Ravindra Jadeja has mistimed a pull shot and almost in synchronization, all Afghanistan players turn expectantly towards mid-wicket. For a split-second they're transfixed. All except Najibullah Zadran, who is sprinting in from the deep. He covers his ground, gets his palms right under the ball, and an eruption of emotions occurs. Afghanistan players run helter-skelter in celebration for a few seconds before deciding to move in the direction of Najubullah and converge mid-way. They've not won, but the feeling of triumph belongs to them on the night. A night that has helped them overcome, to an extent, two recent heartburns and given them their biggest result in ODIs, by their own admission.
It's been 11 eventful days for Afghanistan since their captain Asghar Afghan reckoned his team weren't in the Asia Cup to just make up numbers. Amidst a campaign of sleepwalking for India, an abysmal one for Sri Lanka, an encouraging one for Hong Kong and topsy-turvy one for the other two final aspirants - Pakistan and Bangladesh - Afghanistan have attained admirable consistency with both bat and ball.
The lack of experience in tense moments probably got the better of them twice - against Pakistan and Bangladesh - and cost them a place in the final, but an upgradation has already been attained through the exhilarating tie against India.
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