In a thrilling display of cricket, Afghanistan secured a remarkable 69-run victory against the defending champions, England, in Match 13 of the ODI Cricket World Cup 2023 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Sunday.
This triumph not only marked a significant milestone for the Hashmatullah Shahidi-led Afghan side, securing their first win in the ongoing edition of the prestigious ICC event, but also sent a powerful message to the cricketing world. Afghanistan’s victory is a stark reminder that they should not be underestimated or perceived as underdogs in this competition.
Afghanistan’s remarkable performance
In the first innings, Afghanistan displayed their batting capabilites, setting a challenging target of 285 runs. The backbone of their innings was the explosive performance of wicket-keeper batter Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who thundered his way to a formidable 80 runs.
Regarding the chase, the dynamic Afghan spin duo, featuring Rashid Khan with figures of 3/37 and Mujeeb Ur Rehman with 3/51, unleashed havoc on the English batting lineup. Their combined efforts proved devastating, restricting England to 215 runs and sealing a well-deserved and memorable victory for their side.
After the game, Indian batting legend Sachin Tendulkar praised Afghan all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai. The cricket icon opined on Azmatullah’s bowling action and compared his wrist movement with the two legendary Indian pacers.
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Sachin’s praiseworthy tweet for Azmatullah
While Azmatullah’s contribution in the match was limited to just two overs, his exceptional bowling skills did not go unnoticed. Sachin expressed his admiration for the youngster’s talent, highlighting the striking similarity in his wrist movement to that of Indian pacers Praveen Kumar and Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
Sachin emphasized that this unique wrist action enables the 23-year-old to effectively swing the ball in both directions, which could be a valuable asset, especially in challenging playing conditions.
“Looking at Azmatullah’s wrist position, which I feel is very good, reminded me of @praveenkumar and @BhuviOfficial. It allows him to swing the ball both ways and in such conditions it could prove to be useful.” Sachin tweeted.
Looking at Azmatullah’s wrist position, which I feel is very good, reminded me of @praveenkumar and @BhuviOfficial.
It allows him to swing the ball both ways and in such conditions it could prove to be useful.@ACBofficials#ENGvAFG— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) October 15, 2023
