Afghanistan’s shows against Zimbabwe recently in T-20 cricket give positive signals for the country’s cricket achievements and future. They won the series hitting 129 runs for 3 wickets in only 18 overs. The story of the match was all about players’ contributions with the likes of Darwish and Azmatullah taking centre stage as star players in the team’s success.
Darwish had a difficult start to the innings opening the batting against a fiery pace attack however managed to score 17 runs off 20 balls. Even under siege with 8 dot balls, he managed to hit a four amongst his 23 minute appearance on the wicket. This concerted effort granted him a strike rate of 85.00. His sedate innings anchored the innings as the team scored slowly but steadily.
Azmatullah displayed an enterprising batting approach that helped Afghanistan ramp up their total to a healthy 180-plus. 25 runs is a relatively low score, but when he crossed that mark in only 13 balls, his efficiency was extraordinary. Azmatullah was a treat to watch, belting three fours and five enormous sixes in just 16 minutes. Overall, his success came with an exceptional strike rate of 192.31. His explosive batting really turned the game and put a lot of pressure on the Zimbabwean bowlers.
Six runs was the contribution from extras, and like anything, that’s a helpful number in a low score like Afghanistan’s. The team’s knack of pairing unflashy, consistent innings with sudden outburst after sudden outburst was what turned their hitting into a deathly blade.
The game ended with Afghanistan winning the match at 129 runs for the loss of 3 wickets, thus winning the T20 Series against Zimbabwe. For the Afghan team, this victory is a huge achievement and proves that they are becoming a serious threat in any international cricket.
Leave a Reply