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Afghanistan Stuns England And Cricketing Fraternity With A 69-run Win
By CricShots - Oct 16, 2023 9:23 am
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Afghanistan finally opened their account in the ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup after defeating England by 69 runs at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Sunday, October 15. The defending champions faltered in their chase of a reasonable 285-run target set by Afghanistan. Hashmatullah Shahidi and his men ran riot in the second innings, thanks to their exceptional bowling display. Fazalhaq Farooqi struck early in the second over to dismiss opener Jonny Bairstow (2), which was an indication of trouble for England.

Afghanistan
Afghanistan pulls off a brilliant win

Mujeeb Ur Rahman then dismissed Joe Root for just 11 runs in the seventh over. Mohammad Nabi then struck for Afghanistan, claiming the crucial wicket of Dawid Malan in the 13th over, leaving England at 68/3. Naveen-ul-Haq was the next one to give another breakthrough for the side, removing captain Jos Buttler when the wicketkeeper-batter’s cover drive was beaten between bat and pad, and the ball went on to hit the top of the off stump.

Rashid Khan then got into the act as he got the wicket of Liam Livingstone in the 21st over, and England were seen in all sorts of trouble at 117/5. The remaining batters were equally tested by Afghanistan’s bowling assault, as they were restricted to 215 in just 40.5 overs. Rashid and Mujeeb finished with three scalps each, while Nabi picked up two wickets to help their side seal their first win in the ongoing competition.

ALSO READ: “I always keep my confidence high because I know my bowling is good” – Mohammed Siraj

Earlier, after being asked to bat first, Afghanistan accumulated a substantial 284 on the board. Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran got things going by giving Afghanistan a fantastic start and scoring 114 runs for the opening wicket. However, in the 17th over, Adil Rashid ended the partnership by removing Zadran for 28 runs.

Gurbaz continued his powerful assault against England bowlers, scoring 80 off a mere 57 balls before being run out by substitute fielder David Willey. Following that, Afghanistan experienced a mini-collapse in their innings. However, Ikram Alikhil contributed a significant half-century to help Afghanistan post a reasonable total. The wicketkeeper-batter smacked 58 off 66 deliveries, including three boundaries and two maximums.

ALSO READ: “It was a walk in the park” – Robin Uthappa on India’s seven-wicket win over Pakistan

Afghanistan’s victory over England was a major upset and a sign of their growing strength in world cricket. The team played with great skill and determination, and they deserve full credit for their performance. England, on the other hand, will need to go back to the drawing board and figure out how to improve their batting, which has been a major concern for them throughout the tournament.

Tags AfghanistanAlikhilbowlingEnglandhalf-centuryICC Cricket World Cup 2023Mujeeb Ur RahmanRashid Khan

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