AFP: Number ten batsman Naseem Shah hit a boundary off the penultimate delivery to give Pakistan a dramatic one-wicket win over a luckless Afghanistan in the second ODI at Hambantota yesterday. The 20-year-old miscued a boundary off fast bowler Fazalhaq Farooqi and ran jubilantly towards the dressing room as Pakistan scored 11 off the final over to finish with 302-9 in 49.5 overs. The victory gave Pakistan an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series with the last game in Colombo today.
Pakistan’s late surge overshadowed opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s career-best run-a-ball 151 that lifted Afghanistan to 300-5 in their 50 overs. The final two overs of Pakistan’s chase were full of drama. Needing 27 to win, they were brought closer by Shadab Khan who hit Abdul Rahman for a boundary and six off the last two balls of the 49th over. Farooqi added spice to the drama when he ran out Shadab with his first delivery off the last over when the batsman backed up too far and fell victim to a Mankad dismissal. But Naseem hit boundaries off the first and fifth delivery to pull off victory. Naseem hit the same bowler for two last over sixes to give Pakistan victory by one wicket in the Asia Cup Twenty20 game in Sharjah last year.