On the pads, Haris flicks it to mid-wicket and gets a single. |
| 33.5 : M Nabi to S Ahmed, Tossed up around off, Sarfaraz plays it to the right of point and gets to the other end. |
| 33.6 : M Nabi to H Sohail, Well played but for no run. Floated on off, Haris drives it but straight to cover. |
| Rashid Khan is back! He has been wicket-less so far in the four overs that he has bowled. Afghanistan want their ace spinner to strike here and break this dangerously developing stand. |
| 34.1 : R Khan to S Ahmed, Leg spinner outside off, Sarfaraz punches it towards deep point and looks for two but he has to settle for just a single. |
| 34.2 : R Khan to H Sohail, Floated on middle and leg, Haris taps it back to the bowler. |
| 34.3 : R Khan to H Sohail, Fuller on off, Haris defends it off the front foot. |
| 34.4 : R Khan to H Sohail, Shorter around off, Haris plays it to the man at point. |
| 34.5 : R Khan to H Sohail, WIDE! Bowls it quicker but down the leg side. Ikram behind the stumps cannot take it cleanly but that does not cost any extra. |
| R Khan to H Sohail, Floated on off, Sohail looks to defend but gets an inside edge onto his pads. |
| 34.6 : R Khan to H Sohail, OUT! Naib wanted his ace bowler to strike and so he does. Rashid has not been at his brilliant best so far but he has given his side a very prized scalp here. Leg break which is quick as well. It is pitching on leg, Haris looks to defend but misses. The ball hits him flush on the front pad. The Afghanistan players are convinced that they have their man so they put a convincing appeal. The umpire thinks for a moment and then raises the dreaded finger. Pakistan have no re |
| Imad Wasim is the new batsman. All he needs to do is to rotate the strike. 86 needed off 90 balls. |
| 35.1 : M Nabi to S Ahmed, Shows the full face of the bat and defends the ball off the back foot. |
| 35.2 : M Nabi to S Ahmed, Tossed up ball outside off, Ahmed is forward as he drives it to point. |
| 35.3 : M Nabi to S Ahmed, A bit short and on off, Sarfaraz moves back and cuts it through point for a run. |
| 35.4 : M Nabi to I Wasim, Beauty by Nabi! He bowls an off spinner from 'round the wicket. It drifts in with the angle and then spins away to beat the left-hander. |
| 35.5 : M Nabi to I Wasim, Full and outside off, Imad drives it through covers and takes a run. |
| 35.6 : M Nabi to S Ahmed, Quicker one, full and on off, Ahmed is on the front foot as he pushes it towards mid on. Fine over by Nabi! |
| 36.1 : R Khan to I Wasim, Wide! Spinning down the leg side, Wasim tries to flick but misses. The keeper collects and appeals but nothing from the umpire. The required rate is touching 6 now. |
| R Khan to I Wasim, Tossed up ball outside off, Wasim gets forward to defend but is beaten. |
| 36.2 : R Khan to I Wasim, Flatter and on off, Wasim tries to defend from the back foot and it takes the bottom half of his bat. Rolls behind to the keeper. |
| 36.3 : R Khan to I Wasim, Appeal for a catch! Quicker and down the leg side, Imad fails to get it away and is hit on the pads. They appeal but it's not given. The replays later show that it hit Imad in line and was going on to hit the stumps. No DRS there so Imad survives. |
| 36.4 : R Khan to I Wasim, Wide! Turning down the leg side, Imad has no clue where the ball is spinning. Tries to flick but misses. |
| R Khan to I Wasim, Shout for an lbw again! A flipper landing outside off and turning back in a hint, Imad looks to defend but gets an inside edge onto the front pad. |
| 36.5 : R Khan to I Wasim, Sliding down the leg side, Imad works it off his pads towards short fine leg. |
| 36.6 : R Khan to I Wasim, Flatter and quicker, Imad plays it off his pads to short fine leg again. Rashid has rushed through this over, should have got a wicket too but there was no DRS available. |
| The skipper, Gulbadin Naib is back into the attack. |
| 37.1 : G Naib to S Ahmed, Good length ball on off, Sarfaraz taps it towards third man and gets a single. |
