Viral Photo From Afghanistan Dressing Room Shows Why They Are Chasing Down Big Totals Against Big Teams With Ease

Afghanistan, on Monday (October 30), continued their stunning journey in the ongoing ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 and registered their third victory in the competition.

Having defeated reigning champions England and Pakistan earlier in the competition, they defeated 1996 World Cup winners Sri Lanka in their latest outing. Just like their wins against England and Pakistan, the victory over Sri Lanka was a comfortable one too at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune.

Hashmatullah Shahidi won the toss and opted to bowl first and his bowlers totally justified the decision. They wrapped up the Sri Lankan innings for a modest total of 241 runs. Opener Pathum Nissanka was the top-scorer for his side, scoring 46 while no other batter could touch the 40-run mark. For Afghanistan, left-arm pacer Fazalhaq Farooqi was the pick of the bowlers, taking 4 for 34.

Afghanistan’s meticulous plan:

In reply, Afghanistan chased down the total with ease. They crossed the finishing line comfortably in the 46th over. They were off to a poor start as their star batsman Rahmanullah Gurbaz was dismissed by Dilshan Madushanka for a duck. But from thereon, it was a one-way traffic as the Afghan outfit thoroughly dominated the proceedings.

Ibrahim Zadran and Rahmat Shah steadied the ship by adding 73 runs for the second wicket before the former departed for  39. It was followed by 58-run stand between Shah and captain Shahidi. Kasun Rajitha broke the stand by dismissing Shah for 62.

Shahidi and Azmatullah Omarzai then went on to score unbeaten fifties and shared an unbeaten stand of 111 runs to seal another historic win for their side. Shahidi remained unbeaten on 58 while Omarzai scored 73.

Afghanistan’s wins are not surprising many now. Given the talent they have at their disposal, many expect them to register wins on their day. But what has surprised many is the ease with which they have chased down totals against big teams. Against Pakistan, they chased down 283 runs with utmost ease while the story did not change much against Sri Lanka as well.

And a viral photo might have revealed the reason behind their brilliant chases. A photo of a whiteboard from the Afghanistan dugout has gone viral that shows the meticulous planning. The team-management had broken down the target over-wise and wrote it on the board before the players executed it brilliantly.

pic.twitter.com/ap1u0v5Jei

— Out Of Context Cricket (@GemsOfCricket) October 30, 2023