PAK Vs AFG, ICC Cricket World Cup 2023: Afghanistan (286/2) Humble Pakistan (282/7) In Chennai, Make History - As It Happened

Afghanistan's giant-killing act in ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 continued on Monday with a big win against a seemingly dispirited Pakistan at the iconic Chepauk, Chennai. A historic feat, considering this was Afghanistan's first-ever win over Pakistan in ODIs! Having already stunned defending champions England by 69 runs in Delhi, the Afghans pulled off an eight-wicket win over the 1992 champions rather nonchalantly, a fact reinforced by the margin of victory -- achieved with one over to spare. Pakistan entered the match on the back of successive defeats against India and Australia, while Afghanistan were reeling from a 149-run humbling from New Zealand. But the PAK vs AFG match-up, on any given day, is still a lopsided fixture -- seven played and seven wins for Pakistan. Now, it's 7-1. The result left both teams with four points each. Afghanistan face Sri Lanka next Monday in Pune, while Pakistan take on South Africa in Chennai. Catch highlights and cricket scores of the PAK vs AFG match. (Scorecard | Match Report | Points Table | Full Coverage)

Pakistan captain Babar Azam won the toss and opted to bat first. After a promising start, they slumped in the middle overs despite Azam playing a captain's knock, 74 off 92. Later in the innings, Shadab Khan and Iftikhar Ahmed hit 40 runs each. For the Afghans, young Noor Ahmad claimed three wickets on his World Cup debut. Then the chase happened and in some style. Openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz (63 off 53) and Ibrahim Zadran (87 off 113) stitched a 130-run stand in 21.1 overs. It was followed by stands of 60 off 74, this time Rahmat Shah joining the hunt (77 not out off 84) and an unbeaten 96 off 96 with skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi (48 off 45) hitting the winning runs, a four off the last ball of the penultimate over. Shaheen Afridi and Hasan Ali shared the consolation wickets.

That's all from our side!

Brief Scores:

Pakistan: 282 for 7 in 50 overs (Babar Azam 74, Abdullah Shafique 58; Noor Ahmad 3/49, Naveen-ul-Haq 2/52).

Afghanistan: 286 for 2 in 49 overs (Ibrahim Zadran 87, Rahmanullah Gurbaz 65, Rahmat Shah 77 not out; Hasan Ali 1/44).

Afghanistan won by 8 wickets!

Player of the match - Ibrahim Zadran 87(113)
I wanted to go out there with a positive attitude and goal, and I succeeded. We've played a lot of cricket together (Gurbaz and himself), and we have good communication when dashing between the wickets since we've been playing together since under 16. The way Gurbaz backed me (in that inaugural partnership) aided me, and we gained momentum. I am overjoyed for myself and my nation.

10:00 pm: AFG - 286/2; Overs 41-49 Highlights
Rahmat Shah and Hashmatullah Shahidi played some serious knocks in Chennai to register their second win in this World Cup. They have already thumped mighty England and now Pakistan also got thrashed by a big 8-wicket margin. Rahmat Shah and Hashmatullah Shahidi played responsibly and took their team past the victory line in the 49th over. This is the first time Afghanistan have made three top 50-run stands and their top three batters also scored fifties. Hashmatullah scored the winning boundary off Shaheen Afridi. 

9:15 pm: AFG - 221/2; Overs 31-40 Highlights
Both batters continued to extract runs easily. Hasan Ali got the wicket of the dangerous-looking Ibrahim Zadran on 87. Captain Hashmatullah Shahidi replaced him on the ground. He, along with Rahmat Shah added crucial runs and managed a good partnership to put Afghanistan in a favourable position. Now run-a-ball is required for Afghans and Pakistan would be in search of wickets. Rahmat Shah survived a review for LBW on 46 then went on to complete his fifty. Boundaries kept flowing at regular intervals. Pakistan need to create an impact here if they want results in their favour.

8:25 pm: AFG - 175/1; Overs 21-30 Highlights
Shaheen Afridi provided the first breakthrough for Pakistan and got the wicket of Rahmanullah Gurbaz 65(53). Rahmat Shah joined Zadran on the ground and both batters started to add crucial runs. Ibrahim Zadran managed to find boundaries in between the overs. Rahmat kept rotating the strike and helped in the scoreboard moving. Zadran went down with cramps in the 25th over and from then, Afghan batters slowed the run rate. With still more than 100 runs required, Afghanistan would like to achieve the target easily. Pakistan need a few wickets in the bunch here.

