Lahore [Pakistan], February 26 (ANI): Azmatullah Omarzai struck to dismiss well-settled England batter Joe Root, who scored a fighting 120 in the crucial Champions Trophy group match.
Root scored his first ODI century in six years. Chasing 326, England needed 39 more runs from 25 balls to secure victory. Root’s brilliant 120 came off 111 deliveries, featuring 11 boundaries and one six.
This was Omarzai’s third wicket of the match.
Afghanistan opener Ibrahim Zadran scripted history with a sensational knock of 177 off 146 deliveries, the highest individual score in ICC Champions Trophy history, surpassing England’s Ben Duckett’s 165. His record-breaking innings helped Afghanistan post a formidable 325/7 in 50 overs against England in their Group B clash in Lahore on Wednesday.
Zadran not only became the first Afghan player to score a century in the ICC Champions Trophy, but also the first Afghan batter to score a century in any ICC event, marking a monumental moment for his nation in global cricket.
Winning the toss and opting to bat first, Afghanistan faced early setbacks, but a resilient middle-order fightback led by Zadran helped them post a commanding total.
England struck early, with Jofra Archer dismissing Rahmanullah Gurbaz (6) at 11/1. Things got worse when Sediqullah Atal (4) and Rahmat Shah (4) fell cheaply, leaving Afghanistan reeling at 37/3.
However, Zadran found an able partner in captain Hashmatullah Shahidi, who contributed 40 off 67 balls in a crucial 103-run stand. After Shahidi’s dismissal to Adil Rashid, Afghanistan reached the 200-run mark in 37.2 overs.
Zadran continued his dominance, forging a 72-run partnership with Azmatullah Omarzai (41 off 31, 3 sixes, 1 four) before Jamie Overton broke the stand but the real acceleration came when Mohammad Nabi joined Zadran at the crease.
The experienced all-rounder and the in-form opener stitched together a 111-run partnership, propelling Afghanistan beyond 300. Zadran surpassed his previous best score of 162 against Sri Lanka in 2022, rewriting history with a brilliant 177 (12 fours, 6 sixes). His innings finally ended on the first ball of the last over, falling to Liam Livingstone.
Despite the onslaught, Jofra Archer stood out with figures of 3/64, while Livingstone impressed with 2/28 in 5 overs. Overton and Rashid picked up a wicket each. (ANI)
