LAHORE: Joe Root’s long-awaited return to ODI century form has helped England stage a comeback in the crucial group match of the Champions Trophy against Afghanistan. Root scored his 17th ODI hundred—his first since the 2019 World Cup. His century came in100 balls and contained 10 boundaries.
England have a mammoth task to chase 326 and were 261/6 in 43 overs.
Afghanistan opener Ibrahim Zadran scripted history with a sensational knock of 177 off 146 deliveries, the highest individual score in ICC Champions Trophy history, surpassing England’s Ben Duckett’s 165. His record-breaking innings helped Afghanistan post a formidable 325/7 in 50 overs against England in their Group B clash in Lahore on Wednesday.
Zadran not only became the first Afghan player to score a century in the ICC Champions Trophy, but also the first Afghan batter to score a century in any ICC event, marking a monumental moment for his nation in global cricket.
Winning the toss and opting to bat first, Afghanistan faced early setbacks, but a resilient middle-order fightback led by Zadran helped them post a commanding total.
England struck early, with Jofra Archer dismissing Rahmanullah Gurbaz (6) at 11/1. Things got worse when Sediqullah Atal (4) and Rahmat Shah (4) fell cheaply, leaving Afghanistan reeling at 37/3.
However, Zadran found an able partner in captain Hashmatullah Shahidi, who contributed 40 off 67 balls in a crucial 103-run stand. After Shahidi’s dismissal to Adil Rashid, Afghanistan reached the 200-run mark in 37.2 overs.
Zadran continued his dominance, forging a 72-run partnership with Azmatullah Omarzai (41 off 31, 3 sixes, 1 four) before Jamie Overton broke the stand but the real acceleration came when Mohammad Nabi joined Zadran at the crease.
The experienced all-rounder and the in-form opener stitched together a 111-run partnership, propelling Afghanistan beyond 300. Zadran surpassed his previous best score of 162 against Sri Lanka in 2022, rewriting history with a brilliant 177 (12 fours, 6 sixes). His innings finally ended on the first ball of the last over, falling to Liam Livingstone.
Despite the onslaught, Jofra Archer stood out with figures of 3/64, while Livingstone impressed with 2/28 in 5 overs. Overton and Rashid picked up a wicket each. (ANI)