Stats - Afghanistan's historic series win, Gurbaz's record century

All the key numbers as Afghanistan seal their first ODI series win against a top-five ranked nation

21-Sep-2024

Rashid Khan picked up a five-wicket haul in Sharjah, Afghanistan vs South Africa, 2nd ODI, Sharjah, September 20, 2024

Afghanistan beat South Africa by 177 runs in the second ODI in Sharjah on Friday to take an unassailable 2-0 series lead. Rahmanullah Gurbaz set up the win with a fine century that helped take Afghanistan to 311, before birthday boy Rashid Khan took a five-wicket haul as the visitors folded for 134. Here are all the key stats from the game:

1 - This victory against South Africa marked the first bilateral ODI series win for Afghanistan against a team ranked among the top five in the ICC rankings. South Africa are currently ranked third in men's ODIs.

Afghanistan won 13 bilateral ODI series previously, of which five came against Zimbabwe, four against Ireland, two against Scotland and one each against Bangladesh and Netherlands.

177 - Margin of Afghanistan's win is their biggest in terms of runs in men's ODIs. Their previous biggest was by 154 runs against Zimbabwe in 2018, also in Sharjah.

9 - Afghanistan are now the ninth team to secure a bilateral men's ODI series win against South Africa. Zimbabwe and Ireland are the only teams without an ODI series win against South Africa among the Full Members.

1 - The first instance of South Africa getting all out under 150 in successive men's ODIs. They were bowled out for 106 in the first ODI and could only make 134 on Friday.

9 - Wickets lost by South Africa to Afghanistan spinners on Friday, the joint-most they lost to spin in a men's ODI. The Indian spinners also shared nine wickets against South Africa in 1999 in Nairobi.

1 - Rashid became the first player to bag a five-wicket haul in ODIs on birthday. Two players had a four-wicket haul on their birthdays in ODIs previously - Vernon Philander against Ireland in 2007 on his 22nd birthday and Stuart Broad against Australia in 2010 on his 24th birthday.

5 - Five wicket hauls for Rashid in ODIs. Only three spin bowlers have bagged more five-fors in men's ODIs than him - Muthiah Muralidaran (10), Shahid Afridi (nine) and Saqlain Mushtaq (six).

172 - Azmatullah Omarzai's strike rate during his unbeaten 50-ball 86. It is the highest in an ODI innings for Afghanistan, for a minimum of 50 balls faced, and also the highest by any batter against South Africa.

7 - ODI centuries by Gurbaz. Two batters have scored more hundreds before turning 23 in men's ODIs - eight each for Sachin Tendulkar and Quinton de Kock, while Virat Kohli also had seven.

1 - Gurbaz now has the most hundreds for Afghanistan in ODIs, surpassing Mohammad Shahzad's tally of six. Gurbaz has eight centuries across formats in international cricket, the most for Afghanistan, going ahead of Shahzad's seven.

42 - Innings Gurbaz took for his seven hundreds in ODIs. Only three batters needed fewer innings to score their seventh century in men's ODIs - Babar Azam (33), Imam-ul-Haq (36) and Hashim Amla (41). Zaheer Abbas also got to his seventh ODI ton in 42 innings.

Rashid Khan Rahmanullah Gurbaz Afghanistan South Africa Afghanistan vs South Africa Afghanistan vs South Africa

Sampath Bandarupalli is a statistician at ESPNcricinfo