Afghanistan vs Pakistan 2nd ODI Match Commentary: Pakistan tour of Afghanistan

11.50pm  Right then, that is it from the exciting game of cricket and Afghanistan have shown that they can seriously challenge the big boys in the 50-over format as well. The caravan now moves to Colombo for the third and final game of the series and that will be played on Saturday, 26 August and will begin at 3 pm IST (9.30 am GMT). Do join us for the early build-up though. Cheers!

11.48pm  Babar Azam, the skipper of Afghanistan says that it was a similar scenario to the game they lost in the World Cup but they managed to get the win. Adds that it was about keeping patience and reckoned that even if they needed 80-90 runs in the last ten overs they could win. Goes on to applaud Iftikhar Ahmed and Shadab Khan and says that Naseem Shah has a habit of finishing games off. Says that they always look to improve and get the little things done and mentions that he needs to improve his own batting as well. Ends by saying that they will look to carry the momentum in the final game and look to win it.

11.47pm  Afghanistan's captain Hashmatullah Shahidi says that it hurts after losing and especially after being in control of the game. He adds that he felt the pressure in the 49th over when they were smashed for many runs. He credits the openers for building a strong opening partnership for Afghanistan. He mentions that they couldn't control the pressure and that the matches between Afghanistan and Pakistan have a great spirit of competition

11.41pm  Shadab Khan is the PLAYER OF THE MATCH for his crucial contribution with the bat. He starts by praising the almighty and says that practice is the key and that it was his day today. He adds that he batted according to the conditions and the dimensions made him go for two's. He mentions that he remembers the shot against Zimbabwe which made them lose the game and reminds himself never to repeat that action again.

11.38pm  The Presentation ceremony...

11.37pm  Earlier in the game, Hashmatullah Shahidi won the toss and Afghanistan batted first. Having been bundled out for just 59 runs in the first ODI, the Afghan batters turned on the heat on a track that looked good for batting and put on a big, big stand to set up the innings brilliantly. Ibrahim Zadran fell short of a hundred but Rahmanullah Gurbaz did get to the landmark and even got to 150. The latter batters though weren't quite able to kick on and they just about managed to cross the 300-run mark. The Pakistan pacers couldn't quite replicate the showing from the last game they did manage to pick up wickets at the death and Shaheen Afridi in particular impressed at the death. In reply, the game ebbed and flowed nicely but in the end, the hosts just couldn't hold their nerve and the more experienced side got over the line.

11.32pm  Afghanistan will be absolutely gutted here and the despair on Rahmanullah Gurbaz's face confirms the same. Afghanistan had the runs on the board but the wicket looked excellent for batting as well. They didn't get an early breakthrough but Fazalhaq Farooqi did manage to knock over Fakhar Zaman. After this, wickets were hard to come by till the 30th over but once again Farooqi was brought back into the attack and got the big wicket of Babar Azam. From there on, the hosts managed to pick up wickets at crucial stages in the game and once Imam-ul-Haq got out, they seemed to be on top. But they had to keep their patience and wait for their chances which did come and Farooqi was at the forefront of it all in the last over as he sent back Shadab at the start of the over but then crumbled under pressure and conceded a couple of boundaries which lost his side the game.

11.29pm  Naseem Shah takes off his gloves and runs away on the field as the dressing room erupts and this is not the first time he has done it as well. Pakistan began this mammoth chase on the right foot as the openers put on a steady stand. Imam-ul-Haq looked fluent but Fakhar Zaman was able to muster runs even though he struggled quite a bit. Then Imam and skipper Babar Azam added on 118 runs for the second wicket to put Pakistan in cruise control. They did lose three quick wickets as Imam fell before what would have been a classy ton but that lower order came in handy as Iftikhar Ahmed and Shadab Khan added on a vital 47-run stand. Shadab went berserk in the penultimate over to put his side in front only to be run out 'Mankad' style but a couple of good shots and a healthy edge on the penultimate ball gave Pakistan the victory.

11.25pm  OH, MY GOD! What an end to this riveting contest and you cannot script this, it is just a finish no one expected. Afghanistan are left heartbroken as Naseem Shah celebrates in ecstasy and Pakistan seal the three-match series 2-0.

11.18pm  OUT! Here comes the controversy as Shadab Khan has been Mankaded. It's smart work by the bowler, observed that the non-striker batter was venturing out of the crease too much and the bowler wasted no time in taking the bails off at the bowler's end. As always, the debate will go on as many feel that Mankading is against the spirit of the game but ICC have kept it legal.

