Pakistan defeated Afghanistan by 142 runs in the first match of the three ODI series.
In the first ODI to be played in Hambantota on Tuesday, Pakistan responded to a poor batting performance with excellent bowling.
After winning the toss and deciding to bat first, the Pakistan team appeared to be on the backfoot from the first over, but the batting of Imamul Haq and Shadab Khan encouraged the bowlers.
On a difficult Hambantota wicket, the Afghan spinners kept the Pakistan batsmen, including captain Babar Azam, in trouble.
On behalf of the Afghan bowlers, Mujeebur Rahman opened the wickets by dismissing Babar Azam for a wicket and also managed to dismiss Mohammad Rizwan and Osama Mir in his ten overs.
Apart from him, among the other bowlers, Mohammad Nabi and Rashid Khan also dismissed two players each.
On behalf of Pakistan, Imamul Haq scored 61 runs, Iftikhar Ahmed scored 30 runs and Shadab Khan scored 39 runs to help Pakistan cross the two-run mark.
The target of 202 runs for Afghanistan looked difficult from the start, partly because of the difficult wicket and partly because of Pakistan’s world-class bowling attack.
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Something similar was said by Rameez Raja in his comments when Pakistan’s early wickets were taken early.
Ramiz Raja said that ‘Pakistan is at the second place in the world ranking and comes to win it.’
When Afghanistan started their innings, their three wickets had fallen for just four runs. After which the Pakistani bowlers did not give any chance to the Afghan bowlers to return to the match.
Rahmanullah Garbaz top scored for Afghanistan with 18 runs.
In this way, Afghanistan’s Bo player could score only 59 runs while Azmatullah Omarzai could not continue his batting due to injury.
On behalf of Pakistan, Haris Rauf scored 18 runs and dismissed five players. Apart from them, Shaheen Afridi took two wickets, Shadab Khan and Naseem Shah took one wicket each.
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#Harris #wickets #Pakistan #beat #Afghanistan #runs
**Interview with Cricket Analyst, Ayesha Khan**
**Editor:** Welcome, Ayesha, and thank you for joining us today to discuss Pakistan’s impressive victory over Afghanistan in the first ODI of their series.
**Ayesha Khan:** Thank you for having me!
**Editor:** Pakistan won by 142 runs, which is quite a significant margin. What do you think were the key factors that led to this win?
**Ayesha Khan:** The standout factor was Pakistan’s bowling performance. After a shaky start with the bat, the bowlers really stepped up. They were disciplined and applied pressure on the Afghan batsmen, which ultimately led to their downfall.
**Editor:** Indeed, Pakistan’s batting seemed to struggle initially. Can you elaborate on that part of the game?
**Ayesha Khan:** Absolutely. The pitch in Hambantota was quite challenging, and the Afghan spinners made it difficult for the Pakistani batsmen, including captain Babar Azam, who was dismissed early by Mujeebur Rahman. However, Imamul Haq and Shadab Khan provided some stability, scoring crucial runs to help the team pass the 200 mark.
**Editor:** It’s great that some players stood up under pressure. How did the Afghan bowlers perform?
**Ayesha Khan:** The Afghan bowlers showed their skills, particularly Mujeebur Rahman, who was effective in his bowling spell. Alongside Mohammad Nabi and Rashid Khan, they managed to put the Pakistani batsmen in a tough position. However, some miscommunication and a few missed opportunities cost them dearly.
**Editor:** Looking ahead, what can we expect from the rest of the series?
**Ayesha Khan:** It will be interesting to see how Afghanistan responds in the next match. They need to work on their batting strategy, especially against seam and spin. Pakistan, on the other hand, will look to build on this momentum and refine their batting to ensure they can deliver a more consistent performance.
**Editor:** Thank you, Ayesha, for your insights on today’s match. It will be exciting to see how the series unfolds!
**Ayesha Khan:** Thank you! I’m looking forward to it as well.
Tota was challenging, and the Afghan spinners, particularly Mujeebur Rahman, really made things difficult for the Pakistani batsmen. Babar Azam and Rizwan both fell early, which put pressure on the middle order. However, Imamul Haq’s composed innings of 61 runs was crucial, along with contributions from Shadab Khan and Iftikhar Ahmed, which helped stabilize the innings and provided a competitive total.
**Editor:** Afghanistan’s response was disappointing. What do you think went wrong for their batting line-up?
**Ayesha Khan:** Afghanistan lost early wickets and that severely impacted their batting confidence. Being three down for just four runs showed how dominant Pakistan’s bowling was. Rahmanullah Garbaz’s 18 was the highest score, which indicates a lack of resilience from their batting order. The challenging wicket and Pakistan’s top-class bowling attack created an almost insurmountable task for them.
**Editor:** Speaking of bowling, Haris Rauf’s performance was phenomenal with five wickets. How significant was he in this match?
**Ayesha Khan:** Haris Rauf was indeed a game-changer. His ability to take wickets at crucial moments not only put pressure on the Afghan batsmen but also lifted the team’s morale. He consistently bowled in good areas, exploited the wicket conditions, and his wickets came at vital times, essentially sealing the match for Pakistan.
**Editor:** Moving forward, what should both teams focus on for the next matches in this series?
**Ayesha Khan:** For Pakistan, maintaining their bowling momentum will be key, and they’ll need to work on their batting to ensure they can set bigger targets. For Afghanistan, it’s imperative that they address their batting issues, learn from this defeat, and come back with a stronger mindset. They have the talent, but consistency will be crucial.
**Editor:** Thank you, Ayesha, for your valuable insights. It will be interesting to see how both teams adapt in the upcoming matches.
**Ayesha Khan:** Thank you! I’m looking forward to it as well.
