The commentary is not available for this match. Please check the scorecard for latest updates.
Like always it was a pleasure bringing all the live coverage for this encounter. We have a lot of cricket matches lined up tomorrow with the Pakistan vs Australia 3rd Test set to get underway from 5 AM IST. Join us then but for now this is myself (Arya Sekhar Chakraborty) signing off also on behalf of my fellow commentator and good mate Rajarshi Das. Goodnight! Ciao!
It's time for Ibrahim Zadran to collect the winning trophy and it's time for the Afghanistan team to pose for the photographs.
Ibrahim Zadran (Afghanistan captain): Yeah it's a nice feeling to win the series. They gave us a tough time but nice to come through with a win. We thought like that. I was talking to our bowlers and not allow them score over 130. We will not give them extra runs and that was the discussion. Credit goes to the bowlers especially Naveen. I was thinking about changing Naveen's end. There was some mistakes in the last game, Naveen is the most senior guy in the team and he has got a lot of skills. I put trust on him and he delivered. There are few guys. Afzal is waiting for his chances. Ijaz Ahmed is also a very nice player. These could be big players for Afghanistan. They are few bowlers travelling with the team and waiting for their chances. Yeah ofcourse I will thank the crowd. (Thanking the crowd in Pashto).
Muhammad Waseem (UAE captain): Yeah I am smiling that's why the boys fought very well. We were short by 10-15 runs but the bowlers were excellent. Yeah Dhruv is a very good talent. I told him to not give full balls. He moved three crucial overs. No actually, no other way for Akif as noone was there on the stumps. Junaid bowled really well. We have 10-15 runs in fielding which changed the course of the game. We are going in for the ILT20. We learned so many positive things in the series. Tanish Suri is a nice talent. He will keep getting more chances and that will improve his batting.
Naveen-ul-Haq is the Player Of The Match! Here's what he has to say: It was a crucial game after losing the second one. Was the decider. We had to show up at the ground, do it for the team and our country. Was nice to get an early breakthrough. The first over didn't go well for our side, to get back-to-back wickets helps the team get back in the game. Every guy in the team has been playing International and franchise cricket for a long time, so getting knowledge, sitting with the senior guys helps you with your confidence. Was a good series to prepare for the India series. We didn't quite want to get under pressure, but we got into it. Hopefully it helps us in India. The young UAE lads are quite good in T20I cricket, I've seen them play against New Zealand in Abu Dhabi as well, they're quite a good team. The upcoming boys, Jawadullah, Junaid, Waseem, these boys are doing quite well, exciting times ahead for UAE cricket.
Time for the post match presentation ceremony.
Afghanistan won by 4 wickets (with 9 deliveries to spare)
The target of 127 looked well below par at the halfway stage of the match and when Rahmanullah Gurbaz started off in a blazing fashion in the company of Hazratullah Zazai, it looked the match would finish pretty quickly. It was Junaid Siddique who bagged the important wicket of Rahmanullah Gurbaz to put some pressure on the Afghan middle order. Zazai and Ibrahim started the resurrection job with a timely partnership as Afghanistan scored 46 in the powerplay. It was some superb bowling from Ali Naseer and Dhurv Parashar to keep putting pressure on the Afghan batters.
Azmatullah Omarzai looked in great touch as he has been. For the majority of the year. Aayan Khan and Muhammad Jawadullah bowled some tidy overs to keep UAE in the game. They needed to chip away with the wickets and that was exactly which the bowlers provided. When Mohammad Nabi was dismissed, Afghanistan was still 24 runs away from the victory target. The UAE bowlers sensed an opening but Najibullah Zadran had other ideas. He came out all guns blazing and smashed 28 off just 13 deliveries, which included a couple of fours and sixes each.
Najibullah finishes it off in style. What a knock from the southpaw. Remaining unbeaten on 28 off 13 deliveries and Afghanistan win the series 2-1. He made sure that he was there till the end to take their side over the finish line. Things started looking a bit difficult for the Afghans but Najibullah held his composure and made the chase look pretty easy in the end. Credit goes to UAE for fighting hard despite putting up a below par score. They can leave the field with their heads held high but take nothing away from Afghanistan. They were tested but came out with flying colors to take Afghanistan to another series win.
18.3 Junaid Siddique to Najibullah Zadran, SIX! Afghanistan claim the 3-match T20I series! Najibullah Zadran, cool as a cucumber, does it for the Afghans yet again! These tricky situations are right up his alley, and the experienced left-hander delivers! Full, outside off stump, Najibullah reaches out for it, and lofts the ball elegantly over the cover boundary!
What a hit from Najibullah, he is taking his over the finish line. Makes some room and launches the length delivery well over the long off fence. He knew exactly where the fielders were.
18.2 Junaid Siddique to Najibullah Zadran, SIX! Najibullah gets all of this one all right! On a length around off, Najibullah gave himself a bit of room this time, and beautifully thumped this one over wide long off!
18.1 Junaid Siddique to Najibullah Zadran, more buzzers from UAE! On a good length outside off, Najibullah looked to carve this one over cover, found the man in the circle on the bounce. The shy at the bowler's wasn't backed up until it reached the deep
Najibullah Zadran has settled the nerves with a couple of boundaries in that over but Afghanistan still need 13 more runs to win. Najibullah holds the key here, his wicket could turn the game on its head. Najib will look to get this done in the penultimate over itself as we know anything can happen in the final over.
18
overs
114/6score
0
4
2
4
1
0
runs
Sharafuddin Ashraf*
0(2)
Najibullah Zadran
14(10)
Ali Naseer
1/24
17.6 Ali Naseer to Sharafuddin Ashraf, slower ball on a fullish length outside off, turns past the outside edge as Ashraf looked to dab at it
17.5 Ali Naseer to Najibullah Zadran, good length delivery, angled towards off stump, Najibullah opens his bat face and guides the ball towards the man at backward point. Quick single taken
This is an exceptional shot from Najibullah. Great game awareness and launches this length delivery over the mid off fielder. Beautiful extension of the arms from Najibullah.
17.4 Ali Naseer to Najibullah Zadran, FOUR! Najibullah saw mid off inside the circle, and targeted that area with success! On a length around off, Najibullah lofted this one on the up, and cleared mid off with ease!
17.3 Ali Naseer to Najibullah Zadran, short of a length around the hips, tucked towards the long leg region. A fumble from Jawadullah, who ran across from fine leg, allowed the batters in returning for the second with ease
These are very important runs for Afghanistan. They needed to get a boundary to ease the nerves. The third umpire will check whether it's a four or a six. Looks like the ball just dropped short of the ropes. However it's a very tough call for the TV umpire. It has been given as a four.
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Sharafuddin Ashraf
*
Ali Naseer
Video
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Sharjah Cricket Stadium
