Chennai, Feb 19 (IANS) Opener Ibrahim Zadran struck an unbeaten 95 — his second consecutive fifty — as Afghanistan posted 200/4 in 20 overs against Canada in their final Group D clash of the Men’s T20 World Cup at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Thursday.

Put in to bat first in what is also the final game of Jonathan Trott as their head coach, Afghanistan made a steady start before Canada hit back in the sixth over, as pacer Jaskaran Singh dismissed Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Gulbadin Naib in the space of four balls.

Zadran then anchored the innings, finding support from Sediqullah Atal in a 95-run stand off 59 balls for the third wicket. Zadran brought up his second successive fifty of the tournament, while Atal fell in the 16th over for 44 off 32 balls.

Zadran, dropped on 54 by Canada’s Navneet Dhaliwal, capitalised on the reprieve to steer Afghanistan to exactly 200 in a 56-ball vigil at the crease laced with seven fours and five sixes at a strike-rate of 169.64. It’s also the first time Afghanistan have posted a total of 200 in their history of participating in the tournament.

Canada’s bowlers endured a mixed outing, with Jaskaran Singh returning figures of 3-52 and Dilon Heyliger claiming 1-41. Afghanistan’s total looks formidable, leaving Canada with a stiff chase if they are to end their campaign on a high note.

Afghanistan raced to 49 in the Power-play but suffered a wobble when Gurbaz, who had looked dangerous with a flurry of boundaries, perished attempting one shot too many, while Naib was trapped in front by a full delivery that skidded through.

The double blow briefly checked Afghanistan’s momentum, but Zadran, calm and composed, found an able ally in Atal. The pair mixed calculated risk with fluent strokeplay. Atal, who struck seven boundaries in his 44, fell in the 16th over while trying to accelerate, but by then the innings had been firmly stabilised.

Zadran made the most of the reprieve given to him by Dhaliwal, playing his final international game on 54, by unfurling drives, sweeps, and lofted strokes to keep the scoreboard ticking. His innings combined patience with power, and the ability to shift gears in the middle overs ensured Afghanistan never lost sight of a big total.

Canada’s bowlers had moments of control, but their lines and lengths faltered under pressure in the death overs. Afghanistan capitalised by scoring 69 runs in the final five overs, with Zadran ensuring boundaries flowed and set the stage for a gripping second innings.

Brief scores:

Afghanistan 200/4 in 20 overs (Ibrahim Zadran 95 not out, Sediqullah Atal 44; Jaskaran Singh 3-52, Dilon Heyliger 1-41) against Canada

–IANS

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