Watch cricket video highlights of Afghanistan tour of Zimbabwe 2024. Third twenty/20 between Zimbabwe and Afghanistan. Venue of the match will be Harare.
Copyright – Third Party Reference Inline Linking Embedded Video from Youtube
Report
Afghanistan needed to reach 128 to defeat Zimbabwe in the third Twenty20 International and win the series, but they were down 45 for 4 after seven overs. That could have been the moment when Zimbabwe won the match. To give Afghanistan the breathing room they required, Faraz Akram bowled an 11-ball over with five wides. Azmatullah Omarzai and Gulbadin Naib, who took the fifth wicket, then settled into the repair work with ease.
Afghanistan needed seven runs in the last over to win the match as Akram’s bowling teammates put in enough effort to remove Omarzai, Naib, and Rashid Khan. However, Akram bowled the first ball of the 20th again, and it went for four. With three balls left, Mohammad Nabi completed the chase. Zimbabwe has already lost all six of their bilateral T20I series against Afghanistan after a careless Zimbabwe ended up handing up 17 extras.
Brian Bennett, who scored 107 runs against Afghanistan, finished as the top scorer for both teams after playing in the Twenty20 Internationals against Pakistan before this series. Despite losing Tadiwanashe Marumani early after being called to bat, Zimbabwe managed to score 31 runs in four overs when he smacked and cut Naveen-ul-Haq for fours in the third over. After hitting four boundaries in his 31 from 24 balls, Bennett was the third to go when he flicked Omarzai to Naveen at deep midwicket.
The slowness had started when Zimbabwe was 57 for 3 one ball into the ninth over. Zimbabwe was at 106 for 9 after 17 after being 78 for 3 in the 11th over. Four of those six wickets were taken by Rashid. But with Sikandar Raza out of luck, the spiral had begun. In the eleventh over, Raza holed out to long leg off Mujeeb Ur Rahman after a leading edge went past point and a top edge missed fine leg. Rashid then performed his magic after Mujeeb got Wessly Madhevere arrested for 21.
Richard Ngarava chipped to cover off a googly, pinned Blessingh Muzarabani in front, trapped Akram in front, and had Tashinga Musekiwa pull to midwicket. Rashid concluded with 4 for 27, with the final three of those wickets falling in the 17th over. Zimbabwe’s 127 was below average, despite Wellington Masakadza scoring 17 not out and adding 21 with Trevor Gwandu for the final wicket. Three overs into the chase, Afghanistan was at 9 for 2 as Ngarava and Muzarabani gained some additional bounce with the new ball.
The first blow was delivered by Muzarabani, who had Sediqullah Atal tickle behind Marumani. Next, as the ball kicked up from outside off, Ngarava had Zubaid Akbari slicing behind to Marumani. After cutting and clipping Muzarabani for fours in the fourth over, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Darwish Rasooli took 11 runs off the fifth over. However, as the ball looped up to point, Muzarabani, bowling his third consecutive over, found Rasooli’s leading edge. After Raza included Gwandu in the assault, Zimbabwe soon experienced some luck.
Gurbaz was out lbw after a short ball slipped through without bouncing. Despite Afghanistan being 44 for 4, Zimbabwe was unable to capitalize. After Akram bowled five wides in an over that went for ten runs, Afghanistan didn’t appear to be in any difficulty. They added 48 for the fifth wicket, with the necessary rate being less than six runs per over, as Omarzai cut and pulled for boundaries throughout his partnership with Naib. At that point, Raza had Naib lbw for a run-a-ball 22 after turning one into him.
Raza received a straightforward return catch from Omarzai, who scored 34 from 37 balls, as he and new batsman Nabi continued to hit one after the other with primarily one-and-twos, though Nabi once drove Ngarava for four. As the situation tightened, Afghanistan needed 12 more runs from nine balls, but Nabi calmed the nerves by dabbing Gwandu for four behind points. The victory was virtually certain when he hit the boundary to begin the last over, which was bowled by Akram.
