In the midst of a tense battle between Afghanistan and India during the final match of the 2023 Asian Games, emotions ran high as Mohammad Shahzad, the Afghan opener, found himself at the center of a contentious dismissal.
This match held high stakes, with the victorious team securing a historic gold medal while the runners-up would claim the silver.
The toss favored India, and their captain, Ruturaj Gaikwad, opted to put Afghanistan to bat first. Unfortunately for Afghanistan, their innings got off to a shaky start, as all-rounder Shivam Dube swiftly removed opener Zubaid Akbari for a mere 5 runs in the second over.
The burden of anchoring the innings fell on the experienced shoulders of Mohammad Shahzad, the wicketkeeper-batsman.
However, his innings was short-lived, lasting a mere six balls before Arshdeep Singh dismissed him in the third over.
Watch the Video Here:
Arshdeep Singh gets into the act 🔥
— Sony LIV (@SonyLIV) October 7, 2023
Mohammad Shehzad departs, and #TeamIndia are on 🔝 right now in the #AsianGames #Cricket Final 💪
The LIVE action continues on #SonyLIV, don't miss out a moment! 📱📺#HangzhouAsianGames #Cheer4India pic.twitter.com/6quG9qkaJP
What frustrated Shahzad the most was the umpire’s decision to adjudge him caught behind.In a pivotal moment in the match, during the fifth ball of the third over, Mohammad Shahzad attempted to create some room for himself by backing away.
However, Arshdeep Singh expertly followed him with his delivery, denying Shahzad the space he needed. In his attempt to guide the ball towards the third man, Shahzad failed, inadvertently edging it behind to the wicketkeeper.
In response to the Indian fielders’ collective appeal for a caught behind, the on-field umpire upheld the decision. Shahzad, visibly aggrieved, did not hide his frustration.
He firmly believed that the ball had grazed either his forearm or bicep as he left the field, deeply disappointed by the verdict.
Afghanistan found themselves at 112 for 5 in 18.2 overs before rain intervened. Their batting had begun poorly, stumbling to 12 for 3 before a 37-run partnership between Shahidullah Kamal and Afsar Zazai provided some stability.
Nevertheless, Afghanistan lost two more wickets quickly, sliding to 52 for 5. Kamal and captain Gulbadin Naib then joined forces, pushing the score past the 100-run mark, with their partnership reaching 60 runs before the rain halted play.
At that moment, Kamal was on the brink of a half-century with 49 runs, and Naib had contributed 27 runs to their team’s total.
In this high-stakes match, Mohammad Shahzad’s controversial dismissal added an extra layer of drama, leaving fans on the edge of their seats as they eagerly awaited the resumption of play after the rain delay.
Get the latest cricket news here, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more such updates