Allah Ghazanfar’s fifer against Zimbabwe in 3rd ODI seals the series for Afghanistan

Afghanistan Completed a dominant 8-wicket victory zimbabwe In the third and final ODI of their tour at Harare Sports Club. With this victory, Afghanistan achieved a 2-0 series victory after the first match was abandoned due to rain. The performance was highlighted by a dominant bowling display by the 18-year-old. Allah Ghazanfar and a planned chase of Afghanistan’s top attackers.

Zimbabwe’s innings: Struggle for momentum

Opting to bat first after losing the toss, Zimbabwe found themselves in trouble early on as the Afghan bowlers masterfully exploited the conditions. Zimbabwe openers Joylord Gumbie (3 for 14) and Ben Curran (12 for 31) struggled to get off to a solid start in the innings. Craig Ervine’s (5 out of 5) short stay ended with Azmatullah Omarzai’s fierce strike.

The only resistance in the Zimbabwe innings came from veteran Sean Williams, who showed class and toughness on the counter-attack with 60 from 61 balls, including 6 fours and 3 lofty sixes. Sikandar Raza scored 13 of 18 but the rest of the batting line-up floundered against Afghanistan’s relentless attack. Zimbabwe were eventually bowled out for a paltry score of 127 in 30.1 overs.

Allah Ghazanfar was the star with the ball and took a career-best 5/33 in his entire quota of 10 overs. Rashid Khan provided excellent support with 3/38 in eight overs, while Fareed Malik and Omarzai took one wicket each.

Afghanistan’s chase: Steady and clinical

Chasing 128, Afghanistan’s openers established a solid base. Sediqullah Atal led the attack by fluently scoring 52 off 50 balls, including 4 fours and 2 sixes. His aggressive approach ensured that the visitors did not experience early uneasiness. Abdul Malik retained one end with a patient knock of 29 for 66 as Afghanistan built a steady partnership.

Rahmat Shah (17/23) and skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi (22/22) ensured that there was no hitch in the chase and Shahidi sealed the win with a boundary. Afghanistan reached the target in just 26.5 oversIt comfortably surpasses Zimbabwe’s paltry total.

For Zimbabwe, Richard Ngarava (1/32) and Trevor Gwandu (1/27) managed to pick up a wicket each, but their efforts were not enough to stop Afghanistan’s march to victory.

𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐑𝐒 🏆#NewCoverPhoto | #AfghanAtalan | #ZIMvAFG | #GloiousNationVictoriousTeam pic.twitter.com/61PRFSL7eY

— Afghanistan Cricket Board (@ACBofficials) December 21, 2024

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Key takeaways and series summary

Afghanistan’s dominance in the series was evident, especially in the bowling department, where young talents like Ghazanfar rose to the occasion. Ghazanfar’s match-winning performance in the final ODI capped an impressive run for the visitors.

For Zimbabwe, the series has highlighted the need for greater consistency in their batting line-up, which has particularly failed to deliver under pressure. Sean Williams and Sikandar Raza remain their standout players but the team will need collective improvement as they focus on the Test series, which starts at the Queens Sports Club on December 26.

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