India (Shar)made a couple of changes to their playing (Pat)eleven – Jitesh and Axar made way for Sanju Samson and Kuldeep Yadav.
Afghanistan (Moham)made four changes
to the eleven that last played the Indians – Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad,
Naveen-ul-Haq, and Fazalhaq Farooqi made way for Sharafuddin Ashraf, the Ahmads
(Fareed and Qais), and Twenty20 International debutant Saleem.
On winning the toss, Rohit, India’s
skipper and the player of the (Shar)match, chose to bat.
The first Powerplay of India’s innings –
which was the mandatory Powerplay – was between the first and the sixth over.
They scored 30, and lost four wickets.
Yashasvi Jaiswal, who faced half-a-dozen
balls, scored four. Fifteen balls into the match, he was caught by Mohammad
Nabi. Fareed broke the 18-run stand.
The second-wicket pair didn’t get off the
mark. Virat Kohli, who faced a ball, didn’t open his account. The next ball, he
was caught by Ibrahim Zadran, Afghanistan’s skipper, off the bowling of Fareed.
Shivam Dube, the player of the series,
faced half-a-dozen balls, scored just a run. Eight balls later, he was caught
by Rahmanullah Gurbaz. Azmatullah Omarzai broke the three-run stand.
Samson, who faced a ball, didn’t get off
the mark. Three balls later, he was caught by Nabi. Fareed broke the three-run
stand.
Fifty-one balls (8.3 overs) into the
match, India sought a batting review. They challenged the decision for a
wicket. Rinku Singh was the batsman. It was upheld by umpire Virender Sharma.
India scored 50 off 8.4 overs (52 balls).
Afghanistan had conceded 10 extras at that point.
Ten overs into the match, the drinks
break was taken. India had scored 61 for the loss of four wickets at that
point. While Rohit was batting on 27, Rinku was batting on 19.
The fifth-wicket pair put on 50 off 43
balls. While Rohit’s contribution to the partnership was 26, Rinku’s
contribution to it was 23. Extras’ contribution to the partnership was three.
India scored 100 off 13.2 overs (80
balls). Afghanistan had conceded 13 extras at that point.
Rohit’s half-century – which included
five boundaries and three sixes – came off 41 balls.
The fifth-wicket pair put on 100 off 66
balls. While Rohit’s contribution to the partnership was 59, Rinku’s
contribution to it was 36. Extras’ contribution to the partnership was five.
India scored 150 off 17.5 overs (108
balls). Afghanistan had conceded 16 extras at that point.
Rohit’s century – which included 10
boundaries and half-a-dozen sixes – came off 64 balls.
Rinku’s half-century – which included a
couple of boundaries and three sixes – came off 36 balls.
The fifth-wicket pair put on 150 off 88
balls. While Rohit’s contribution to the partnership was 96, Rinku’s
contribution to it was 51. Extras’ contribution to the partnership gave
Afghanistan no reason to be in seventh heaven.
India scored 200 off 19.4 overs (120
balls). Afghanistan had conceded 17 extras at that point. That was,
incidentally, the number of extras they eventually conceded.
Rohit, whose 69-ball innings included 11
boundaries and eight sixes, eventually scored 121. He was unbeaten, as was
Rinku, who eventually scored 69 off 39 balls, which included the aforementioned
number of boundaries, in addition to half-a-dozen sixes.
India scored 212 for the loss of four
wickets off 20 overs.
Ashraf, who bowled a couple of wicketless
overs, conceded 25.
Karim Janat and Saleem bowled three
wicketless overs apiece. While the former conceded 54, the latter conceded 43.
Qais, who bowled four wicketless overs,
conceded 28.
Omarzai, who bowled four overs, conceded
33. He picked up a wicket.
Fareed, who bowled four overs, conceded
20. He picked up three scalps.
The first Powerplay of Afghanistan’s
innings – which was the mandatory Powerplay – was between the first and the
sixth over. They scored 51, without the loss of a wicket.
Afghanistan’s openers put on 50 off 5.5
overs (35 balls). India had conceded three extras at that point. While Gurbaz’s
contribution to the partnership was 21, Ibrahim’s contribution to it was 26.
Ten overs into the chase, the drinks
break was taken. Afghanistan had scored 85 without the loss of a wickets at
that point. While Gurbaz was batting on 44, Ibrahim was batting on 38.
