Chennai - In a stunning turn of events, Afghanistan's cricket team continued their giant-killing spree, effectively pushing Pakistan to the brink of elimination with a resounding eight-wicket victory in a World Cup match on Monday.

The challenging Chepauk pitch presented a formidable target of 283 runs for Afghanistan, making it a demanding chase. However, Rahmanullah Gurbaz of the Kolkata Knight Riders showcased his prowess, amassing 65 runs off 53 balls, while his partner Ibrahim Zadran played a steadying role, scoring 87 runs off 113 balls in an opening partnership that yielded 130 runs, laying a solid foundation for the chase.

Afghanistan, while lacking the extensive experience that can be invaluable in such high-pressure encounters, managed to successfully pursue the target within 49 overs, exposing the vulnerabilities of Pakistan's bowling unit, which faltered on the day.

With seven previous ODI losses against Pakistan, Afghanistan had been missing that final touch of finesse required for victory. However, on this day, all four batters played their parts flawlessly, resulting in their highest-ever run chase in the history of 50-over cricket.

This victory marked Afghanistan's second win in the tournament, having previously defeated the defending champions, England, in New Delhi. With four points to their name, Afghanistan currently holds the sixth position in the mid-table standings.

Meanwhile, Pakistan, after a hat-trick of defeats, remains in fifth place. Another loss against South Africa in their upcoming match this week will likely seal their fate and eliminate the 1992 champions from the knockout stages.

During the chase, seasoned Rahmat Shah, who remained unbeaten with 77 runs off 84 balls, demonstrated remarkable situational awareness. He managed to maintain composure despite the pressure applied by the Pakistani bowlers during the latter part of the chase. His striking straight six down the ground, delivered against Hasan Ali, was a sight to behold and brought Afghanistan within reach of victory.

Skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi also played a crucial role, remaining unbeaten with 48 runs off 45 balls. Notably, he executed a reverse sweep against an off-color Shadab Khan during a critical juncture, demonstrating his temperament. Together, Shah and Shahidi formed a partnership of 96 runs for the third wicket in extremely challenging batting conditions. The sheer joy and elation of hitting the winning boundary were evident, and the 21,000-strong crowd at Chepauk gave the team a warm standing ovation.

The match was played on the same pitch as the India versus Australia game and offered both grip and turn. Pakistan's score of 282 for 7, although not shabby by any means, highlighted the quality of Afghanistan's spin bowling unit.

While spin is Afghanistan's forte, it is Pakistan's Achilles' heel. Bowlers like Shadab Khan and Usama Mir, who went wicketless with figures of 0/49 and 0/55 respectively in 8 overs, do not possess the capabilities to win World Cups. In the realm of Indian domestic cricket, there are superior wrist spinners, including one of the world's best, Yuzvendra Chahal, who hasn't made it into the Indian team.

At the start of Afghanistan's chase, Gurbaz, who struck nine boundaries and a six, displayed no fear in the face of Pakistan's formidable bowling attack, including Shaheen Shah Afridi, Hasan Ali, and Haris Rauf. The Pakistani bowlers conceded numerous boundaries during the first 15 overs, as Gurbaz took full advantage of deliveries from Rauf and leg-spinner Usama Mir. He also hit off-spinner Iftikhar Ahmed for the only six of his innings.

Gurbaz, known for his strength on the off-side, consistently targeted the point and backward point regions as the Pakistani bowlers offered short and wide deliveries outside the off-stump. In the eighth over of the innings, Gurbaz collected four boundaries, with three of them expertly executed cuts or slashes through the point region. Pakistan's fielding was subpar, with many fielders openly blaming one another for errors, including skipper Babar Azam, who lost his composure after failing to prevent overthrows.

Prior to this, Babar Azam had contributed a composed half-century to Pakistan's total, and useful cameos from lower-order batsmen helped them post a competitive score, considering the nature of the pitch. Opener Abdullah Shafique notched up 58 runs off 75 balls, while Babar Azam added 74 runs off 92 balls. However, without the contributions of Iftikhar Ahmed and the returning Shadab Khan, Pakistan's final score would have been considerably lower.

Iftikhar Ahmed played an aggressive inning, scoring 40 runs off 27 balls, while Shadab Khan provided a brisk 40 runs in 38 deliveries. Although Afghanistan had anticipated a slow pitch and fielded four spinners, the pitch turned out to be more favorable for batting than expected.

Pakistan's openers, Shafique and Imam-ul-Haq (17), started cautiously, managing a 56-run partnership. Despite reaching the 50-run mark by the eighth over, Shafique specifically targeted pacer Naveen-ul-Haq. The spinner, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, proved expensive during the initial 10 overs of the powerplay.

The Afghans managed to secure their first breakthrough in the second powerplay's first delivery, with Imam falling to Azmatullah Omarzai due to a short-pitched ball. However, the Men in Green did not panic, and Shafique, along with skipper Babar, constructed a 54-run partnership for the second wicket. During this phase, spinners Mohammad Nabi and Rashid Khan formed a tandem to maintain control and restrict the batsmen from freeing their arms.

Meanwhile, Shafique secured his third ODI half-century, while Babar balanced aggression with caution.