AFG vs PAK: Haris Rauf's Maiden ODI Fifer Helps Pakistan Rout Afghanistan By 142 Runs, Scorecard Here
Pakistan's Haris Rauf bowled five wickets for 18 runs as Afghanistan suffered a humiliating 142-run defeat in their one-day international (ODI) encounter on Tuesday. After limiting Pakistan to 201 on a difficult, slow pitch, Afghanistan battled to 59-9 in less than 20 overs, their second-lowest ODI total.
For Pakistan, Shaheen Shah Afridi struck early, dismissing Ibrahim Zadran and Rahmat Shah in quick succession. Afghanistan's skipper, Hashmatullah Shahidi, was sent back to the pavilion after a superb catch by Shadab Khan off Shaheen's bowling, putting the team at a dangerous 3-4.
Haris Rauf's blistering pace and swing demolished Afghanistan's middle order. Only Rahmanullah Gurbaz (18) and Azmatullah Omarzai (16), who retired hurt, managed to reach double figures before Rauf got the last wicket, securing his best ODI statistics.
Pakistan's top order struggled against the seasoned spin three of Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, and Mujeeb Ur Rahman. Babar Azam, their captain, was out leg before wicket after misjudging Mujeeb's full-pitched delivery, leaving Pakistan at 62-4.
Imam-ul-Haq, on the other hand, kept the innings going with a calm 61 from 94 balls before succumbing to Nabi's penultimate delivery. Imam shared a key 50-run stand with Iftikhar Ahmed. Shadab Khan and Iftikhar Ahmed helped to stabilise the team late in the game, but their efforts were cut short when Iftikhar provided a simple catch at mid-wicket and Shadab was run out for 39 in the 47th over.
Pakistan passed the 200-run barrier thanks to Naseem Shah's 35-run partnership with Shadab Khan for the ninth wicket. Despite Afghanistan's outstanding bowling performance in establishing a chaseable target, the combined efforts of Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf shattered their dreams, giving Pakistan a 1-0 series lead.
The second ODI is planned for Thursday at the same site, followed by the final match on Saturday in Colombo. The series acts as a warm-up for the 2018 Asia Cup, which will be held in Pakistan and Sri Lanka.