Afghanistan’s cricket team recorded their first-ever ODI win against Pakistan, and the cricket fraternity is abuzz. While most focused on Pakistan’s surprise defeat, Sachin Tendulkar, India’s batting maestro, took a different route, celebrating Afghanistan’s prowess.
On Monday, Pakistan’s eight-wicket loss against Afghanistan became a hot topic of discussion. A game that saw Pakistan setting a target of 283 was effortlessly chased down by Afghanistan with a whole over to spare. This marked their first victory over Pakistan in ODI history and was punctuated by Afghanistan completing their highest run-chase in the 50-over format.
Following the game, legendary Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar struggled to articulate his disbelief, while former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi acknowledged Afghanistan’s superior performance. Amidst this backdrop, Sachin Tendulkar’s comments on Afghanistan’s achievements stood out.
On the social media platform, X (previously Twitter), Sachin Tendulkar recognized the discipline, temperament, and aggressive running between the wickets showcased by the Afghanistan team. “Afghanistan’s performance at this World Cup has been nothing short of outstanding,” Sachin Tendulkar remarked. Notably, he gave a nod to Ajay Jadeja, his ex-teammate from India, who is currently mentoring the Afghanistan team. “It could possibly be due to a certain Mr. Ajay Jadeja’s influence,” he stated. He further applauded their formidable bowling lineup and said, “With their triumphs over teams like England and Pakistan, a new Afghanistan team is rising, and the cricket world is taking note.”
The specifics of the match revealed Pakistan’s Babar Azam electing to bat first at Chepauk after winning the toss. Babar Azam’s 74 off 92 balls and Abdullah Shafique’s 58 off 75 set the stage with a score of 282/7. Noor Ahmad, a young talent from Afghanistan, became the star bowler of the day, capturing three wickets while conceding only 49 runs. The successful chase was further amplified by openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran’s spectacular partnership, followed by Rahmat Shah and captain Hashmatullah Shahidi’s efforts, wrapping up the memorable win for Afghanistan.
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