South Africa have a horrible start in the three-match ODI series against Afghanistan in Sharjah, as the Afghans bundled them out for only 106 runs in the ODI series opener. 

South Africa were 36/7 at the end of the first powerplay

Afghanistan left-arm pacer Fazalhaq Farooqi provided a great start while the teenage off-spinner AM Ghazanfar brought great support to him. Their dominance resulted in South Africa having a terrible start as they were struggling at 36/7 in 10 overs.  

Openers Reeza Hendricks and Tony de Zorzi had a 17-run opening partnership before Farooqi stormed the Proteas top-order batting line-up. In his second and third overs, Farooqi bowled Hendricks (9) and stand-in captain Aiden Markram (2), respectively. In his next over, the left-arm pacer dismissed De Zorzi for 11 runs.

Soon Ghazanfar joined Farooqi in the destructive action. In his fourth over, the teenage off-spinner took the wickets of Tristan Stubbs (0) and the debutant Jason Smith (0). Kyle Verreynne (10) was Ghazanfar’s next victim in his next over, while the horrible first powerplay ended with Andile Phehlukwayo’s run out for a duck. 

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Fazalhaq Farooqi took four wickets

The no.7 batter Wiaan Mulder fought hard to rescue South Africa from the embarrassing situation. He had two fighting partnerships, a 39-run partnership with Bjorn Fortuin for the eighth wicket and a 30-run partnership with Nandre Burger for the ninth wicket.  

While Mulder scored 52 runs, Fortuin scored 16 runs. After Rashid Khan bowled Fortuin, Farooqi got his fourth wicket of the match by dismissing the desperate Mulder in his next spell. Rashid Khan completed the South African innings with the wicket of Lungi Ngidi (0). It was the first time that Afghanistan took all 10 wickets against South Africa in any international cricket match. 

Farooqi finished the innings with the bowling figures of 7-1-35-4. Meanwhile, Ghazanfar (3/20) took three wickets and Rashid Khan (2/30) bagged two wickets on his ODI return. 

• South Africa managed their joint seventh-lowest completed ODI total. 

South Africa’s lowest completed ODI totals (Top 10)

• Meanwhile, the 106 all-out was the seventh-lowest completed ODI total for a team against Afghanistan. 

Lowest completed ODI totals against Afghanistan (Top 10)