In a déjà vu performance reminiscent of his Asia Cup heroics against Afghanistan, Naseem Shah once again stole the show as he propelled Pakistan to a thrilling one-wicket victory over Afghanistan in the second match of the ongoing three-match ODI series.
Naseem Shah — The lethal finisher
As tension reached its zenith, Naseem Shah displayed remarkable composure. With all-rounder Shadab Khan falling victim to the Afghan bowler at a critical juncture, Shah stepped up. Displaying nerves of steel, he hammered two boundaries in the final over, securing a dramatic win and pushing Pakistan to an unassailable 2-0 lead in the nail-biting contest.
“That was for you Shadab Khan”
That was for u @76Shadabkhan. That was for my team. That was for all the fans of Pakistan cricket. Well played @ImamUlHaq12 bhai. #PakistanZindabad pic.twitter.com/Ztlo62BznO
— Naseem Shah (@iNaseemShah) August 24, 2023
The pursuit of a 301-run target saw a solid start by Pakistani openers Imamul Haq (91) and Fakhar Zaman (30), but as wickets fell, the pressure mounted. Captain Babar Azam contributed a well-crafted fifty, his 27th in ODIs, before being dismissed by Fazalhaq Farooqi.
Also read: Sri Lanka: Pakistan Beat Afghanistan By 142 Runs In First ODI Of Three-Match Series
While others struggled, Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Ali Agha, Usama Mir, and Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan’s 48-run onslaught tilted the game Pakistan’s way. However, the ultimate hero of the day was Naseem Shah, emulating his celebration style from the Asia Cup, as he scored a crucial 11 off 6 balls to clinch victory from the jaws of defeat.
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