Buoyed by Sachin Tendulkar’s encouraging phrases on pre-match eve, 21-year-old Ibrahim Zadran etched his title in Afghanistan’s cricket historical past, scoring nation’s first ever World Cup hundred that propelled them to a wholesome 291 for five towards Australia right here on Tuesday.
Zadran anchored the innings with an unbeaten 129 off 143 balls as Afghanistan scored 64 in final 5 overs towards five-time champions in a do-or-die sport so far as their maiden semi-final look is anxious.
The 21-year-old Zadran who made his ODI debut simply 4 years in the past, produced a terrific knock right here on the Wankhede Stadium in a key World Cup conflict to file his fifth ton in solely 26 ODIs.
He additionally has 5 fifties to his credit score as he additionally grew to become the primary batter from his nation to attain a ton towards Australia.
Vindicating his captain’s name on the toss to bat first completely, Zadran’s unhurried knock showcased his high-class temperament, health in addition to calibre as he batted for the whole thing of the Afghanistan innings, taking them to a preventing whole on a batting-friendly pitch.
Zadran confronted 143 balls and cracked eight fours and three sixes to make the very best rating for any Afghanistan batter in World Cup tournaments since their maiden look two editions in the past, surpassing Samiullah Shinwari’s 96 towards Scotland at Dunedin within the 2015 World Cup.
“I had a superb chat with Sachin Tendulkar yesterday, he shared a variety of his experiences that I can not specific. I am very grateful to him for sharing his experiences and giving me a variety of confidence,” Zadran stated on the break.
With Australia pacers not discovering any help off the floor or within the air proper from the start, Afghanistan’s method was largely conservative however there have been some sparks of brilliance too.
Azmatullah Omarzai smacked two sixes and a 4 to make an 18-ball 22 to offer Afghanistan with much-needed impetus within the center overs. He was dismissed by Adam Zampa (1/58) who now has 20 wickets within the World Cup to this point.
In direction of the tip, Rashid Khan, who maybe didn’t bowl in any respect in the course of the lead-up to this contest, hammered a quickfire 35 not out off 18 balls (2x4s, 3x6s).
However the star of the innings undoubtedly was the younger Zadran, who gave a fantastic instance of his expertise on the greatest stage by shepherding the remainder of the Afghanistan batters who gave the impression to be batting round him.
The primary breakthrough got here on the finish of the eighth over when Rahmanullah Gurbaz (21) lazily pulled a brief ball from Josh Hazlewood (2/39) to Mitchell Starc stationed at deep backward sq. leg, having placed on 38 for the primary wicket.
However an 83-run stand from 100 balls for the second wicket between Rahmat Shah (30) and Zadran consolidated Afghanistan’s place, permitting them to construct a platform. Whereas they put the dangerous deliveries away, each Zadran and Shah rotated the strike properly.