11.16pm  Oh, what's happened here? Fazalhaq Farooqi with a cheeky attempt at the 'Mankad' and the umpires have gone upstairs. Shadab Khan is well out of his crease but it is the action of the bowler that is in question. Farooqi, at no point, goes over the perpendicular and is well aware of what he wants to do here. It is signaled as OUT and rightly so in line with the rules but certainly, this moment will be discussed thoroughly after the game, especially given the stage of the game and how well Shadab was batting. Also, Haris Rauf walks out to bat now.

11.06pm  Naseem Shah is the next batter in.

OUT! CAUGHT! Fazalhaq Farooqi has been amazing today! He bowls this on length and outside off. Shaheen Afridi pulls it away looking for the big hit. The ball goes straight in the air and Rashid Khan at deep mid-wicket completes a safe catch to dismiss Shaheen Afridi. Afghanistan inching closer to victory now.
Shaheen Afridi c R Khan b F Farooqi 4 (5b 0x4 0x6)

11.02pm  Fazalhaq Farooqi (8-0-51-2) is back on to bowl overs 48 and 50 it seems.

10.56pm  Shaheen Afridi is the new batter in.

OUT! CAUGHT! Abdul Rahman with the wicket under pressure. He bowls this full and on the off pole. Iftikhar Ahmed tries to clear the infield with a lofted shot. He mistimes it and the ball sails high up. Mohammad Nabi comes running in from the deep and catches it safely. Iftikhar Ahmed has to depart as Pakistan are 7 wickets down.
Iftikhar Ahmed c M Nabi b A Rahman 17 (24b 1x4 0x6)

10.54pm  Abdul Rahman (8-0-54-0) is back on to bowl at the death.

10.30pm  Powerplay 3! Time for the final phase of the innings and Afghanistan can now have up to 5 fielders outside the inner ring.

10.24pm  Shadab Khan is the new batter in.

OUT! CAUGHT! Mujeeb Ur Rahman gets the wicket. He bowls it very full and outside off. Imam-ul-Haq tries to drive it through the off side but an edge sends the ball right to the fiedler at point. Riaz Hassan completes an easy catch to dismiss Imam-ul-Haq and Pakistan are in trouble.
Imam-ul-Haq c R Hassan b MU Rahman 91 (105b 4x4 0x6)

10.20pm  Iftikhar Ahmed is the new man in.

OUT! CAUGHT! Mohammad Nabi with another wicket. He bowls this a little short and on off. Usama Mir, the new man in comes down the track and tries to loft it over deep mid-wicket for the maximum. He doesn't get the distance needed and Shahidullah Kamal the fielder in deep takes a good catch.
Usama Mir c S Kamal b M Nabi 0 (2b 0x4 0x6)

10.17pm  Usama Mir walks out to bat now.

OUT! CAUGHT! Mohammad Nabi gets his man. He bowls this full and on off. Agha Salman with an uncontrolled reverse sweep sends the ball sailing up off the upper edge. The keeper, Rahmanullah Gurbaz completes an easy catch to dismiss Agha Salman. Pakistan are 4 wickets down.
Agha Salman c R Gurbaz b M Nabi 14 (15b 2x4 0x6)

9.57pm  Agha Salman is the new man in.

OUT! RUN OUT! Oh, that is catastrophic! This is pushed through on a length and around off. Imam-ul-Haq looks to step out but has to adjust and bunts it out in front of covers. A bit of a hesitation in the middle but Imam wants the single and Mohammad Rizwan tries to scamper through. Hashmatullah Shahidi from extra cover with a moment of brilliance as he gets to the ball and scores s direct hit at the batter's end. Rizwan puts in the dive but the replays show that he is well short.
Mohammad Rizwan (wk) run out (Hashmatullah Shahidi) 2 (7b 0x4 0x6)

9.47pm  Drinks break! Right then, Pakistan need 128 runs off 108 balls with eight wickets in hand and the game is nicely poised at the moment. Pakistan do have the edge because of the wickets in hand but Afghanistan will know that a couple of quick wickets here and the pressure will start to mount on the batters. Which side will come out on top in this humdinger? Let's find out.

9.45pm  Is that out? Afghanistan think they have got their man and have decided to go upstairs for an LBW decision. Nothing on UltraEdge as the ball hit the pads and Ball Tracking shows impact as outside off. The original decision of Not Out stands and Afghanistan lose a review as well.

