Team doesn't realize they can win so they give up, a breakdown
What Happened
In a crucial cricket match between Afghanistan and Sri Lanka, Afghanistan finds itself in a must-win situation to qualify for an important tournament. Sri Lanka has already posted a formidable total of 291 runs, and Afghanistan needs to chase down this target within a specific timeframe to secure their spot. As the final overs approach, the tension mounts. Afghan all-rounder Rashid Khan steps up to the crease, determined to steer his team to victory. Rashid unleashes a flurry of powerful shots, including a pull shot that races to the boundary for four runs, pushing Afghanistan's score to 281. Sensing the opportunity, Rashid then goes aerial, lofting the ball over the fielders for another four runs, taking the team's total to 285. With two balls remaining in the over and Afghanistan needing just seven runs to win, Rashid swings hard and is rewarded with a fortuitous inside edge that rolls to the boundary for an automatic four runs. This stroke puts Afghanistan at 289 runs, leaving them with a realistic chance of victory. Rashid's partner at the other end now has the chance to score the winning runs. The crowd holds its collective breath as the batsman takes a mighty swing, but the ball is caught by a fielder, resulting in the ninth wicket falling. Unaware of the rules, the Afghanistan team and coaching staff believe they have lost the match, despite being just six runs away from victory. The commentators and the Sri Lankan coach, however, realize that Afghanistan can still win the match by hitting a six in the remaining three balls. Tragically, the Afghanistan players and staff have not been informed of this crucial detail, and the batsman simply blocks the next delivery, resigning to their perceived defeat. Even if the batsman had swung for the fences and hit a six, Afghanistan would have scored the necessary 295 runs to advance. Alas, without the knowledge of the scoring rules, the team gives up, and Sri Lanka ultimately secures the victory, leaving the Afghanistan players and fans heartbroken.
Full Transcript
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Afghanistan, to qualify, they need to chase the total that Sri Lanka hit, which is 291 runs.
So, for Afghanistan to qualify, they need to beat Sri Lanka, but they need to beat them timely.
They need to beat them by the 37th point one over.
So, the first ball of the 38th over, they need to score 292 runs to beat them.
And everyone's getting a little tense about it, a little nervous.
But my dude, Rashid Khan, is up to bat, and I like watching him hit attacks.
That one, we would say pull side, they say leg side for four.
It hits the boundary, so that's automatically four runs.
That helps. That pushes them along.
They're at 281 runs now.
He goes backs up and goes oppo.
That one, they say offside, but no runs.
Defender was there, so now he's going to run down the track, say, I'll go over your head.
Fine. Goes over their head, four more runs.
Now they're at 285, and there's two more balls left.
To take the lead in order to advance.
So they think, and look what happens on the last ball of this over.
He swings big inside edge and lucks out,
because it rolls all the way to the boundary for an automatic four runs.
That's just, you know, basically a mishit.
And he's lucky, because this is just kind of the lucky breaks of cricket,
because that could have hit the stumps and he would have been out.
But instead, it goes for four, which puts them in striking distance,
because now they're at 289 runs.
So all his partner needs to do is hit one over the outfielder.
They run for three, they win, or hit one to the boundary, hit the wall.
They get a four, they win.
Rasheed's like, I set you up, dude.
No worries. Have some fun.
They don't know that because he just got their run score so high,
the math changes, because you can score more runs than just the three needed to win.
You know, all the runs you score count on the game-winning hits.
Like if you had a walk-off grand slam, you don't just get credit for the one,
you get credit for the four.
So the run differential changes.
But they don't know that at all.
They have no one on their stats department that has told them that.
So they think this is their last possible chance.
Big swing, does it get over the outfielder?
No, he's caught, he's out.
It's the ninth out of the innings, and there's 10 outs and you're done.
And now Afghanistan, they think they've lost.
They think there's no chance to advance and win right now.
They're distraught, devastated.
They have no idea that they can get to 200.
295 runs by hitting a six, 295 would be their total if they hit a six.
And that would give them the math to advance.
That would be the differential.
And they can do it in three balls by the 37th point four.
So the fourth ball of the 38th over, they have three chances now to hit a six.
If they hit a four, they don't move on.
They need the total number to get the 295.
The only problem is they have no idea.
So they just.
Just give up that pitch or, or ball is so hittable.
The announcer called it a juicy full toss.
It looks like the pitch, Joey Gallo smacked from the position player and he just blocks
it to stay alive because they have no idea they could still win and advance.
And he just blocks that one.
Look at this.
Not even trying to hit, just trying to survive a little bit because they're so sad.
And now they still don't know.
But even if this dude and this ball was like, fuck it.
We lost.
I still want to swing big.
And he hit a six here, a home run.
They would win in advance, but he has no idea.
And he just kind of doesn't care anymore.
And he gets out for the 10th out.
And that ends the match in Sri Lanka advances.
And Afghanistan is going to soon find out that their analysts and their stats department
failed them by not letting them know the coach did a press conference after this.
This is why he's out because it hit his leg.
And if it did not hit his leg, it would have hit the stumps.
So he's out.
Rashid's upset.
Their coach.
Look at the fans.
The fans knew the commentators knew the coach in the press conference said, nobody told
us, dude, you kind of got to tell yourselves, man.
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