Tri-nation series: With Asia Cup in sight, Afghanistan crumble to 39-run defeat against Pakistan

Sharjah [UAE], August 30 (ANI): Pakistan's all-rounded show took the limelight arsenic Afghanistan crumbled to a 39-run decision conscionable much than a week earlier the Asia Cup connected Friday astatine Sharjah Cricket Stadium.

While pursuing the 183-run people successful the tri-nation bid opener, Afghanistan were jolted aboriginal with Ibrahim Zadran (9) near bamboozled from a searing inswinging yorker from Shaheen Shah Afridi, a trademark from the left-arm speedster.

Rahmanullah Gurbaz upped the ante portion executing his changeable with chivalry successful the powerplay. He shuffled crossed the crease and whipped tearaway Haris Rauf implicit the heavy backwards square-leg obstruction with his sheer powerfulness to assistance Afghanistan to 50/1 astatine the extremity of the archetypal six overs.

Gurbaz's belligerent attack yet led to his downfall. He tried to expanse Mohammad Nawaz, missed and saw the stumps ignite, forcing Gurbaz to instrumentality connected 38 (27).

The floodgates opened, and the game-changing infinitesimal came from Rauf's searing deliveries. He cranked up the gait and bowled a double-wicket maiden implicit successful the 12th, scything wickets of Sediqullah Atal (23) and Karim Janat (0) successful the process.

Sufiyan Muqeem formed a spell with his left-arm wrist rotation and lured Darwish Rasooli (21) to spot the shot backmost into his hands.

The wicket kept moving towards the slower side, which massively changeable down Afghanistan's chances to propulsion disconnected the heist. From 93/2, Afghanistan were near threadbare astatine 97/7 arsenic the required complaint soared past Afghanistan's reach.

Rashid played an entertaining 39(16) cameo earlier holing it, and Hasan Nawaz arsenic Afghanistan surrendered to a 39-run defeat.

Earlier successful the contest, the coin spun successful Pakistan's favour, and they opted to bat connected the Sharjah pitch, which bore hardly immoderate resemblance to its existent nature. Fakhar Zaman (20) and Sahibzada Farhan (21) got disconnected to a commencement but failed to convert.

Saim Ayub remained rustic and yet perished against Afghanistan skipper and its premier spinner Rashid Khan. With Pakistan reeling astatine 63/3 successful 7.3 overs, a captain's sound from Salman Ali Agha's bat was the request of the hour.

Salman roseate to the juncture and recovered the bound enactment astatine his will. His brisk-paced unbeaten 53 from 36 deliveries, laced with 3 fours and arsenic galore towering maximums, acceptable the code for Pakistan.

Mohammad Nawaz (21 from 11) and Faheem Ashraf (14 from 5) played an impactful cameo to propel Pakistan to a daunting 182/7, which proved excessively overmuch for Afghanistan astatine the end. (ANI)