Ibrahim Zadran's historic first World Cup century takes Afghanistan to competitive total against Australia

ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 Australia vs Afghanistan match at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on November 7, 2023.

Buoyed by Sachin Tendulkar's encouraging words on pre-match eve, 21-year-old Ibrahim Zadran etched his name in Afghanistan's cricket history, scoring country's first ever World Cup hundred that propelled them to a healthy 291 for 5 against Australia in Mumbai on November 7.

Zadran anchored the innings with an unbeaten 129 off 143 balls as Afghanistan scored 64 in last five overs against five-time champions in a do-or-die game as far as their maiden semi-final appearance is concerned.

The 21-year-old Zadran who made his ODI debut just four years ago, produced a terrific knock here at the Wankhede Stadium in a key World Cup clash to record his fifth ton in only 26 ODIs.

He also has five fifties to his credit as he also became the first batter from his nation to score a ton against Australia.

Vindicating his captain's call at the toss to bat first totally, Zadran's unhurried knock showcased his high-class temperament, fitness as well as calibre as he batted for the entirety of the Afghanistan innings, taking them to a fighting total on a batting-friendly pitch.

Zadran faced 143 balls and cracked eight fours and three sixes to make the highest score for any Afghanistan batter in World Cup tournaments since their maiden appearance two editions ago, surpassing Samiullah Shinwari’s 96 against Scotland at Dunedin in the 2015 World Cup.

"I had a good chat with Sachin Tendulkar yesterday, he shared a lot of his experiences that I can’t express. I’m very thankful to him for sharing his experiences and giving me a lot of confidence," Zadran said at the break.