Babar Azam’s 30th ODI fifty and a big-hitting cameo from Iftikhar Ahmed led Pakistan’s strong batting display and helped them to 282/7 against Afghanistan on a bone-dry surface in Chennai. As many as 38 overs were bowled by the spinners, which is the third-most bowled in a World Cup match.

Things looked on the upswing from the get-go for Pakistan when Abdullah Shafique swung a Naveen-ul-Haq delivery for a maximum in the fifth over. It was the first six hit by a Pakistan batter in the PowerPlay in 2023. Both openers, Imam-ul-Haque and Shafique, looked at ease against the new ball and made use of the best batting conditions on offer en route to a 56-run opening stand.

Azmatullah Omarzai delivered the much-needed breakthrough when he had Imam caught off a familiar short ball at midwicket, and that wicket helped Afghanistan gain some control back. Shafique though continued having a good World Cup and raised a fifty off 50 balls, his second in the tournament to go along with a hundred.

It was Noor Ahmad, in the side for Fazalhaq Farooqi, who broke the 54-run stand with wickets in back to back overs. The left-arm leggie first trapped Shafique lbw and then elicited a top-edge from Mohammad Rizwan, leaving Pakistan struggling on a tough surface to score.

Another 43-run stand between Babar and Saud Shakeel brought in some relief for Pakistan but Mohammad Nabi broke that stand, getting Shakeel caught at mid-on after a flurry of dots. That said, it was Noor’s dismissal of Babar in the 42nd over that really threatened to knock the wind out of Pakistan. Luckily for them, Iftikhar came to the party, hitting a six off Rashid Khan to get going before laying into the likes of Naveen-ul-Haq and Azmatullah.

Iftikhar and Shadab Khan, back in the side for ill Mohammad Nawaz, together added 73 runs for the sixth wicket, a partnership that could hurt Afghanistan.

Noor, the youngest player to feature in this World Cup at 18, returned figures of 3 for 49 in his first World Cup match and helped Afghanistan with breakthroughs on a day their lead spinner Rashid Khan went wicketless.

Brief Scores: Pakistan 282/7 (Babar 74, Iftikhar 40, Shadab 40; Noor 3-49) vs Afghanistan