Kickstarting their dress rehearsals for the 2023 edition of the Asia Cup in Sri Lanka on Tuesday, Babar Azam’s Pakistan crushed Afghanistan in the first One Day International (ODI) of the three-match series at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Stadium. Co-hosts of the continental tournament with former champions Sri Lanka, Babar’s Pakistan side is playing their first bilateral series with Afghanistan at a natural venue.
Batting first in the series opener at Hambantota, Babar and Co. posted 201 in 47.1 overs. Leading the bowling attack of the Afghanistani side, Mujeeb Ur Rahman handed Pakistan skipper Babar a three-ball duck in the 1st ODI. Mujeeb also got the better of Mohammad Rizwan, who perished for 21 off 22 balls. Top-scoring for Pakistan in the curtain-raiser of the three-match ODI series, Imam-ul-Haq scored a brilliant 61 off 94 balls.
Shadab Khan’s 39 off 50 balls and Iftikhar Ahmed’s 30-run knock lifted Pakistan to a below-par total of 201 in the 50-over contest. For Afghanistan, Mohammad Nabi took 2-34 and Rashid Khan bagged two wickets while Mujeeb returned figures of 3 for 33 in 10 overs. Leading the fightback of the Green Army, speed merchant Haris Rauf emerged as the pick of the bowlers in the low-scoring encounter.
Pakistan rewrite history in ODI series opener
Pace ace Rauf registered his career-best figures as Afghanistan folded for just 59 in 19.2 overs. Rauf bagged five wickets and leaked 18 runs as Afghanistan recorded for its second-lowest ODI total. Rewriting history in the 50-over format, Babar and Co. secured their biggest win in a One Day International game where they were bowled out. Pakistan thrashed Afghanistan by 142 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. Pakistan’s comfortable win over Hashmatullah Shahidi and Co. is also its biggest triumph at a neutral venue since the Green Army outclassed arch-rivals India in the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 final.
‘Rauf’s spell was game-changing’
“We lost wickets upfront and then Imam and Iftikhar played a good hand in getting us to a decent total. We just tried to hit the hard length with the ball and build more dot balls in the powerplay. We all know what Shaheen can do with the new ball. The way Haris Rauf bowled, that spell was game-changing. I always try my level best (as a batter and captain), sometimes you win and sometimes you lose, it happens in the game of cricket. We want to stay positive,” Babar said after the match.
