Afghanistan faced nearly insurmountable odds in their first World Cup semi-final on Thursday, collapsing to a meager 56 all out in the first innings. Despite the setback, their new-ball pace duo, on a ferocious pitch, maintained high spirits. Naveen-ul-Haq bolstered the team’s morale with an early dismissal of Quinton de Kock.
The right-arm fast bowler proved unplayable for the South African batsmen, as the ball jagged and reared unpredictably off the surface. Aiden Markram, however, decided to take risks by playing expansive shots. When this approach backfired, Markram inexplicably escaped any consequences, frustrating Naveen.
On the fourth ball of the third over, Naveen delivered an angled ball to Markram from over the stumps. The ball sharply moved away after pitching, with a hint of late swing. Markram attempted to drive it through the covers but missed completely, and the ball ended up in Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s gloves.
The Afghan players made a half-hearted appeal, which was quickly dismissed, but skipper Rashid Khan ran in from mid-off, claiming he heard an edge. With none of his teammates supporting his claim, the DRS timer eventually ran out.
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To the shock of the Afghan contingent, the big screen soon revealed that the ball had indeed grazed the edge of Markram’s bat. Naveen quickly reprimanded his captain for not being more assertive, while Rashid stared into the distance in disbelief, mirroring the frustration echoed by fans on social media.
