PAK vs AFG | Pakistan beat Afghanistan in 3rd T20I Match| Afghanistan win the Series against Pakistan 2-1

Pakistan beat Afghanistan in 3rd T20I

On March 27, 2023, Pakistan defeated Afghanistan by 66 runs to avoid a T20I series whitewash. The game was played in Sharjah, with Afghanistan winning the toss and electing to field. Pakistan started poorly with the bat, with Mujeeb-ur Rehman and Mohammad Nabi getting rid of Mohammad Haris and Tayyab Tahir, but Saim Ayub and Abdullah Shafique struck back with a counterattacking partnership that swung the momentum in Pakistan’s favor.

The 20-ball 35-run stand set the template for Pakistan to continue attacking, with Saim forming the backbone for the best part of the innings. Iftikhar Ahmed and Shadab Khan took over from there, scoring 74 runs off the final seven overs, which helped Pakistan post their highest total of the series.

In response, Afghanistan’s prospects of a successful chase depended heavily on Rahmanullah Gurbaz and a fast start, but Imad Wasim, Zaman Khan and Ihsanullah ensured it wouldn’t be forthcoming. Debutant Sediqullah Atal limped to a 19-ball 11, while Ihsanullah cleaned up Gurbaz in the Powerplay.

A brief stand between Mohammad Nabi and Usman Ghani aside, resistance was scarce, and once Ihsanullah returned, it was snuffed out. A wicket bouncer left Najibullah Zadran bleeding and retired hurt as Karim Janat was dismissed first ball, while a double-strike from Shadab – which included his 100th T20I wicket – ended any Afghan hopes for victory.

Saim Ayub and Abdullah Shafique’s performance with the bat was the highlight of the match for Pakistan. When two wickets fell early, the pattern for another innings where Afghanistan stifled an inexperienced Pakistan batting line-up was set. But Saim, who has struggled this series, and Shafique who last scored a T20I run three years and five innings ago, opted for belligerence over caution. Saim clobbered Mujeeb over the on-side to set the tone, while Shafique took on Fareed Ahmed in the final Powerplay over to propel Pakistan to 52, their highest six-over score of the series.

The captain of Pakistan, Shadab Khan, had a mixed weekend leading up to this game. He was at the helm of Pakistan’s first international defeats against Afghanistan. Some of the captaincy decisions were questionable, and the call to bat first in the second game after Afghanistan had romped to an easy chase in the first drew considerable fire.

It was all compounded by post-match remarks about missing Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan that can’t have helped their young top-order replacements feel too flash about themselves. However, on Monday, Shadab put in a phenomenal performance, both with the bat and ball, which helped Pakistan win the game. Shadab’s 17-ball 28 and figures of 4-0-13-3 didn’t flatter him in the least.

Ihsanullah was another player who put in a noteworthy performance in the match. He hit the heights that have almost become second nature to him over the past six weeks. He bowled a scintillating 11th over, which included two wickets, which contributed to Afghanistan’s downfall.

Overall, Pakistan’s win against Afghanistan was a much-needed confidence booster for the team, which had been struggling in recent times. The team would hope to carry this momentum forward into their upcoming games. Afghanistan, on the other hand, would be disappointed with their performance in the series, having failed to register a single win.

Pakistan beat Afghanistan in 3rd T20I

In conclusion, Pakistan managed to avoid a whitewash by defeating Afghanistan by 66 runs in the third T20I match. Saim Ayub and Ihsanullah’s contributions with the bat, and Shadab Khan’s all-around performance with both bat and ball played a significant role in Pakistan’s victory. Although Afghanistan started well with the ball, they failed to chase down the target, and Pakistan’s bowlers put up an impressive show to restrict them to 116. Overall, it was an exciting match, and both teams showed their potential for the future.

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