Atal Century and Rashid Magic Power Afghanistan to 158-Run Rout of Zimbabwe

Afghanistan bounce back in the UAE ODI Tri-Series and leave the race for the final wide open

Afghanistan crushed Zimbabwe by 158 runs in the second match of the UAE ODI Tri-Series on Monday, October 19. Sediqullah Atal scored a fine century, and Rashid Khan took four wickets as Zimbabwe were bowled out for just 136 chasing 295.

The result means all three teams can still reach Friday’s final. Afghanistan and Zimbabwe have two points each, and the last group game is Afghanistan against Bangladesh on Wednesday.

Atal and Zadran set the platform

After Rahmanullah Gurbaz gave Afghanistan a quick start, Atal and Ibrahim Zadran put on 140 for the second wicket. Zadran was in excellent touch and looked set for a hundred, but Brad Evans had him caught at deep square leg for 90. It was the fourth time Zadran has been dismissed in the nineties in ODIs.

Afghanistan then lost captain Rahmat Shah and Azmatullah Omarzai cheaply, so Atal shifted to a more careful approach. He added 42 with Hashmatullah Shahidi and went on to reach his third ODI century, making 102.

When Atal holed out in the 45th over, Afghanistan collapsed, losing their last six wickets for just 35 runs. They were all out for 294, with Ernest Masuku and Evans taking three wickets each.

Zimbabwe’s top order crumbles

Zimbabwe needed only 196 to secure a place in the final, but their top order failed again. Fazalhaq Farooqi bowled Ben Curran for a duck and removed Tafadzwa Tsiga cheaply. Brendan Taylor was run out by a direct hit from Omarzai, and AM Ghazanfar trapped Brian Bennett lbw for 31. Zimbabwe were 43 for 4 in the 13th over.

Sikandar Raza and Ryan Burl added 64 for the fifth wicket. Raza was dropped twice, but Afghanistan’s star leg-spinner then took control.

Rashid runs through the middle order

Rashid had Burl lbw for 31, trapped Wessley Madhevere with a ball that kept low, and bowled Raza for 48 with a sharply turning googly. Zimbabwe slid from 107 for 4 to 124 for 7.

Rashid later bowled Masuku for a duck and finished with superb figures of 4 for 17. Zimbabwe were all out in 38.4 overs.

Brief scores

Afghanistan 294 (Sediqullah Atal 102, Ibrahim Zadran 90, Ernest Masuku 3-44, Brad Evans 3-48) beat Zimbabwe 136 (Sikandar Raza 48, Rashid Khan 4-17, Fazalhaq Farooqi 2-15) by 158 runs.