Afghanistan cricket has reached a significant milestone by securing its first-ever victory over South Africa in international cricket during the opening One Day International (ODI) held on September 18, 2024, in Sharjah. This landmark win not only signifies a breakthrough for Afghan cricket but also showcases their growing prowess on the international stage.
A Brilliant Bowling Display
The triumph was propelled by an outstanding bowling performance from Fazalhaq Farooqi and 18-year-old sensation Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar. After winning the toss, South Africa opted to bat first, but they were quickly jolted by Farooqi’s early strikes. The left-arm pacer dismissed Reeza Hendricks and Aiden Markram in quick succession, sending shockwaves through the South African batting lineup.
Farooqi’s exceptional spell continued as he accounted for Tony de Zorzi, leaving South Africa reeling at 29/5. Ghazanfar then took centre stage, claiming the wickets of Tristan Stubbs and debutant Jason Smith for ducks in the same over. By the end of the tenth over, South Africa found themselves in dire straits at 36/7, struggling to recover from a disastrous start.
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South Africa’s Struggle and Afghanistan’s Response
Despite a fighting half-century from Wiaan Mulder, who scored 52 runs, and a useful contribution from Bjorn Fortuin, South Africa could only muster a total of 106 runs before being bowled out in 33.3 overs. Their innings was characterised by a dramatic collapse that mirrored Afghanistan’s own struggles against the Proteas in previous encounters, including their recent T20 World Cup semi-final loss where they were bowled out for just 56 runs.
In response to the modest target of 107 runs, Afghanistan faced early challenges as well. They lost Rahmanullah Gurbaz for a duck on just the third ball of their innings. However, Azmatullah Omarzai and Gulbadin Naib steadied the ship with an unbeaten fifth-wicket partnership that guided Afghanistan to victory with six wickets in hand.
This victory is particularly significant as it marks Afghanistan’s first win against South Africa across all formats of international cricket. Prior to this match, Afghanistan had faced South Africa five times without success. With this win, Afghanistan has now achieved victories against every team except India and Nepal.
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