‘Afghanistan walon ne dil jeete hain’ – Fans react as South Africa beat Afghanistan by 5 wickets in ODI World Cup clash

The 42nd match of the ongoing ODI World Cup 2023 was played between South Africa and Afghanistan at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Friday, November 10. The Afghans are officially eliminated from the tournament after getting defeated by the Proteas by 5 wickets. The South African team will now face Australia in the 2nd semi-final at the Eden Gardens on November 16.

Talking about the match, choosing to bat first after winning the toss, Afghanistan got a solid start from openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Hashmatullah Shahidi. However, Keshav Maharaj’s entry in the 10th over disrupted their momentum. Maharaj made an immediate impact by dismissing Gurbaz on his first delivery, followed by Gerald Coetzee removing Ibrahim Zadran. The South African spinner continued his dominance by claiming the crucial wicket of Afghan skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi.

Despite losing wickets, Azmatullah Omarzai and Rashid Khan resisted, with Omarzai reaching a commendable half-century. Unfortunately, Rashid fell to Andile Phehlukwayo, ending their partnership. However, Omarzai then collaborated with Noor Ahmad for a 44-run stand, guiding Afghanistan past the 200-run mark. Although Omarzai fell just 3 runs short of a century, he played a pivotal role in helping the team reach a competitive total of 244 runs.

Brilliant batting by Rassie van der Dussen

Chasing the target, the South African opening pair Quinton de Kock and Temba Bavuma provided a solid foundation with a score of 57/0 during the initial powerplay. However, both were swiftly dismissed. Rassie van der Dussen and Aiden Markram built a fifty partnership, appearing comfortable. Rashid Khan disrupted their stand, also dismissing the dangerous Heinrich Klaasen. 

Despite this, other spinners couldn’t maintain the same pressure. Mohammad Nabi took out David Miller, leaving South Africa with a 60+ run requirement. Rassie remained composed while Andile Phehlukwayo, recovering from a shaky start against spinners, effortlessly struck boundaries against Naveen-ul-Haq, sealing victory with 15 balls to spare.

Here’s how fans reacted:

https://twitter.com/navsurani/status/1722978414481551504