Mohammed Nabi smoked 65 runs off just 32 deliveries in a losing cause against Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup 2023 group-stage encounter.
New Delhi: Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Bangar has praised Afghanistan veteran Mohammad Nabi for playing an outstanding innings in loosing cause against Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup 2023 Group B on 5 September, Tuesday. Kasun Rajitha’s fiery four-wicket haul and Dhananjaya de Silva’s unbridled two wickets in the crucial 38th over helped Sri Lanka sneak home by two runs against a spirited Afghanistan side to book a Super 4 spot in the Asia Cup 2023 at the match played at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.
Sri Lanka almost lost it but they kept their cool to clinch a place in Super Fours in a super thriller in Lahore. Chasing 292, Afghanistan were dealt a major blow as star opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz was removed from the pitch with a score of 4 by Kasun Rajitha. A miscue from Gurbaz launched the ball high in the air which landed straight into the hands of Kusal Mendis. Afghanistan veteran batter Mohammed Nabi smoked 65 runs off just 32 deliveries in a loosing cause against Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup 2023 group-stage encounter.
While reviewing the match on Star Sports, Sanjay Bangar heaped praise on Afghanistan Mohammed Nabi for playing a belligerent knock. Bangar said, “In the middle overs, it seemed the game would easily go in Sri Lanka’s favor, but when Mohammad Nabi came, he showed what he can do. He has been playing for such a long time. He is their most experienced player but the way he batted, this inning will be remembered for a very long time.”
“While playing that inning, he gave confidence to the dressing room and he played shots like that, whether it was against the fast bowlers or the spinners,” the cricketer-turned-commentator said.
“The best thing was that he played a lot of shots through the off-side or straight down the ground because the power hitting is mostly done on the on-side. Most of the batters drag those balls to the on-side but he hit a lot of shots on the off-side, because of which it was very difficult to stop him,” Sanjay Bangar said.
“He had a strike rate of 206 against deliveries wide outside the off-stump and 200 against deliveries just outside the off-stump. The strike rate was decent against the straighter lines but when a batter prefers the off-side for range hitting, it shows his ability. Sri Lanka probably got an opportunity when his wicket fell,” he said.
Brief score: Sri Lanka 291/8 (Kusal Mendis 92; Pathum Nissanka 41; Gulbadin Naib 4-60) vs Afghanistan 289 (Mohammad Nabi 65, Hashmatullah Shahidi 59; Kasun Rajitha 4-79)