Welcome to the Pakistan vs Afghanistan T20I Match Review. The pitch report suggested a slow, low surface with a turn for spinners, as we discussed in the preview. With both teams using the series as a warm-up for the upcoming Asia Cup, the 1st match of the UAE T20I Tri-Series promised intensity, and it delivered just that.
Pakistan, after winning the toss, opted to bat first at the Sharjah Cricket Ground. Pakistan lost early wickets, including Sahibzada Farhan (21 off 10), but during the powerplay, runs flowed freely as the team reached 54/1. The innings seemed rocky, yet Pakistan found composure midway. Stepping up when needed, Captain Salman Ali Agha played a proper captain’s knock, an unbeaten 53 off 36 balls, smashing 3 fours and 3 sixes.
His leadership at the crease revived Pakistan’s innings and guided them to a competitive total of 182/7. Mohammad Nawaz (21 off 11) and Mohammad Haris (15 off 13) played cameos and added valuable runs to stretch the total.
Afghanistan got off to a bright start, with Rahmanullah Gurbaz scoring 38 off 27, including 3 fours and a six. The chase appeared well-paced at one stage when Afghanistan was 85/2 after the halfway stage.
After that Afghanistan lost momentum, as Pakistan bowlers took 3 wickets in a span of just 5 deliveries. Haris Rauf, coming into his second over, bowled a double-wicket maiden over, and Sufiyan Muqeem struck off the first delivery of his second over, where he caught & bowled Darwish Rasooli (21 off 13), who was looking good at that stage. In a twist, Afghanistan collapsed dramatically, losing five wickets for just four runs in a 16-ball span. They went from 93/2 to 97/7 as they were bowled out for 143 in 19.5 overs.
Shaheen Afridi delivered early breakthroughs, while other bowlers backed up with smart discipline and wicket-taking deliveries to close out the match. The turning point was Haris Rauf’s double-wicket maiden in the 12th over, which triggered Afghanistan’s collapse. Mohammad Nawaz bowled an economical spell, conceding just 23 runs and taking 2 crucial wickets in his spell of 4 overs.
Pakistan’s win over Afghanistan by 39 runs was propelled by a smart captain’s knock from Salman Agha and a standout spell by Haris Rauf. Afghanistan showcased early promise but lacked finish. This match not only marked a strong start for Pakistan’s campaign but also highlighted key areas for Afghanistan to rectify their mistakes before the Asia Cup.
Match Summary
Pakistan 182/7 (Salman 53*, Nawaz 21, Fareed 47-2) beat Afghanistan (Rashid 39, Gurbaz 38, Rauf 31-4) by 39 runs.
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