On the 26th of March 2023, Afghanistan faced off against Pakistan in the second T20 match of the Brides pried series. The match was played at the Kabul International Cricket Stadium, which was filled with cricket fans from both sides. It was an important match for both teams, as a win would give them the lead in the series.
The Afghanistan team won the toss and chose to bat first, hoping to put up a big score on the board. However, they got off to a shaky start, losing their opening batsman in the second over of the game. The Pakistani bowlers were bowling tight lines and making it difficult for the Afghan batsmen to score runs
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At the end of the powerplay, Afghanistan had only managed to score 33 runs for the loss of two wickets. However, the middle order batsmen, Mohammad Nabi and Najibullah Zadran, steadied the ship and started to build a partnership. They rotated the strike well and punished any loose deliveries from the Pakistani bowlers.
Nabi was the aggressor in the partnership, hitting boundaries at regular intervals. He reached his half-century off just 29 balls, which included six fours and three sixes. Zadran, on the other hand, was content with rotating the strike and picking up singles.
The partnership between Nabi and Zadran was worth 94 runs, and it took Afghanistan's score to 127 for the loss of three wickets. However, Pakistan fought back and picked up two quick wickets in the 16th over. Nabi was dismissed for a well-made 74, and Zadran followed him back to the pavilion soon after.
After the quick wickets, Afghanistan lost their momentum, and they could only manage to score 23 runs off the last four overs. They finished their innings with a score of 157 for the loss of five wickets. It was a decent score, but Afghanistan would have hoped to put up a bigger total on the board.
Pakistan started their innings cautiously, as they did not want to lose early wickets. Their opening batsmen, Fakhar Zaman and Babar Azam, played out the first few overs carefully and then started to attack the Afghan bowlers. They punished any bad deliveries and kept the scoreboard ticking.
Zaman was the aggressor in the partnership, hitting six boundaries in his innings of 41 off 29 balls. Azam, on the other hand, played a captain's innings, scoring 56 off 45 balls. He played some beautiful shots and kept the Pakistani innings on track.
The partnership between Zaman and Azam was worth 88 runs, and it took Pakistan's score to 97 for the loss of one wicket. However, Afghanistan fought back and picked up two quick wickets in the 13th over. Zaman was dismissed by Mohammad Nabi, and Azam was caught at deep midwicket off the bowling of Rashid Khan.
After the quick wickets, Pakistan lost their momentum, and they could only manage to score 16 runs off the last two overs. They finished their innings with a score of 153 for the loss of five wickets, falling short of the target by four runs.
The Afghan bowlers bowled well, especially Rashid Khan, who picked up two wickets and conceded only 21 runs in his four overs. Mohammad Nabi was also impressive with the ball, picking up one wicket and conceding only 18 runs in his four overs.
It was a closely fought match, and both teams played well. However, Afghanistan's middle-order partnership between Mohammad Nabi and Najibullah Zadran proved to be the difference between the two sides. It was a crucial win for Afghanistan, as it