| 37.2 : G Naib to I Wasim, Full on middle, Imad flicks it towards deep mid-wicket for a single. |
| 37.3 : G Naib to S Ahmed, Good length ball on the pads, Sarfaraz flicks it to deep mid-wicket for a single. |
| 37.4 : G Naib to I Wasim, Slower ball outside off, Imad looks to play it but gets beaten. |
| 37.5 : G Naib to I Wasim, Once again an off cutter. This time Imad cuts it to deep point and gets a single. |
| 37.6 : G Naib to S Ahmed, FOUR! The Pakistani fans here in Leeds have found the voice again. Slower ball, it is slightly short. Sarfaraz picks it early and pulls it towards the square leg fence for a boundary. |
| Drinks break. This match is alive and kicking. 74 needed off 72 balls. Rashid and Mujeeb have 7 overs remaining and it's not going to be easy for Pakistan. The pitch is turning and causing a lot of trouble to the batsmen. We are heading for a thrilling finish here. |
| 38.1 : R Khan to I Wasim, Sharp spin away from the batsman, outside off, Imad stays back to push at it and misses. |
| 38.2 : R Khan to I Wasim, Imad is completely at sea here against Rashid. Clueless. A googly around off, spinning away viciously, Wasim is forward as he tries to flick but misses. |
| 38.3 : R Khan to I Wasim, Tossed up on off and middle, Imad defends it back to the bowler. |
| 38.4 : R Khan to I Wasim, Shorter on the pads, Imad looks to flick but gets an inside edge onto his pads. |
| 38.5 : R Khan to I Wasim, Full toss on off, Imad pushes it wide of mid off and gets a single. |
| Run out appeal is referred upstairs! Sarfaraz has dived in but it seems he is short. Let's find out. Big moment for Pakistan. |
| 38.6 : R Khan to S Ahmed, OUT! RUN OUT! Body blow this for Pakistan. Shorter on off, Sarfaraz strokes it wide of deep point and looks for two. He runs the first one hard and calls for the second. Najibullah Zadran gets to the ball quickly in the deep and releases it close to the stumps at the keeper's end. Sarfaraz puts in a dive but Ikram takes the bails off quickly. The keeper turns to appeal but Sarfaraz knows that he is short. The replays roll in and they confirm the same. Pakistan continue t |
| Shadab Khan is the new batsman. Also, Mujeeb has returned into the attack. Afghanistan are roaring here. They are applying relentless pressure on their neighbours and are sniffing an upset here. |
| 39.1 : Ur Rahman to I Wasim, On the pads, Wasim flicks it but finds mid-wicket. |
| 39.2 : Ur Rahman to I Wasim, Tossed up on off, Imad defends it off the front foot. |
| 39.3 : Ur Rahman to I Wasim, Shorter on off, Imad plays it to the man at point. |
| 39.4 : Ur Rahman to I Wasim, Floated on middle and leg, Imad nudges it wide of mid on and gets a single. |
| 39.5 : Ur Rahman to S Khan, Floated on the stumps, Shadab defends it off the front foot. |
| 39.6 : Ur Rahman to S Khan, Floated on the stumps, Khan gets behind it and blocks it. |
| Powerplay 3 time. Now a maximum of 5 fielders can be placed outside the 30-yard circle till the end of this game. |
| 40.1 : S Shinwari to I Wasim, Floated on the stumps, Imad defends it off the front foot. |
| 40.2 : S Shinwari to I Wasim, Shorter on off, Wasim punches it to the man at cover. |
| 40.3 : S Shinwari to I Wasim, Flighted on middle, Imad milks it to long on for one. |
| 40.4 : S Shinwari to S Khan, Tossed up on off, Shadab strokes it to long off and gets a single. |
| 40.5 : S Shinwari to I Wasim, On the pads, Imad flicks it wide of deep mid-wicket for a couple. |
| 40.6 : S Shinwari to I Wasim, In the air but safe. Tossed up on off, Imad looks to flick but gets a leading edge. Luckily the ball falls short of the bowler. |
| Gulbadin Naib is back on. |
| 41.1 : G Naib to S Khan, Good length ball on middle, Shadab strokes it towards mid on and gets a single. |
| 41.2 : G Naib to I Wasim, Good length ball on off, Imad drives it to point and gets a couple. |
| 41.3 : G Naib to S Khan, Back of length ball on off, Shadab pulls it to deep mid-wicket for a single. |
