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AFGHANISTAN TOUR OF ZIMBABWE, 2017

Cricbuzz StaffLast updated on Sun, 26 Feb, 2017, 05:31 PM

Mohammad Nabi scored 48 off 40 in the deciding ODI in Harare. Getty

Afghanistan inched one step closer to a series win after Mohammad Nabi hit a crucial 48 towards the end of the innings to help his side post 253 on the board against Zimbabwe in the fifth and final One-Day International. With Afghanistan posting the highest score of the series, Zimbabwe will have their task cut out in the chase on Sunday (February 26).

Afghanistan opted to bat first in the decider and made four changes to their XI in their bid to seal the series. The hosts though were unchanged, following a crushing seven-wicket win in the fourth ODI at the same venue.

With teams initially struggling against the new ball throughout the series, the Afghanistan openers probably wanted to make a mark early. Mohammad Shahzad drove the first ball of the match through the covers for a boundary and fetched another two balls later, courtesy of an inside edge. Noor Ali Zadran began in similar fashion by driving one past mid-off as the visitors made 13 in the first over. There were no boundaries hit in the next three overs before Ali Zadran found the gap between mid wicket and mid on. Richard Ngarava finally struck in the sixth over by bringing one back into Shahzad that shattered the stumps.

The wicket did no harm to Afghanistan's run rate though as four boundaries were hit in the next three overs with three of them coming from Ali Zadran's bat. The flurry of boundaries took the run rate past six as the visitors made full use of the powerplay. They couldn't end it on a high note though as Ngarava made another breakthrough. Gulbadin Naib missed the ball and was trapped leg-before while attempting a flick. Ali Zadran then made full use of a free-hit in the following over by depositing the ball over deep midwicket for a maximum. The impressive 28-year-old collected two more boundaries but his dismissal in the 15th over for 46 proved to be a huge setback.

Afghanistan went through a period where they failed to find the boundary rope even once in nine overs. Asghar Stanikzai broke the shackles with a boundary over extra cover but Sean Williams got rid of the skipper in the very next over, trapping him lbw. The wicket was followed by another barren spell without any boundaries as the run rate began to dip. A terrible mix up then cost Samiullah Shenwari his wicket and then three overs later, it was the turn of Rahmat Shah to get dismissed in similar fashion. He had done a decent job until then, reaching a half-century off 79 balls.

With six wickets down by the 40th over, Afghanistan needed senior statesman Nabi to put his hand up and deliver, which he did with aplomb. His first boundary came off Williams when he smashed the left-arm spinner for a six. Even though Najibullah Zadran fell at the other end, Nabi kept the scoreboard ticking. Ngarava then the bore the brunt of the allrounder's assaault as Nabi hit him for back-to-back boundaries. Nabi and Rashid Khan were dismissed in the penultimate over but Dawlat Zadran's little cameo hurt Zimbabwe right at the death. The bowler hammered Chatara for a couple of fours and a six in the final over to take his side past 250. The previous highest score in the series was 238, which was also posted by Afghanistan, a contest they went on to win.

Brief scores: Afghanistan 253/9 (Rahmat Shah 50, Mohammad Nabi 48; Chris Mpofu 3-46, Richard Ngarava 2-37) vs Zimbabwe

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Advantage Afghanistan after Nabi's cameo - Cricbuzz