Pakistan beat Afghanistan by 59 runs in the final ODI of the three-match series at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Saturday, August 26. The win came despite a terrific bowling performance by Afghanistan and a commendable rescue effort from Mujeeb ur Rehman at the end of the chase.

Defending 269, Faheem Ashraf picked up the wicket of the dangerous Rahmanullah Gurbaz (who made 151 in the second ODI) early, and soon picked up the wicket of Ibrahim Zadran, setting Afghanistan back in the chase early. A mini-collapse followed, triggered by Shadab Khan, who picked up the wickets of Riaz Hassan and Hashmatullah Shahidi in the same over, before Agha Salman picked up Gulbadin for a duck. Before they knew it, Afghanistan had lost half their side.

Mohammad Nabi, just the man for a rescue act, departed soon to the guile of Nawaz, as did Rashid Khan, after a blistering cameo. However, it was then that a couple of heartening innings followed – by Shahidullah Kamal, and Mujeeb ur Rehman. The latter struck five sixes on his way to Afghanistan’s fastest ODI fifty. However, the effort wasn’t nearly good enough, despite two stands that aggregated over a hundred runs combined, as Afghanistan slid to defeat, conceding the series 0-3. The result of the series meant Pakistan climbed to the top of the ICC ODI rankings heading into two crucial multi-team events.

Earlier in the day, Pakistan’s openers got off to a slow but stable start, despite Imam being dropped at backward point off the bowling of Mujeeb. However, it was Gulbadin who came back in the ninth over to get rid of Fakhar Zaman, forcing him to cut loose after beating him on the edge. Imam followed soon after, chasing one outside off only to nick it through to the keeper. Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan put on a 110-run stand to rescue Pakistan from some early damage. However, from 162/2, Pakistan lost Babar, Saud Shakeel and Rizwan in fifteen balls and were reduced to 184/5.

Shadab Khan followed soon after, but a stand of 61 between Agha Salman and Mohammad Nawaz – 61 off 47 balls – managed to lift them to a respectable 268/8 – a total that Pakistan’s bowlers defended comfortably in the end.

Brief Scores: Pakistan 268-8 in 50 overs (Mohammad Rizwan 67, Babar Azam 60, Gulbadin Naib 2-36) beat Afghanistan 209in 48.4 overs (Mujeeb ur Rehman 64, Shadab Khan 3-42) by 59 runs