7:45 pm: AFG - 128/0; Overs 11-20 Highlights
Both Afghan openers have managed to give Afghanistan a dream start for the chase. Boundaries kept flowing throughout the overs. Ibrahim Zadran completed his 5th ODI fifty. Rahmanullah Gurbaz followed him and he also completed his 4th ODI half-century comfortably. Afghan batters have not shown any difficulty in facing Pakistani bowling attacks and actually, they have thrashed the bowlers whenever they wished to go big. Gurbaz thumped a big six off Iftikhar Ahmed. 68 runs were made in this phase without any wickets loss. Afghanistan have full control of the game. It is their match to lose from here. Pakistan desperately searching for wickets in Chennai.

6:55 pm: AFG - 60/0; Overs 1-10 Highlights
Shaheen Afridi gave 10 runs in the first over and Afghan openers started on a high. Both batters played positive cricket and added 60 runs in the first powerplay. Ibrahim Zadran was given out by the umpire on appeal for being caught behind but he reviewed it and the decision was overturned. Haris Rauf was proven costly once again when he leaked 17 runs in his first over. He bowled another over maiden to mark a comeback. Afghanistan reached 50 runs in the 8th over. 60 runs scored in the first powerplay without any loss. Afghanistan is off to the chase with a dream start. 

6:10 pm: Afghanistan start batting!
Shaheen Afridi started the bowling attack for Pakistan with Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran opening for Afghanistan. The first ball was smashed for a four by Gurbaz and later Ibrahim also smashed a boundary in the over. 10 runs off the first over from Shaheen. Afghanistan have started the chase on a good note.

Innings Break!!
Despite Naveen-ul-Haq's brilliant final over, Pakistan scored 61 runs in the final five overs to post 282/7 on a sluggish Chennai track. When they chose to bat, their openers got off to a strong start, scoring 56 runs without losing a wicket in the first powerplay. Imam-ul-Haq was undone by the short ball for the third time in the competition then Afghanistan tighten the screw with spin. Yet still, Abdullah Shafique and Babar Azam put up a fifty-run partnership for the second wicket. Noor Ahmad, making his World Cup debut, struck twice in two overs, dismissing two in-form hitters (Shafique and Mohammad Rizwan). Even though Babar scored a fifty, the Afghan spinners managed to keep Pakistan's scoring rate under control. Pakistan's captain then perished while attempting to increase the rate. Shadab Khan and Iftikhar Ahmed, on the other hand, provided the much-needed impetus to the innings in the last powerplay. The latter outlasted Rashid Khan and demonstrated his batting skills against the pacers. Iftikhar's crucial 27-ball 40 and Shadab's useful 38-ball 40 propelled Pakistan to a score of more than 280. Now Afghanistan need a good start and on wickets like these, they will have to play judiciously because, under lights, Pakistani pacers may get some help.

Target set for Afghanistan - 283 runs in 300 balls

PAK - 282/7 (50)      |    Babar Azam - 74(92),  Abdullah Shafique - 58(75)    |    Noor Ahmad - 10-0-49-3

5:40 pm: PAK - 282/7; Overs 41-50 Highlights
Babar Azam shifted gears in the death overs and hit a six on Noor Ahmad's over but Ahmad struck back with his wicket and finished his spell with an impressive figures of 10-0-49-3. Iftikhar Ahmed joined Shadab on the crease and started the carnage. Iftikhar first hit a six off Rashid Khan then on Naveen-Ul-Haq's bowling. Then Shadab also smacked a six off Azmatullah's over and added 16 runs from the over with two more fours. Then Iftikhar targeted Naveen again and hit a six and a four. Iftikhar then smacked another six on Azmat's next over before Naveen got his wicket in the last over. Because of pure hitting from both batters - Shadab Khan and Iftikhar Ahmed, Pakistan managed to put up a competitive total of 282 in Chennai. It is above above-par score in Chennai. Afghanistan need a good start to achieve this target.

4:50 pm: PAK - 191/4; Overs 31-40 Highlights
Saud Shakeel pulled Nabi for a boundary - the first boundary in 44 balls. Nabi got the wicket of Saud Shakeel and the 43-run stand between the batters perished. Babar Azam completed his 69 ball fifty. Mohammad Nabi finishes his economical spell (10-0-31-1). Shadab Khan came to bat before Iftikhar Ahmed. Pakistan's innings are closer to a formidable score. Pakistan batters are now moving to death overs and would like to open their arms.

4:10 pm: PAK - 139/3; Overs 21-30 Highlights
Noor Ahmed trapped Abdullah Shafique in LBW after Afghanistan took a successful review. After playing 6 dot balls, Mohammad Rizwan got off the mark with a six. Noor Ahmed struck again when Rizwan lost his wicket while trying another sweep. No boundary was scored in the last 37 balls. Only 39 runs were made with the loss of 2 wickets in the last 10 overs.

4:00 pm: Shocking News!