| 41.4 : G Naib to I Wasim, Back of a length ball on off, Imad blocks it off the back foot. |
| 41.5 : G Naib to I Wasim, FOUR! Much-needed boundary this for Pakistan. Full on off, Imad drives it past the diving mid off fielder for a boundary. |
| 41.6 : G Naib to I Wasim, On the pads, Imad flicks it to the leg side and gets a single. 59 needed off the last 8 overs now. |
| 42.1 : Ur Rahman to I Wasim, Floated on middle, Imad reverse sweeps it but finds short third man. |
| 42.2 : Ur Rahman to I Wasim, Flighted on off, Imad strokes it to long on for a single. |
| 42.3 : Ur Rahman to S Khan, Straighter one on middle and leg, Shadab defends it back to the bowler. |
| 42.4 : Ur Rahman to S Khan, On the pads, Shadab flicks it to square leg and gets a couple. |
| 42.5 : Ur Rahman to I Wasim, Short around off, Imad late cuts it. Afghan runs after it from short third man and pulls it back before the ropes. He saves two for his side. |
| 42.6 : Ur Rahman to I Wasim, On the pads, Imad flicks it to square leg for a single. |
| Rashid Khan is back into the attack. 7-0-26-1, his figures so far. |
| 43.1 : R Khan to I Wasim, Shorter on off, Imad guides it down to third man and gets a single. |
| 43.2 : R Khan to S Khan, Flighted outside off, Khan looks to drive but misses. |
| 43.3 : R Khan to S Khan, Tossed up on middle, Shadab strokes it to long on for a single. |
| 43.4 : R Khan to I Wasim, On the pads, Imad glances it to mid-wicket for a single. |
| 43.5 : R Khan to S Khan, On the pads, Shadab looks to flick but the ball goes off his thigh pad towards short fine leg and they take a leg bye. |
| 43.6 : R Khan to I Wasim, Floated on off, Imad strokes it wide of long on and gets a couple. |
| Samiullah Shinwari is back into the attack. |
| 44.1 : S Shinwari to S Khan, IN THE AIR...JUST SHORT. Leg spinner on middle, Shadab looks to flick but gets a leading edge. Shinwari dives in front but the ball falls agonizingly short of him. Shinwari was inches away from getting a wicket there. |
| 44.2 : S Shinwari to S Khan, Floated on off, Shadab blocks it off the front foot. |
| 44.3 : S Shinwari to S Khan, Tossed up around off, Shadab strokes it to the man at point. |
| 44.4 : S Shinwari to S Khan, Floated on off, Shadab drives it but finds mid off. |
| 44.5 : S Shinwari to S Khan, On the pads, Shadab flicks it to the on side and gets a single. Just a run off the 5 balls so far. Can he end it well? |
| 44.6 : S Shinwari to I Wasim, Yes he ends it well. Floated on off, Imad comes down the track and milks it to long off and keeps the strike. 46 needed off the last 5 overs now. |
| Gulbadin Naib to bowl. Asghar Afghan has a chat with him and sets the field. It seems that the ex-skipper has taken over the control. |
| 45.1 : G Naib to I Wasim, FOUR! Thumped! Full toss outside off, Wasim shuffles across the stumps, fetches it from there and swings it across the line. It hurries in front of square leg and finds the fence after beating the dive from the deep fielder. |
| 45.2 : G Naib to I Wasim, In the air... Afghan misjudges it! A length delivery outside off, Imad miscues his shot in the air at extra cover. Afghan runs back from the circle but misjudges it as the ball drops wide of him. A couple taken. |
| 45.3 : G Naib to I Wasim, Whips this delivery through wide mid on for a couple of runs. |
| Slight hold up in play. Imad Wasim has cramped himself and is lying flat on the ground. Shadab helps him in stretching. Physio has come out now. 38 needed off 27 balls. |
| 45.4 : G Naib to I Wasim, FOUR! Edgy! Luck is going Pakistan's way. Width on offer outside off, Wasim throws his bat at it and edges it wide of short third man for a boundary. 12 from the over, so far. |
| 45.5 : G Naib to I Wasim, FOUR! Another boundary, make it 16 from the over. Imad has unleashed here. Poor bowling by the skipper. Keeps bowling short and wide outside off and Wasim whacks it through point. |
