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Afghanistan will now play the semi-final against South Africa. (PC: X.com)
The outcome of this match hinged on which team could fare better with the bat. On a tough Kingstown pitch, Afghanistan managed to post a target of 115, which, at the halfway mark, looked below par. However, the Afghanistan bowlers displayed remarkable spirit, defending the total despite the ball getting wet due to multiple rain spells. Although Litton Das fought hard for a Bangladesh win, he lacked support from the other batters. There was drama all around, but in the end, Australia and Bangladesh are out, and Afghanistan have reached the semi-finals of an ICC event for the first time.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran began cautiously with the bat, ensuring the scoreboard kept moving despite disciplined bowling from Bangladesh’s new ball bowlers. Tanzim Sakib, however, conceded a few extras. While the opening duo did well with strike rotation, they struggled to consistently find the boundaries. By the halfway mark, Afghanistan had reached 58/0.
However, when it was time to accelerate, they suffered a collapse, losing five wickets for just 34 runs. Taskin Ahmed, returning from injury, bowled a crucial maiden over against Gurbaz in the 12th, increasing the pressure on the opposition. Shakib Al Hasan brought his experience to the forefront with a crafty spell, and Rishad Hossain impressed once again with his leg-spin, picking up three wickets. Although the pitch offered some assistance, the bowlers fared admirably.
Mustafizur and Taskin were brilliant throughout. Rashid managed to hit a couple of sixes in the final over, giving his team a fighting chance. Yes, the pitch was challenging to bat on from the start and became progressively more difficult as the innings went on.
Defending a modest total of 114 runs, Afghanistan needed early breakthroughs to stay in the game. The new ball duo, Fazalhaq Farooqi and Naveen-ul-Haq, delivered by taking three quick wickets, with two falling in the same over by Naveen. This early setback put Bangladesh on the defensive. After the Powerplay, captain Rashid Khan spun his magic, delivering four outstanding overs and claiming four crucial wickets, putting Afghanistan in a commanding position.
Noor Ahmad and the rest of the bowlers maintained economical spells, but with a run-a-ball required in the final two overs, the match seemed to be slipping away. However, Naveen once again rose to the occasion, bowling the pivotal penultimate over and taking back-to-back wickets, securing the most memorable victory in Afghanistan’s history. This win surpasses even their previous win against Australia, given what all was at stake.
The post Afghanistan outgun Bangladesh in rain-hit thriller at World Cup appeared first on Sports News Portal | Latest Sports Articles | Revsports.
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[[{“value”:”The outcome of this match hinged on which team could fare better with the bat. On a tough Kingstown pitch, Afghanistan managed to post a target of 115, which, at…
The post Afghanistan outgun Bangladesh in rain-hit thriller at World Cup appeared first on Sports News Portal | Latest Sports Articles | Revsports.”}]]