Gurbaz’s half-century – which included
three boundaries and four sixes – came off 29 balls.
He eventually faced 32 balls, failing to
add to the aforementioned score. Eleven overs into the chase, he was caught by
Washington Sundar. Kuldeep broke the 93-run partnership.
Afghanistan scored 100 off 12.1 overs (73
balls). India had conceded four extras at that point.
Ibrahim’s half-century – which included
four boundaries and a six – came off 41 balls. Nine balls after Gurbaz’s
dismissal, he was stumped by Samson. Sundar broke the 14-run stand.
The third-wicket pair didn’t get off the
mark. Omarzai, who faced a ball, didn’t open his account. The next ball, he was
caught by Ravi Bishnoi off the bowling of Sundar.
Afghanistan scored 150 off 15.2 overs (92
balls). India had conceded half-a-dozen extras at that point.
The fourth-wicket pair put on 50 off 17
balls. While Gulbadin Naib’s contribution to the partnership was 18, Nabi’s
contribution to it was 33. Extras’ contribution to the partnership was a run.
Nabi, whose 16-ball innings included a
couple of boundaries and three sixes, eventually scored 34. Twenty-two balls
after Omarzai’s dismissal, he was caught by Avesh Khan. Sundar broke the 56-run
partnership.
The fifth-wicket pair put on four. Janat,
who faced a couple of balls, scored as many. Five balls later, Samson ran him
out.
Najibullah Zadran, whose five- ball
innings included a boundary, scored three. Kohli had a reason to be in seventh
heaven – he caught him off the bowling of Avesh, who broke the 15-run stand.
Afghanistan scored 200 off 19.2 overs
(116 balls). India had conceded 11 extras at that point. That was,
incidentally, the number of extras they eventually conceded.
Naib’s half-century – which included four
boundaries and as many sixes – came off 21 balls.
He eventually scored 55 off 23 balls, and
was unbeaten, as was Ashraf, who scored five off a couple of balls, which
included a boundary.
Afghanistan scored 212 for the loss of
half-a-dozen wickets off 20 overs.
Dube, who bowled a couple of overs,
conceded 25. He was wicketless, as were Mukesh Kumar and Bishnoi, who bowled
four overs apiece, conceding 44 and 38, respectively.
Kuldeep, who bowled three overs, conceded
31. He picked up a wicket, as did Avesh, who bowled four overs, conceding 55.
Sundar, who bowled three overs, conceded
18. He picked up three scalps.
The tie meant a Super Over.
While Mukesh was the bowler, Naib and Nabi
were to face him.
Although they scored a run off the first
ball, Kohli ran Naib out.
Gurbaz walked in to bat.
Nabi scored a run off the second ball.
Gurbaz scored a boundary off the third
and a single off the fourth.
Nabi hit the penultimate ball for a six,
and Mukesh conceded three byes off the last one.
Afghanistan scored 16 for the loss of a
wicket off the Super Over.
Rohit and his opening partner (Jais)walked
out to face Omarzai.
The latter conceded a leg bye off the
first ball, which Rohit faced.
Jaiswal scored a single off the next
ball.
The Indian skipper hit the next two for
sixes, and scored a single off the penultimate ball. He retired, having scored
13 off four balls.
Though India needed a couple to win off
the last ball, Jaiswal could manage just one.
Therefore, India levelled the scores.
But their total of 16 without the loss of
a wicket meant there would be another Super Over.
It was India’s turn to bat first on this
occasion. Rohit walked out to bat with Rinku, and Fareed was the bowler.
Rohit scored a six and a boundary,
respectively, off the first two balls, and a single off the third.
Rinku was caught by Gurbaz off the fourth
ball.
In walked Samson. Unfortunately, he was run
out.
India scored 11 for the loss of a couple
of wickets with a ball to spare.
For Afghanistan, Nabi and Janat walked
out to face Bishnoi.
Off the first ball, Nabi was caught by
Rinku.
Janat scored a run off the second.
Off the third ball, Gurbaz was caught by
Rinku.
Afghanistan’s eventual total was just a
run for the loss of a couple of wickets.
Hence, India won the second Super Over,
and swept the three-match series 3-0.
