2021 T20 World Cup: India Register First Win; See Off Afghanistan by 66 Runs
India posted 210 which is the highest total so far at the 2021 T20 World Cup.
Virat Kohli and R Ashwin celebrate a wicket against Afghanistan in the 2021 T20 World Cup.
Image: BCCI
Virat Kohli’s India needed a big win after a poor start to the 2021 T20 World Cup, and against Afghanistan, who are second on the points table, they ticked all the boxes, producing a world class performance in Abu Dhabi. India eventually out-batted their opponents posting the highest total of the World Cup up until then with 210/2 before the bowlers ran through the batting with relative ease.
Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant and Hardik Pandya were at their destructive best with the bat while spinners Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin bowled brilliantly to dry up the runs, picking 3 wickets between themselves. Along with them, Mohammed Shami chipped in with 3 wickets of his own as India produced an emphatic 66-run win to bring in Diwali.
Rohit Sharma finished with the player of the match award.
India brought back Suryakumar Yadav instead of Ishan Kishan and R Ashwin replaces an injured Varun Chakaravarthy. This is Ashwin's first T20I since 2017.
Backs to the wall, India came out firing on all cylinders with Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul taking the attack to Afghanistan, with the Mumbaikar taking the charge.
Rohit drove, cut and pulled with great style, as Afghanistan’s bowlers struggled to keep things tight n the early phase. Rohit was particularly severe on Naveen-ul-Haq in the fifth over of the powerplay, smashing him for a massive six and a couple of boundaries.
India finished the powerplay at 53/0, something they had failed to achieve in the first two games of the World Cup.
Rohit and Rahul continued to chip away as the field spread, keeping the scoreboard moving with the singles and twos and pouncing on the chance to find the boundary whenever it was on offer.
Rahul led the charge as they took 11 runs of Rashid Khan’s second over, taking India to 85/0 at the halfway stage with both openers nearing their fifties too.
Rohit completed his with a cracking cut through point of Naveen in the 12th over after which Rahul took him to the cleaners, flaying him over backward square leg for a six and then picking another boundary at third man as India’s openers brought up the century stands as well.
India’s batting looked a far cry from the previous two games and Rahul added some more with an elegant cover drive to get to his fifty in the next over.
Rohit then clattered Rashid for a couple sixes with a hit over cow corner and then with a slog sweep as India marched on towards a big total. Looking to continue in the same manner, Rohit was dismissed in the next over as Karim Jamat had him caught for 74. The openers put on a 140-run stand in just under 15 overs.
Rahul followed a little later, in the 17th over, when he was bowled by Gulbadin Naib for 69. To help India’s cause in the hunt for a big total, Rishabh Pant ended that over with consecutive sixes as he was joined by Hardik Pandya, both of whom had been promoted above Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav.
Hardik and Pant brought out their own destructive brand of cricket and they scored in excess of 15 runs an over for the last three, pushing India to 210/2, the highest total in the World Cup so far.
Needing to score at a good pace, Afghanistan’s openers Hazratullah Zazai and Mohammad Shahzad were looking to play their normal attacking game from the start. However, the plan did not work out as Mohammed Shami struck first for India, removing Shahzad (0), who was caught at mid-off by Ashwin, while looking to hammer it over the in-field.
Off the next delivery, the first of the third, Jasprit Burmah sent Zazai packing for 13, caught by Shardul Thakur at short midwicket. Zazai had initially welcomed Bumrah to the attack with nonchalant clip over mid wicket for a flat six.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz (19) and Gulbadin Naib (18) hung in there for a brief bit, adding 35 to the cause with both making good use of the long handle against the pacers.
As soon as the powerplay ended, Kohli turned to spin and Ravindra Jadeja responded with a wicket in his first over. Gurbaz looked to clear long on but did not have the distance as Hardik took a sharp catch very close to the boundary rope.
Ashwin came into the attack at the other end and the duo proceeded to dry up the runs, and build the pressure in an already very difficult task.
Ashwin, who was playing his first T20I since July 207, struck in his second over with Gulbudin Naib trapped LBW as he tried to sweep. Ashwin struck again in his third over cleaning up Najibullah Zadran for 11 before finishing his spell for 2/14, putting India right on top on his comeback.
When Ashwin finished his spell Afghanistan were 85/5 after 14 overs with India in control. Kohli and co needed to win by 63 runs or more to convert their net run rate to positive.
Shardul Thakur and Bumrah allowed Afghanistan a little bit of a breather as Mohmmad Nabi and Karim Jamat found the fence a few times, delaying the inevitable. Nabi and Jamat added 41 in the next phase before Shami struck again in the 19th over, just as Afghanistan were getting too close for comfort. Nabi went aerial towards cow-corner and was caught by Jadeja for 32. Off the next delivery, Shami almost sent Jamat packing as an attempted slog went very high in the air and Jadeja took a brilliant catch, running in from the deep and diving forward at the edge of the inner circle, only for replays to overturn the decision as the ball brushed into the ground when he landed. However, of the next delivery, Shami had his wicket as Rashid’s slog was comfortably caught by Hardik at long.
Janat (42*) and Sharafuddin Ashraf managed to hold out till the end of the innings as India put on a show on the eve of Diwali!
India play Namibia and Scotland and need to produce similar performances as well to stay in the hunt for a semi-final berth.
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