9.38pm  Mohammad Rizwan is the new man in.

OUT! CAUGHT! Fazalhaq Farooqi comes back into the attack and gets the breakthrough for his side. Comes from around the stumps and angles it on a good length into middle, taking pace off as well. The ball holds up in the surface and Babar Azam is undone by it. Babar ends up just pushing at it and the ball is lifted around mid on where the Afghan skipper, Hashmatullah Shahidi takes a simple catch to dimiss his counterpart. Babar departs after a half-century.
Babar Azam (c) c H Shahidi b F Farooqi 53 (66b 6x4 0x6)

8.38pm  Drinks break! Chasing 301, this has been a flying start by Pakistan as they are going on par with the required rate and Imam-ul-Haq looks very assured at the crease. Babar Azam is accompanying him currently and the pair seems to be fairly comfortable. Afghanistan need wickets in the middle phase to slow down the scoring rate or it could get away from them quickly. A very crucial middle phase is coming up next.

8.13pm  End of the first powerplay. The fielding side can now have up to 4 fielders outside the 30-yard circle.

8.06pm  The skipper, Babar Azam walks out to bat at number 3.

OUT! TIMBER! Fazalhaq Farooqi knocks Fakhar Zaman over! Perfect length from Farooqi around off and this one seams back in off the deck. Fakhar Zaman waits back in his crease and looks to guide it away but the ball goes through the gap between bat and pad and hits the top of off stump. Top delivery from Farooqi and end of a sluggish knock from Zaman.
Fakhar Zaman b F Farooqi 30 (34b 5x4 0x6)

7.47pm  Slight halt. It seems as Imam-ul-Haq has been hurt on the knee by the previous ball. The physio is on the field and is tending to him. It looks fine and the play resumes.

7.30pm  Mujeeb Ur Rahman is brought into the attack from the opposite end.

7.26pm  We are back for the run chase! The umpires and the players of Afghanistan are out in the middle. Imam-ul-Haq and Fakhar Zaman are all set to open the innings for Pakistan. It will be Fazalhaq Farooqi to get proceedings underway with the ball here.

7.20pm  ... THE RUN CHASE ...

7.05pm  Afghanistan have put on a daunting total on the board and the onus is now on the Pakistani openers to replicate what their counterparts did for Afghanistan. There seems to be a bit of dew but the Afghan spinners will look to make their mark. Can Pakistan rise up to the challenge and seal the series? Wes shall find out soon as the run chase is up next.

7.04pm  Pakistan had a very slow innings as they failed to dismiss any of the opposition batters until the 40th over. Their opening stand had troubled the bowling attack as they put up a stand of 227 runs. Usama Mir was the first one to give them a breakthrough. He dismissed Ibrahim Zadran. Soon after that, Shaheen sent Rahmanullah Gurbaz back to the pavilion. After his departure, the bowlers got back in the game as Shaheen trapped Rashid Khan and ran out Shahidullah Kamal with a direct hit. Naseem Shah was next to break a slowly building stand by dismissing Mohammad Nabi. The target for Pakistan is 30, thanks to some quick wickets towards the end. Shaheen ended up with 2 with Naseem and Usama scalping one each.

7.01pm  Right then, Afghanistan have ended their innings putting up 300 on the board thanks to a strong opening stand. After choosing to bat first, Afghanistan got off to a dream start against Pakistan. The opening batters, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran put up a stand of 227 runs in almost 40 overs. Ibrahim was dismissed on 80 by Usama Mir hence breaking their partnership. Gurbaz also departed soon after but not after he had dealt the damage. He was dismissed by Shaheen Afridi after scoring 151. Rashid Khan also followed him soon after as he was trapped in front of the stumps by Shaheen. A good direct hit found Shahidullah Kamal run out after scoring just a run. Mohammad Nabi and Hashmatullah Shahidi put up a good partnership and scored some quick runs with the former being the aggressor. Nabi couldn’t finish off the innings as Naseem Shah dismissed him. After their openers, none of their batters could establish themselves out in the middle.

6.52pm  Abdul Rahman is the new man in.

OUT! CAUGHT! Bowls this one slower and a bit shorter outside off, Mohammad Nabi hangs back in his crease and makes some room before slapping it away. The ball is forced over cover-point but doesn't have the power behind it. Imam-ul-Haq comes in from the deep and takes a safe catch. Nabi departs after a-run-a-ball 29.
Mohammad Nabi c Imam-ul-Haq b N Shah 29 (29b 3x4 0x6)

6.37pm  The skipper, Hashmatullah Shahidi is in next.