| 45.6 : G Naib to I Wasim, Wide! 29 needed off 25 balls. The crowd is going mad. Fullish and angling down the leg side, Imad tries to flick but misses. |
| G Naib to I Wasim, Smart batting. Fuller and on off, Imad tries to drive but it takes the inside edge and hits him on the pads. It deflects towards extra cover and they cross. 28 needed off 24 balls and this over has made Pakistan the favourites again. |
| Rashid Khan into the attack. His skipper bowled an expensive last over and now Rashid will have to get a wicket here. If not a wicket he will look to not leak too many runs. |
| 46.1 : R Khan to I Wasim, Quicker and fuller on off, Imad defends it to the off side. |
| 46.2 : R Khan to I Wasim, Spinning away from the batsman, it's on the shorter side, Wasim stays back and steers it through point for a run. |
| 46.3 : R Khan to S Khan, FOUR! Streaky! Pakistan will take it. A full delivery landing on off and spinning away, Shadab presses forward to push it through but it takes the outside edge and runs wide of short third man for a boundary. |
| Appeal for a run out! Is there any more twist left in this match? Shadab is in question. Has his dive saved him? |
| 46.4 : R Khan to S Khan, OUT! Shadab is short! A flatter delivery on middle, Khan whips it to deep mid-wicket and attempts for the second run. Naib in the deep runs forward and sends in a bullet throw to the keeper who breaks the stumps as Shadab dives in. They appeal, it's referred upstairs and the replay find Khan short. 50-run stand is broken immediately. 22 needed off 20 balls. |
| Wahab Riaz walks out to bat next. Remember he has a fracture on his finger. Wahab can hit the long ball but will this injury be an issue? |
| 46.5 : R Khan to W Riaz, Stifled appeal for an lbw! A googly on off, some extra bounce as it spins back in and hits Wahab high on his front leg. |
| 46.6 : R Khan to W Riaz, FOUR! Wow, Wahab has drilled his shot! Full and flighted outside off, Riaz watches width there and muscles it through covers. 10 runs and a wicket from the over, 18 needed off 18 balls. |
| Mujeeb Ur Rahman is into the attack. His team needs him to build pressure with dots and a wicket here will be cherry on the cake. |
| 47.1 : Ur Rahman to I Wasim, Tossed up ball outside off, tapped down from the crease to point. |
| 47.2 : Ur Rahman to I Wasim, Full and on off, driven back to the bowler. |
| 47.3 : Ur Rahman to I Wasim, Three dots. Pressure. Short and wide outside off, Imad tries to cut but misses as it bounces over his bat. |
| 47.4 : Ur Rahman to I Wasim, Too full in length on off, driven back firmly and it took Mujeeb's leg before deflecting towards deep mid-wicket. A single taken. Mujeeb is down on the ground in some pain. |
| 47.5 : Ur Rahman to W Riaz, Flatter and quicker on off, Riaz gets back deep inside the crease and pushes it out with gentle hands to covers. A single taken. |
| 47.6 : Ur Rahman to I Wasim, Very full and outside off, Wasim squeezes it out to covers. Dot ball to end an excellent spell by Mujeeb, 10-1-34-2! Outstanding job done by the offie. 16 needed more off 12 balls. |
| 48.1 : R Khan to W Riaz, Swing and a miss! Flighted and outside off, Wahab tries to slog sweep but it turns away to beat his bat. |
| 48.2 : R Khan to W Riaz, SIX! This one has disappeared into the crowd. 10 needed off 10 balls. Floated delivery, full and on middle, Wahab kneels and smokes it deep into the stands at mid-wicket. This is a clean hit by Riaz. Look at the crowd. They are loving every bit of the action here. |
| 48.3 : R Khan to W Riaz, Excellent running between the wickets. A googly around off, turning in, Wahab doesn't pick it but does well to force it down towards long off for a couple. |
| 48.4 : R Khan to W Riaz, Googly around off, some extra bounce, Wahab swings and misses. |
| 48.5 : R Khan to W Riaz, Flatter and fuller around middle, Wahab reverse sweeps it through covers for a single. 7 needed off 7 balls. |
