Afghanistan vs Pakistan

The cricket fans are in for a treat as Afghanistan and Pakistan face each other in a three-match ODI series in Sri Lanka, ahead of the Asia Cup 2023. The first match was played on Tuesday, August 22, at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium in Hambantota, where Pakistan registered a convincing 142-run victory over Afghanistan. The second match will be played on Thursday, August 24, at the same venue, and both teams will be eager to put up a good show.

The first match was dominated by the bowlers from both sides, as the batsmen struggled to score runs on a slow and low pitch. Pakistan, who won the toss and opted to bat first, were bowled out for 201 in 47.1 overs, thanks to a brilliant spell from Mujeeb Ur Rahman, who took three wickets for 33 runs. Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi also chipped in with two wickets each. For Pakistan, Imam-ul-Haq was the top-scorer with 61 runs, while Shadab Khan contributed with 39 runs.

Afghanistan’s chase was derailed by the pace trio of Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf, who shared eight wickets among them. Haris Rauf was the star of the show, as he claimed his maiden five-wicket haul in ODIs, giving away only 18 runs in 6.2 overs. Afghanistan were bundled out for a paltry 59 in 19.2 overs, their lowest total in ODIs. Rahmanullah Gurbaz was the only batsman to reach double digits, with 18 runs.

Pakistan’s captain Babar Azam was happy with his team’s performance, especially the bowlers, who executed their plans well. He also praised Imam-ul-Haq for his patient knock and Haris Rauf for his outstanding bowling. He said that his team will try to improve their batting in the next match and seal the series.

Afghanistan’s captain Hashmatullah Shahidi was disappointed with his team’s batting collapse, and said that they need to learn from their mistakes and play with more confidence. He also lauded Mujeeb Ur Rahman for his exceptional bowling and Rahmanullah Gurbaz for his fighting spirit. He said that his team will bounce back strongly in the next match and level the series.

The second match promises to be an exciting contest, as both teams will look to improve their batting and score more runs. Afghanistan will hope to get a big score from their opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who scored a century in the warm-up match against Sri Lanka Board President’s XI. They will also rely on their spinners Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi to trouble the Pakistani batsmen.

Pakistan will hope to get a good start from their openers Fakhar Zaman and Imam-ul-Haq, who have been inconsistent in recent times. They will also expect more runs from their captain Babar Azam, who is one of the best batsmen in the world. They will also bank on their pacers Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf to repeat their performance from the first match.

The second match will start at 3 pm IST (9:30 am GMT) on Thursday, August 24. The live streaming of the match will be available on FanCode app1 in India and on PTV Sports2 and Geo Super3 channels in Pakistan. You can also follow the live scorecard and updates on ESPNcricinfo4 website.

Don’t miss this thrilling ODI series between Afghanistan and Pakistan in Sri Lanka, as both teams prepare for the Asia Cup 2023.

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