Naseem Shah shatters Afghan dream to give Pakistan unassailable lead in ODI series

After the incredible victory in the first match, Pakistan on Thursday also won the second match of the one-day international (ODI) series against Afghanistan by one wicket in Hambantota, Sri Lanka.

Afghanistan’s opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz 151’s helped Afghanistan set a 301-run target against Pakistan in the second match.

Gurbaz was on song in the second match where Afghanistan bounced back from a humiliating 142-run defeat in a three-match series opener to end their innings with 300-5.

After deciding to bat first, Afghanistan’s opening pair of Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran scored 227 runs together. It was Afghanistan’s second-highest ODI partnership.

Toss

Afghanistan won the toss and decided to bat first in the second ODI of the three-match series against Pakistan in Hambantota on Thursday.

Rahmat Shah and Azmatullah Omarzai, who retired hurt in the first ODI, have been replaced by Riaz Hassan and Shahid Kamal for Afghanistan.

Pakistan are unchanged for the contest.

Pakistan lead the series 1-0 after winning the first ODI on Tuesday by a massive margin of 142 runs, courtesy a five-wicket haul by pacer Haris Rauf.

Chasing a target of 202 runs, Afghanistan were dismissed for only 59 runs, their second-lowest score in ODIs, in 19.2 overs.

This was the first five-wicket haul for Haris Rauf in Pakistan colours, who claimed 5-18 in 6.2 overs.

The third and final match of the series will be played in Colombo on August 26.

Playing XI

Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Riaz Hassan, Hashmatullah Shahidi (capt), Ikram Alikhil, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Abdul Rahman, Shahid Kamal, Mujeeb Ur Rahman.

Pakistan: Imam-ul-Haq, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Salman Ali Agha, Shadab Khan, Usama Mir, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf.