Root's masterclass goes in vain as Afghanistan knock England out

Omarzai and Zadran combined to turn in super performances to seal an 8-run win for the Afghans

- Sanjeev K Samyal

MUMBAI: This edition of the ICC Champions Trophy has been struggling to catch the imagination of the cricket fans owing to the lack of close contests. The matches at Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium, however, are proving to be a saving grace for the tournament and the 50-over format which is fighting for relevance in the era of T20 cricket.

After a high-scoring England versus Australia game last Saturday, England and Afghanistan dished out another thrilling run fest to create much-needed buzz around ODI cricket.

Amid some superb performances from the Afghanistan players, it was a vintage century from 34-year-old Joe Root that brought the game alive as England made a valiant bid to chase down a target of 326. In a contest which went right down to the wire, it all boiled down to England needing 16 runs off 12 balls with two wickets in hand. The Afghanistan pacers, Fazalhaq Farooqi and Azmatullah Omarzai held their nerves to defend the total for an eight-run victory and knock England out of the competition.