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In Match 36 of the ICC Cricket World Cup, a resurgent Pakistan were up against Afghanistan at Headingley and won a nail-biting contest to keep their hopes alive in this World Cup. Going into the clash, Pakistan were the undisputed favorites but were equally wary of the Afghans, who nearly managed to take down India a few days ago.
In a game which ebbed and flowed every now and then, it was eventually the Pakistanis who emerged on top by 3 wickets in a thriller of a contest.
Chasing 228 to win, Pakistan got off to a dismal start by losing Fakhar Zaman on the third ball of the opening over. The duo of Babar Azam and Imam ul-Haq did stitch a partnership to ease things out for their team before the experienced customer in Mohammad Nabi weaved his magic to dent Pakistan twice in two overs. It was an economical spell by Nabi that saw Afghanistan crawl their way back into the match.
It was even supported by few false shots by the Pakistani batters and some iffy running between the wickets that allowed Afghanistan to take control of the game. However, in the end, the inexperience in the Afghans’ rank came to the fore as they conceded a game that they could have won easily in the end.
Earlier in the day, Gulbadin Naib won the toss and decided to bat first on a relatively dry wicket. The Afghans got off to a great start but they were struck twice by the 19-year old Shaheen Afridi in an eventful over. Despite useful contributions from the lower-order, Afghanistan somehow managed their way to post a 227 on a pitch which was expected to suit the Afghan spinners at the later stages of the game.
A game that was a topsy-turvy ride, here’s a look at how Twitter reacted on Pakistan’s thrilling win against Afghanistan:
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