Legendary Indian spinner, Bishan Singh Bedi dies at 77.

3:25 pm: PAK - 100/1; Overs 11-20 Highlights
Pakistan lost their first wicket on the very first ball of the 11th over. Imam got trapped once again on the short ball. Azmatullah Omarzai bowled a short ball and Imam pulled it towards mid-wicket where Naveen took a comfortable catch. Babar Azam got off the mark on the very first ball with a boundary on the offside. Abdullah Shafique played brilliantly and is looking in good touch. Babar Azam also provided good support to him. Nabi and Rashid bowled in tandem and kept the lengths tight. Noor Ahmed gets introduced in the 18th over. Babar Azam scored a boundary after 38 balls. Abdullah Sahfique reached his fifty. Both batters are taking it slow and steady for Pakistan and in Chennai's conditions, rotating strike and finding boundaries on regular intervals is very important. 

2:45 pm: PAK - 56/0; Overs 1-10 Highlights
Abdullah Shafique and Imam-Ul-Haq have provided Pakistan with a good start against Afghanistan in Chennai. Naveen-ul-haq bowled the first over and Mujeeb delivered the second from the other end. Having played four spinners into the team, Afghanistan have also introduced Mohammad Nabi and another pacer Azmatullah Omarzai into the attack but Pakistani openers were looking confident and keen to score runs. Shafique also took the aerial route when he found the bad balls. Imam played his natural game and kept finding boundaries in between to keep the scoreboard moving. Afghanistan are still wicketless. Pakistan are on top in the game.

2:02 pm: Pakistan start batting
Imam-Ul-Haq and Abdullah Shafique opened the innings for Pakistan and Naveen-Ul-Haq opened the bowling attack for Afghanistan. Abdullah faced the first ball and let the fuller ball go to the keeper, covering his wickets. He got off the mark with a single on the third delivery. Imam hit a boundary on the last delivery to finish the first over. 5 runs from the first over.

1:37 pm: Toss Update
Babar Azam has opted to bat first after winning the toss against Afghanistan. Here's what he said at the toss, "The pitch looks very dry and might spin. We have one change, unfortunately, Nawaz has a fever and Shadab is back. We will have to give our 100% in every match and step up, that's what I want from my players. The pitch might help the pacers under lights."

1:35 pm: Playing XIs:
Pakistan (Playing XI): Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam(c), Mohammad Rizwan(w), Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Usama Mir, Shaheen Afridi, Hasan Ali, Haris Rauf.

Afghanistan (Playing XI): Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi(c), Azmatullah Omarzai, Ikram Alikhil(w), Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Naveen-ul-Haq, Noor Ahmad

1:25 pm: Pitch Report
Not a blade of grass and expect this pitch to spin. This could be the slowest pitch in this ground today, Pommie Mbangwa and Aaron Finch, in their pitch report on-air.

1:21 pm: DYK Stat
Pakistan have won all seven ODIs against Afghanistan.
Pakistani spinners have the second-worst average in this year's World Cup: 78.50, picking up a wicket every 75.5 balls.

1:06 pm: Weather and Pitch Conditions
The match is expected to be played out on the track that hosted the India vs Australia game. That was a humdinger of a game that saw turn, bounce and had seaming conditions. Dew is unlikely to play a part.

Preview:

Pakistan look to revive their World Cup hopes against Afghanistan in match 22 of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 in Chennai on Monday. The Men In Green are currently sitting fifth in the points table, right behind Australia with the Afghans taking the last position in the table. Babar Azam's men need a huge margin of victory if they are to improve their net run rate and jump ahead of the Aussies. But the Afghans will be no push-overs, having pumped England in Delhi. With Chepauk serving spinning conditions, Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman would be licking their lips against a frail Pakistan batting line-up.

Pakistan were convincingly beaten by five-time ODI WC champions Australia in match 18 of the World Cup. Despite winning the toss and opting to bowl first, Aussie openers David Warner and Mitchell Marsh ran the show with their 259-run stand as Pakistan were served a defeat in Bengaluru. Babar Azam's side is yet to prove their contenders tag at the World Cup with bowling and batting still yet to come to fruition.

Afghanistan beat England in match 13 at Delhi but since then, were thrashed by New Zealand. Hashmatullah Shahidi's side would love to create an 'upset' yet again against Pakistan. With spin playing a vital role in Chennai, expect the likes of Rashid and Mujeeb to have hey day at the Chepauk.

Squads: 
Afghanistan: Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Riaz Hassan, Rahmat Shah, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Ikram Alikhil (wk), Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Abdul Rahman and Naveen ul Haq.

Pakistan: Babar Azam (c), Shadab Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Salman Ali Agha, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi and Mohammad Wasim.