OUT! RUN OUT! Neat work off his own bowling by Shaheen Afridi. Quicker one, pitched up around off, Shahidullah Kamal bunts it out on the off side and Mohammad Nabi calls him for the single. Kamal starts to scamper across but Afridi picks up the ball, keeps his composure and hits the bullseye at the non-striker's end. Kamal isn't even in the frame and has to depart.
Shahidullah Kamal run out (Shaheen Afridi) 1 (3b 0x4 0x6)

6.31pm  Shahidullah Kamal walks out to bat now.

OUT! LBW! Shaheen Afridi has bowled it fuller and straight on off and middle. Rashid Khan misses the shot but the ball hits the pads. It is pretty straight on as the umpire raises the finger. Rashid Khan walks away after scoring 2 runs and Afghanistan are 3 wickets down.
Rashid Khan lbw S Afridi 2 (3b 0x4 0x6)

6.26pm  Rashid Khan is pushed high up the order and comes out to bat now.

OUT! CAUGHT! Fuller and on the off pole. Rahmanullah Gurbaz shifts away looking to power this down the ground. He catches the ball on the toe end of the bat and the ball goes to the keeper Mohammad Rizwan. He completes a safe catch to dismiss the man in form. Rahmanullah Gurbaz has to depart after scoring a mammoth 151 and he gets a pat on the back from the Pakistani players and rightly so too.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk) c M Rizwan b S Afridi 151 (151b 14x4 3x6)

6.10pm  Powerplay 3! Time for the final Powerplay and Pakistan are now allowed to have as many as five fielders outside the inner ring.

6.07pm  Mohammad Nabi walks in to bat at number 3.

OUT! CAUGHT! Straight to the man and finally, Pakistan have managed to break the opening stand. Usama Mir tosses this one up full and on off stump. Ibrahim Zadran gets under it and makes a bit of room to go inside-out over extra cover but ends up slicing it down to long off. Iftikhar Ahmed there takes a simple catch and Pakistan get their first wicket. End of another solid knock from Ibrahim Zadran.
Ibrahim Zadran c I Ahmed b U Mir 80 (101b 6x4 2x6)

5.59pm  Another bowling change as Naseem Shah is back on.

5.55pm  Usama Mir (5-0-29-0) is brought back into the attack.

5.49pm  Haris Rauf is back into the attack now.

5.35pm  Naseem Shah (4-0-12-0) is back on.

5.22pm  Drinks. Afghanistan have not lost a wicket yet and both their batters are going strong. They have put up a 157-run partnership in 31 overs. They can still play a little aggressively and put up a big total on the board. Pakistan on the other hand needs to take some quick wickets to restrict Afghanistan from reaching a good score. Their first priority should be to dismiss these two batters.

5.04pm  Rahmanullah Gurbaz is really struggling out there! The umpires are asking to move things along keeping the over rate in mind and it looks like Gurbaz needs to get moving or he might have to be forced off the field. For now, Gurbaz is back on his feet and the game can continue.

4.41pm  Rahmanullah Gurbaz seems to be in some pain after playing the previous shot and the physio is out to have a look. The pain seems to be in the wrists which might have got pulled. The physio applies some taping on the left wrist and fore-arm. After a bit of an extended delay, Gurbaz seems fine to continue and the play can finally resume.

4.11pm  Drinks. Afghanistan is off to a steady start. Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran have put up a strong partnership of 64 runs with 14 overs gone. They have the wickets in hand and can look to attack the bowlers from here on. Pakistan, on the other hand, will try to break this stand and hope for some quick wickets to put the batters under pressure. There are still 36 overs left in this innings and the game can go either ways from here.

3.58pm  Shaheen Afridi to continue...

3.54pm  Powerplay 2! The fielding side can now have a maximum of 4 fielders outside the inner circle till the 40th over. Shadab Khan is brought into the attack.

3.50pm  Shaheen Afridi (3-0-21-0) is brought back into the attack but from the other end.

3.47pm  After a long chat, Babar Azam has opted to review a caught-behind decision. The third umpire is called into action and UltraEdge shows that there is a flat line as the ball passes the bat. The onfield decision of NOT OUT stands and Pakistan lose a review.

3.33pm  Haris Rauf is now introduced into the attack.