Afghanistan vs Pakistan, 4th Match at Sharjah, UAE Tri-Series, Sep 02 2025 - Ball by Ball Commentary

11:03pm That will be all from us for tonight. We hope you enjoyed our coverage and hope to have your company again for all the cricket that is lined up in different parts of the world. Until next time, from Thilak and myself (Shashwat), this is goodbye!

Ibrahim Zadran, Player of the Match: I did play really well in the last game, just trying to take time. I have been playing in that position, I have an idea on how to set the game and build a partnership. Just trying to keep it simple. Did not want to take too much pressure, wanted to rotate strike and target one bowler at a time. We (Atal and me) have been playing together since 2020 and the U-19 World Cup. The understanding is there, the trust is there. We have been trying to communicate and these were the things that helped a lot yesterday and today, and hope to do it in the future as well. I just focus on what the (score)board needs and what the team needs and focus on that mindset and intent.

Rashid Khan, Afghanistan captain: (On if the score was enough) If you bowl in the right areas and with the bowling we have, it is manageable and defendable. (On playing different spinners each game) That is a kind of tactic. We have that bench strength. It is not just about the playing eleven. Whoever gets the opportunity can do the job. We decide based on the opposition and who might be useful on that wicket. We thought Noor and Ghazanfar would be more effective. Quite pleased with the way they bowled and the lengths they bowled. (On Atal and Zadran) Two great players, just the beginning for them. The way they are taking responsibility and reading conditions, they are doing it so well. They understand if we can keep wickets, we can score maximum runs. (On batting higher) That is something which I have been hearing a lot. Last four overs, I feel I can go (out to bat). But most of the batters, they have not batted much, so give them an opportunity where they can hit a couple of shots and get confidence. That confidence is needed (with Asia Cup coming up), so I try my best to go lower in the order (smiles).

Salman Ali Agha, Pakistan captain: (On the score) I think 170 was gettable. Thought the bowlers did a good job. We lost too many wickets in the middle overs. After eight overs, we were going well but we lost many wickets (in the next 5-6 overs). When you lose that many wickets, it becomes very difficult. They (the Afghanistan spinners) are quality spinners. If you give any sniff to them, they are good enough to grab it. If we did not lose that many wickets in the middle overs, it could have been a different story.

10:43pm Pakistan, in the end, lost by only 18 runs but the result seemed a foregone conclusion long before Rauf smashed the ball to all parts. He finished as Pakistan's highest run-getter in the innings and that tells a story in itself. There were starts for the more recognized batters but no one got past 25, and that, given what Afghanistan's set batters did earlier in the evening, proved to be the difference.

Afghanistan were tidy with the ball too. They got off to a good start in the powerplay but it was when their spinners got into their groove that they truly swung the game their way. Pakistan's middle-overs slowdown was not as dramatic as Afghanistan's from the reverse fixture, but it was telling nonetheless, with Rashid, Nabi and Noor all helping themselves to a brace of wickets, alongside Farooqi, who set the game up with two powerplay wickets. Not to mention Salman's run-out, which further shifted the scales.

Last ball of the game coming up

Omarzai to bowl

Final over coming up and Pakistan are still mathematically in this. Five sixes and a four should do the trick...

Farhad: "After how many deliveries did the boundary come?" -- Excluding the four byes in the 11th over, Rauf's six off Rashid was the first boundary Pakistan had hit since the third ball of the eighth over...

Around the wicket

Muqeem on strike

Sree: "Is there any advantage for first batting here in UAE ?? Something seems to change in 2nd innings. What's that ?? " -- It is a strange one. Players have mentioned that dew becomes a factor in the second innings, yet, it is the teams batting first that are winning. For what it is worth, think the pitch does get a little trickier in the second innings, with uneven bounce, hold in the surface etc becoming more pronounced.