Ghazanfar's Fiery Fifer Powers Afghanistan to Whitewash Series Win
An exceptional five-wicket haul from 18-year-old spinner AM Ghazanfar triggered another collapse from Zimbabwe in the third and final ODI, helping Afghanistan seal a dominant 8-wicket victory and complete a 2-0 series whitewash. With Zimbabwe put into bat on a fresh pitch, they were bundled out for just 127 in 30.1 overs. Afghanistan chased down the target comfortably, reaching 131/2 in just 26.5 overs, with more than 23 overs to spare.
Zimbabwe’s struggles with the bat continued after their humiliating 54 all-out in the previous match. Openers struggled from the outset, with Azmatullah Omarzai starting with a maiden over. Ben Curran’s drive to the boundary in the fifth over was the first sign of aggression, but Zimbabwe could not maintain momentum. Ghazanfar, who had impressed with three wickets in the last match, was brought into the attack during the PowerPlay and made an immediate impact. He took just five balls to dismiss Joylord Gumbie, who top-edged a sweep shot. Ghazanfar then had Curran LBW for a low score, and Omarzai added to the pressure by dismissing Craig Ervine with an unplayable delivery that took the outside edge.
While there was a brief period of recovery as Sikandar Raza (36) and Sean Williams (60) added 36 runs for the fourth wicket, Afghanistan's spinners, led by Rashid Khan, quickly regained control. Rashid struck twice in his first two overs, removing Raza and Brian Bennett to put the hosts on the back foot. With Zimbabwe reeling, Ghazanfar seized the opportunity, claiming two wickets in two balls, completing his second five-wicket haul in just his 11th ODI. His incredible spell dismantled Zimbabwe’s batting line-up, leaving only four players in double figures. The Zimbabwean innings ended at a paltry 127, with Richard Ngarava being the last man out on the score of 10. Afghanistan’s bowlers had once again proven too much for the hosts.
In Afghanistan's chase, the pitch posed a few challenges for the batters. The team didn’t rush, focusing instead on consolidating their position and steadily building the innings. Abdul Malik was cautious at one end, keeping the pressure on with a measured approach. On the other end, Sediqullah Atal provided the much-needed acceleration, scoring a fluent 52 off 52 balls. Their partnership ensured Zimbabwe didn’t gain any breakthroughs early on, with the required rate remaining in check. Despite both openers falling in quick succession, the chase was well under control by then. Rahmat Shah and Hashmatullah Shahidi took Afghanistan to victory, requiring only 35 more runs to win and sealing the eight-wicket win without any further drama.
Ghazanfar’s match-winning performance and Afghanistan's dominant all-round display throughout the series highlighted the rising strength of their cricket team, especially in spin bowling. Their collective efforts have handed them a significant morale-boosting victory on foreign soil, marking a memorable series win for the visitors.
Brief Scores: Zimbabwe 127 all out in 30.1 overs (Williams 60; Ghazanfar 5-33, Rashid 3-38) lost to Afghanistan 131/2 in 26.5 overs (Sediqullah Atal 52; Trevor Gwandu 1-27) by 8 wickets.
