The final over of the second ODI of the three-match series between Pakistan and Afghanistan turned out to be nerve-wracking as Naseem Shah scored an incredible victory against the hosts in Hambantota on Thursday.
Naseem Shah was at the crease in the 10th over while Fazlul Haq Farooqui came in to bowl and Shadab Khan was at the other end.
What happened in those last five deliveries had everyone on their toes.
The 20-year-old miscued a boundary off the Afghanistan fast bowler on the fifth ball and ran happily to the dressing room as Pakistan scored 11 runs in the last over to post 9-302 in 49.5 overs.
The victory gave Pakistan an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series with the final match in Colombo on Saturday.
Still not over last night's incredible finish❓
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) August 25, 2023
Revisit the winning moments and reactions of the players after the second ODI 🤩#AFGvPAK | #BackTheBoysInGreen pic.twitter.com/ZORuk52Blj
Pakistan’s late surge was helped by Afghanistan opener Rehmanullah Garbaz’s career-best 151 off one ball, which took his team to 300-5 in 50 overs.
The last two overs of Pakistan’s chase were full of drama.
Shadab Khan hit Abdul Rehman for a four and a six on the last two balls of the 49th over.
Farooqui runs out Shadab at the non-striker’s end at the start of the last over at Minkid’s out.
In the last over, Naseem hit a boundary on the first ball he faced and did the same on the fifth ball to win the game.
Naseem hit two sixes in the last over to give Pakistan a one-wicket victory in the Asia Cup T20 match in Sharjah last year.
Shadab, whose 35-ball 48 included three fours and a six, revived Pakistan’s chase in the final overs as his team slumped to 258-7.
Opener Imamul Haq scored 91 runs off 105 balls with the help of four fours.
After the match, captain Babar Azam praised his players.
“All credit to the boys,” said the star batsman whose side will go top of the ODI rankings if they win the final match.
“We knew we could chase 80 or 90 in the last 10 overs and appreciate Naseem coming through in tough conditions.”
Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi admitted that the defeat was painful.
“It hurts because we had enough runs but in the last moment they took the game away from us,” Shahidi said, blaming the closing over on a swing of luck.
“There were some easy balls for the batsman in the 49th over and he smashed it.”
