PAK vs AFG: Naseem Shah’s Last Over Blitz Knocks Afghanistan, India Out of Asia Cup
Sharjah: It required a special effort from Pakistan to win from a difficult situation and Naseem Shah has done exactly that for Pakistan. With wickets falling every over, Afghanistan were considered favourites till the final over. However, Naseem Shah had some different plans as he struck consecutive sixes to win it for his team. Pakistan won by 1 wicket and confirmed their ticket for the final against Sri Lanka. India and Afghanistan are knocked out of the tournament.
With two wins from as many games, both Pakistan and Sri Lanka have sealed their places in the final of the tournament to be held on Sunday.
India and Afghanistan will lock horns in their final Super 4 match on Thursday, which has been rendered inconsequential.
Pakistan had a torrid time during their chase, losing skipper Babar Azam (0) early as the batter endured another failure after being trapped LBW by Fazalhaq Farooqi (3/31) in the second ball of the innings.
To make matters worse for Pakistan, Fakhar Zaman (5) was run out in the first delivery of the fourth over, off a direct throw from Najibullah Zadran.
Afghanistan got the upper hand when Rashid Khan (2/25) trapped in-form Mohammad Rizwan (20) in front of the wicket with a peach of a delivery that was sure to hit the middle stump, crashing the batter on to his back foot after pitching just outside the off-stump.
On the back foot after losing three key batters, Shadab Khan (36) took the attack to the opposition and clobbered Mohammad Nabi for a six and a four in the 12th over to break the shackles.
Shadab was at his attacking best as he sent a Mujeeb delivery over long-on boundary to being down the equation.
Fareed Ahmed (3/31) brought Afghanistan back into the match by breaking the dangerous-looking 45-run fifth-wicket stand between Iftikhar Ahmed (30) and Shadab.
Ifitkhar pulled a slower short delivery straight to the hands of Ibrahim Zadran as the batter failed to get any elevation.
New man in, Mohammad Nawaz made his intentions clear and guided another short delivery of Ahmed past the wicketkeeper to the third man boundary.
But Shadab looked in ominous form as he slog-swept Rashid over the boundary to ease the pressure.
However, Rashid had the last laugh as he dismissed Shadab in the next ball with the batter thick-edging one to Azmatullah Omarzai at short third man.
But there was hardly any respite for Rashid as Asif Ali slog-swept him for another six in the very next ball.
Two wickets in the 18th over bowled by Fazalhaq Farooqi tilted the balance of the match in Afghanistan’s favour .
Inputs from PTI