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Afghanistan beat Pakistan by four wickets in the semi-final of the Asian Games at the Pingfeng Campus Cricket Field in Hangzhou on Friday, October 6. Pakistan have been eliminated from the tournament and will now face Bangladesh on Saturday (October 6) in the bronze medal match.
Afghanistan captain Gulbadin Naib won the toss and opted to bowl first in the contest. The Men in Green batters struggled for timing throughout the innings and could only reach 115 in 18 overs.
Opener Omair Yousuf top-scored for them with 24 (19). Fareed Ahmad (3/15), Qais Ahmad (2/11), and Zahir Khan (2/20) were the picks of Afghanistan bowlers.
Qasim Akram then dismissed Sediqullah Atal (5) in the second over to give his side an early breakthrough. Flamboyant wicket-keeper batter Mohammad Shahzad (9) also departed soon without much contribution.
Coming in at number 3, Noor Ali Zadran (39) held the innings together in the tricky chase and laid a stable platform for Afghanistan. Usman Qadir then picked up two wickets in quick intervals to bring his side back into the contest as the opponents were 84/6 in 14.1 overs.
Afghan skipper Gulbadin Naib (26* in 19 balls) absorbed the pressure and finished the match for his side with a vital cameo in the company of Sharafuddin Ashraf (6*).
Fans took note of Pakistan's elimination from the gold medal race at the Asian Games and expressed their views through X (formerly Twitter).
Here are some of the top reactions:
India and Afghanistan will fight for gold medal while Pakistan and Bangladesh will lock horns for bronze medal on Saturday at Asian Games
Ruturaj Gaikwad-led Indian team beat Bangladesh comprehensively by nine wickets in the first semi-final of the Asian Games.
They will square off against Afghanistan in the final on Saturday (October 7) at the Pingfeng Campus Cricket Field in Hangzhou. The contest will begin at 11:30 AM (IST).
Both the losing sides in the semifinals, Pakistan and Bangladesh, will meet each other in the bronze medal contest tomorrow at the same venue. The match will commence at 01:00 GMT/ 6:30 AM IST.
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