Ghazanfar’s Five-Fer Guides Afghanistan to ODI Series Victory Over Zimbabwe

Afghanistan continued their dominance over Zimbabwe in bilateral ODI series, maintaining an unblemished record except for a shared series in 2014. A key moment during Zimbabwe’s innings occurred in the 24th over when Sean Williams slog-swept Rashid Khan, only for the ball to take a top edge and balloon toward Hashmatullah Shahidi at midwicket. Shahidi […]

At 89 for 8, Zimbabwe’s prospects looked bleak. However, Williams, then on 33, staged a fightback with a brisk 60 off 59 balls, dragging his team to 127 in 30.1 overs. Afghanistan, chasing a modest target of 128, made light work of the task. Sediqullah Atal, fresh off a century in the second ODI, smashed 52 off 50 balls, including four fours and two sixes. Afghanistan cruised to an eight-wicket win with 23 overs to spare, sealing a 2-0 series victory after the first ODI was washed out.

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Afghanistan Secures Sixth Straight ODI Series Win Over Zimbabwe

Afghanistan continued their dominance over Zimbabwe, clinching their sixth consecutive ODI series win against them. Zimbabwe has yet to beat Afghanistan in a bilateral ODI series, with the only exception being a 2-2 draw in July 2014. In this series, Afghanistan wrapped up a 2-0 victory after the first ODI was washed out, underscoring their superiority in head-to-head encounters.

Zimbabwe’s innings never gained momentum as they stumbled to 89 for 8, with Sean Williams providing the only resistance. Williams, who benefited from a dropped catch by Hashmatullah Shahidi, scored a valiant 60 off 59 balls to drag his team to a modest total of 127 in 30.1 overs. Afghanistan’s bowlers maintained control throughout, giving their batters a relatively simple target to chase.

The chase began cautiously, with just 15 runs scored in the first six overs. However, Sediqullah Atal broke the shackles with an aggressive 52 off 50 balls, following his century in the second ODI. Atal and Abdul Malik (29) shared an 83-run opening stand before both fell in quick succession. Any hopes of a Zimbabwean comeback were extinguished as Hashmatullah Shahidi and Rahmat Shah calmly completed the chase, securing an eight-wicket win with 23 overs to spare.

Ghazanfar’s Five-Fer and Dominant Spin Lead Afghanistan to Convincing Victory

Afghanistan’s commanding win on Saturday was spearheaded by 18-year-old offspinner AM Ghazanfar, who delivered a stellar performance with figures of 5 for 33 in his ten-over spell. Opening his bowling in the seventh over, Ghazanfar bowled unchanged, claiming his second ODI five-for in just 11 matches. Shahidi’s decision to bowl first after winning the toss proved wise, as Afghanistan’s seamers extracted swing beyond the powerplay, while the spinners mesmerized with sharp turn both ways. Eight of Zimbabwe’s ten wickets fell to Ghazanfar and Rashid Khan, who picked up 3 for 38. However, several dismissals stirred controversy due to debatable umpiring decisions, leaving Craig Ervine, Ben Curran, and even Sikandar Raza visibly dissatisfied in a series devoid of DRS.

Zimbabwe’s innings was a tale of resistance cut short by collapses. Afghanistan’s new-ball bowlers, Fareed Ahmed and Azmatullah Omarzai, set the tone early by keeping a tight lid on the openers, Ben Curran and Joylord Gumbie, who managed just six runs in the first 28 balls. Pressure mounted, leading to a rapid collapse that began in the seventh over when Gumbie top-edged a sweep off Ghazanfar to short fine-leg. Omarzai followed up by squaring up Ervine with a seaming delivery, leading to a contentious caught-behind dismissal. Ghazanfar struck again in the ninth over, trapping Curran lbw for 12, though replays hinted the ball might have been sliding down leg.

The combination of relentless pressure and questionable umpiring left Zimbabwe struggling to recover. Their middle order crumbled, and even seasoned players like Raza couldn’t steady the ship. Ghazanfar’s brilliance, combined with Rashid’s mastery, ensured Afghanistan stayed firmly in control, setting up an easy target that their batters chased down with ease later in the day.

Zimbabwe’s Collapse After Brief Recovery Led by Williams and Raza

Zimbabwe’s brief recovery came courtesy of senior players Sean Williams and Sikandar Raza, who rebuilt the innings after the early collapse. Williams was particularly aggressive, scoring 21 runs off his first 22 balls, including three fours and a six, by the 14th over. However, the dismissal of Raza in the 16th over sparked a dramatic collapse as Zimbabwe lost five wickets for just 29 runs. Raza was trapped lbw for 13 by a turning delivery from Rashid Khan, and in Rashid’s next over, he had Brian Bennett lbw to a googly as Bennett played down the wrong line.

Ghazanfar then took over, claiming two wickets in successive deliveries, both in the 19th over. He bowled around the wicket and used his carrom ball to dismiss Tadiwanashe Marumani and Wellington Masakadza in almost identical fashion, both batters missing the ball and getting bowled through a gap between bat and pad. Ghazanfar almost completed a hat-trick, but Newman Nyamhuri survived a close call, edging the ball, which was well placed by Shahidi, who had three slips in place for the right-hander. Despite Zimbabwe’s crumbling middle order, Williams fought on, hitting Rashid for a four and a six, but his resistance was eventually ended when he was caught at slip while attempting a reverse sweep off Rashid in the 28th over.

Williams had fought valiantly, scoring a fifty and adding a crucial 30-run stand with Ngarava for the ninth wicket. He had also struck debutant Bilal Sami for a four and six in consecutive balls during the 14th over. However, Zimbabwe’s innings was brought to a close after just 15 more balls. Ngarava and Trevor Gwandu could only muster eight more runs before the final wicket fell, leaving Zimbabwe to reflect on a disappointing year in which their batting average stood at a low 14.22, the worst for the team in over a decade.