| 48.6 : R Khan to I Wasim, Shortish and on leg, Wasim tries to flick but misses. It takes his pads and rolls to short fine leg for a leg bye. 10 from the over! |
| 6 needed off 6 balls. Gulbadin Naib has the ball in his hand. |
| 49.1 : G Naib to I Wasim, Full toss outside off, Wasim smashes it to sweeper cover for a single. 5 needed off 5 balls. |
| 49.2 : G Naib to W Riaz, Slower one, full and angling down the leg side, Wahab swings his bat early and misses. It goes off his pads to the leg side and they cross. Given as a run. Maybe, some inside edge then. |
| 49.3 : G Naib to I Wasim, Run out chance missed! Extra run taken. Poor from Naib again. Fullish and outside off, Imad drives it straight to extra cover and crosses for a risky run. The fielder picks up the ball and throws it to the bowler who fails to catch it. It goes behind and the batsmen run an overthrow. |
| 49.4 : G Naib to I Wasim, FOUR! PAKISTAN WIN BY 3 WICKETS! Naib hurls in a low full toss outside off, Wasim drills his drive through extra cover and it speeds away to the fence in a flash. The crowd erupts in joy. Great scenes out there! |
| A narrow escape for Pakistan and they have kept their campaign alive. Imad Wasim has done it for them. A very vital knock from the southpaw. He struggled at the start of his innings but gutted it out and has scripted a thrilling victory for his team. A word of praise for Wahab Riaz as well whose 9-ball 15 cannot be undermined. Heartbreak for Afghanistan. But credit to them for making Pakistan sweat hard for this win. Well done, Afghans! |
| A target of 228 on this turning pitch was always going to be tricky. Once Pakistan lost Fakhar Zaman on the second ball of the run chase it gave us a hint that it's not going to be a smooth ride for the green team. But then, Babar Azam and Imam-ul-Haq got involved in a 72-run stand to pave the way. Just when it looked like Pakistan will cruise, Mohammad Nabi removed both Imam and Babar in quick succession to peg Pakistan back. Mohammad Hafeez and Haris Sohail also formed a partnership but the Af |
| Imad Wasim is adjudged the Man of the Match for his all-round performance! Says when he came to bat Rashid was bowling really well and admits he struggled to pick him. Tells the plan was to play the full 50 overs. Mentions that Naib was the only bowler who they could have targeted as Afghanistan have great spinners. Thanks the crowd for their support as it made them feel at home and also dedicates this win to the supporters. States that this win has given them a lot of confidence and hopes that |
| Afghanistan skipper, Gulbadin Naib says they fought well and gave their all but in the end they missed the opportunity to win. Credits Imad for the way he played and also credits Shadab for rotating the strike. Feels had they worked hard, they could have won. Still reckons that they improved with every game. On bowling that 46th over, he replies that they lost Hamid Hassan due to injury and counts that as their bad luck. Credits his bowlers for bowling the way they did. States that in a tourname |
| Pakistan skipper, Sarfaraz Ahmed starts by thanking the Almighty. He then thanks the fans for their support. Credits Imad Wasim for his brilliant innings. Informs that the pitch was two-paced and they knew it was going to be a tough chase. He is happy though that everyone chipped in. Credits his team as it is not easy winning 4 out of 4 games. Credits Wahab too as his 12-15 runs helped the team. Mentions that Shaheen has worked hard and he bowled really well along with the other bowlers. Further |
| That's all from this close encounter. Afghanistan really scared Pakistan just like they did to India but failed to cross the line. On Sunday, we have a mouthwatering match lined up - England will be taking on India in a crucial encounter at Edgbaston. Do join us at 1030 local (0930 GMT) for all the action. Meanwhile, you can switch to the concerned tab to get the updates from Match 37 of this World Cup. Cheers! |
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