Afghanistan’s wicketkeeper-batsman Rahmanullah Gurbaz displayed an excellent performance, blasting a swashbuckling 151 against Pakistan during the second ODI match of the series on Thursday. This astounding record now positions him as the third-fastest player to achieve five ODI hundreds.
Gurbaz outshined Pakistan’s captain Babar Azam (who achieved it in 25 innings) and has now clinched a spot only behind the leaders, Quinton de Kock and Imam-Ul-Haq, both with 19 innings. In a remarkable performance, Afghanistan managed to put up a strong score of 300/5, courtesy to Gurbaz’s stunning knock of 151 runs. This represented Afghanistan’s greatest total against their arch-rivals, Pakistan.
What made Gurbaz’s century even more unusual was that it became the first instance of a wicketkeeper getting 150 or more in a men’s ODI against Pakistan. The former record was held by MS Dhoni with his 148 in Visakhapatnam back in 2005. Gurbaz’s innings of 151 runs against Pakistan were scored at a run-a-ball rate and contained an outstanding record of 14 fours and three sixes. Notably, this marked Gurbaz’s fifth ODI century, achieved in a mere 23 innings.
This remarkable inning by Gurbaz also delivered Afghanistan another milestone — the highest score by an Afghan hitter against Pakistan. Moreover, it represented the very first century achieved by an Afghan player versus Pakistan. The previous best effort was Hashmatullah Shahidi’s undefeated 97.
The crucial partnership between Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran resulted in a massive 227-run opening stand, ranking as Afghanistan’s second-highest partnership for any wicket. After their poor performance of being bowled out for just 59 runs in the first ODI, Afghanistan exhibited an outstanding batting fightback in the second match of the series.
Overall, Afghanistan’s spirited performance with the bat, spearheaded by Gurbaz’s remarkable century and the huge partnership, showcased their will to come back after a poor start in the series.
Least ODI innings for 5 ODI centuries:
Quinton de Kock – 19
Imam-ul-Haq –19
Rahmanullah Gurbaz –23
Babar Azam –25
Upul Tharanga – 28
Shikhar Dhawan –28
Hashim Amla-30
Speaking after his knock, Gurbaz said: “We just hoped to play positive (after last match’s defeat), we expected this from our batters. We wanted to bat well and post a good total. I have been batting with Ibrahim Zadran since a long time. We were discussing throughout our partnership to bat with a plan. I was set but wasn’t able to hit boundaries against spinners, so I am pretty confident we can defend this total.”
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