At the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Stadium in Hambantota, Pakistan defeated Afghanistan in the second One Day International (ODI) by one run to take a decisive 2-0 series lead.
Pakistan beats Afghanistan by one wicket: Imam-ul-Haq led the Pakistani chase with 91 runs, but Pakistan only managed to cross the finish line thanks to a late Shadab Khan cameo (48, 35b) following a wave of middle-order wickets.
The highest wicket-taker for Afghanistan, Fazalhaq Farooqi, caused a dramatic moment when he ran Shadab out during the final over at the non-strikers end.
To initiate Pakistan’s innings, Babar Azam struck a 66-ball 53 and established a robust partnership with Imam.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s run-a-ball 151 earlier in the day, his sixth ODI century in 23 innings, helped Afghanistan reach 300/5 in 50 overs.
He had a strong opening partner in Ibrahim Zadran, who scored 80 points out of 101 balls, but Babar’s team won the close game and the series.
