Mujeeb bowls a beauty to get rid of Joe Root
Afghanistan’s fast bowler, Fazalhaq Farooqi, struck early, removing England’s opener Jonny Bairstow for a mere 2 runs. Though, the real moment of magic came when Mujeeb Ur Rahman bowled a sensational delivery to dismiss the experienced campaigner, Joe Root.
The crucial wicket of Root fell on the fifth ball of the seventh over. Mujeeb bowled a delivery that was slightly uppish, curving back at an angle and staying low. Root, attempting to defend it on the back foot, was left stunned as the ball passed the inside edge and crashed into his off-stump, leaving the Afghan fans in awe of the magnificent delivery.
Here is the video:
Rahmanullah Gurbaz shines for Afghanistan
Earlier, Afghanistan opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz showcased his remarkable batting skills. Gurbaz scored a blistering 80 runs off just 57 balls and established a 114-run partnership for the first wicket with Ibrahim Zadran, who contributed 28 runs to the cause. England’s bowlers fought back after Gurbaz’s explosive innings, picking up wickets at regular intervals to reduce Afghanistan to 190/6.
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However, Afghanistan’s wicketkeeper-batter, Ikram Alikhil, played a crucial role in stabilizing the innings. He crafted a brilliant half-century, scoring 58 runs from 66 deliveries. The lower-order contributed as well, with Rashid Khan adding 23 runs and Mujeeb scoring 28 runs, helping Afghanistan reach a competitive total of 284 runs before being all out in 49.5 overs.
Notably, this is a crucial clash for both the teams. Afghanistan need a desperate win, having lost their previous two fixtures against Bangladesh and India. Similarly, England would focus to continue their winning momentum after registering a victory in their last game against Bangladesh. Not to mention, the defending champions began the tournament with a defeat against New Zealand.
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