Afghanistan and India performed admirably in the third Twenty20 International in Bengaluru on Wednesday, January 17, following their crushing defeats in the first two matches. But in the second Super Over, the ‘Men in Blue’ prevailed over the opponent. After being reduced to 22/4 during the Power Play, India amassed a massive 212/4 in their 20 overs. Nevertheless, a spectacular 190-run undefeated combination between Rohit Sharma (121 off 69 balls) and Rinku Singh (69 off 39 balls) salvaged the Indian innings and placed the team in a strong position.
Afghanistan responded with three half-centuries from their opening three batsmen: captain Ibrahim Zadran (50 off 41 balls), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (50 off 32 balls), and Gulbadin Naib (55 not out off 23 balls). Along with a good contribution, Mohammad Nabi made a 34 off 16 balls. Since the game was tied, Naib batted to the very finish. Mukesh Kumar was defending 19 runs when he gave up 18 runs in the final over.
Afghanistan’s Azmatullah Omarzai bowled, and India scored 16 runs as well.
Afghanistan scored 16 runs off of Mukesh in the first Super Over. In the second Super Over, India took the field first. Against Rohit, Fareed Ahmed let up a four and a six in his opening two deliveries. He did, however, come back quite nicely, as India lost two wickets in five deliveries despite scoring 11 runs. Ravi Bishnoi was brought on to bowl by Rohit. The strategy proved to be effective as the leg-spinner claimed two wickets in the first three deliveries, allowing Afghanistan to only muster one score. With this incredible victory, the hosts finished their 3-0 rout.
The following are the match’s talking points:
1. Rohit Sharma returns to form with gusto
The Indian captain had a couple of ducks in the opening two matches, but he thrilled the Bengaluru audience by scoring an incredible century in the decider. In his innings, he struck eight sixes and eleven fours, helping India escape a dire scenario.
2. Rinku Singh is still impressive.
In the first inning, the young left-handed hitter maintained his purple patch and demonstrated his extraordinary skill. It must not have been easy to come in to bat at 22/4 in the fifth over, but Rinku exuded confidence as he hammered two fours and six sixes while at the crease.
3. Gulbadin Naib once again demonstrates his powerful hitting abilities
In the opening T20I, the 32-year-old was not allowed to bat. Despite losing five wickets, Gulbadin did not take the field to bat. He was promoted to the No. 3 position for the second Twenty20 International, though, and he scored an aggressive 57 off 35 balls. In the third Twenty20 International, Gulbadin performed even better, smashing four fours and as many sixes on his way to an innings of 55 off 23 balls. Following his last two outings, the right-handed hitter ought to be given a long rope at No. 3.
Losing Captain, Ibrahim Zadran, Afghanistan said:
To be honest, happy with the overall performance. We have a lot of positives to take from this series. It’ll help us looking ahead to the T20 World Cup. All the boys gave it their best in these three games. We’ve never played this kind of cricket earlier against the Full Members, especially against India in T20Is. We were excellent in the batting department.
Winning Captain and Player of the Match, Rohit Sharma, India said:
We don’t do that in Tests also [having three hits in a day], think it happened once in the IPL (laughs). Creating a partnership was important, kept talking with Rinku to not lose intent. We may find ourselves in such situations in big games where we’d be 30 for 4. It was a good situation to be in with the pressure, was important to bat long, bat deep but not compromise on the intent we wanted to show.
In the last couple of series he’s played, Rinku can show what he can do. Fearless, keeps himself calm, is very clear about his game plan and knows his strengths very well. He’s coming of age, creates an impression every time he gets an opportunity. In the last 10 innings for India, he’s done very well. We’ve wanted someone who can bat in the back end with a clear mindset. You saw how he’s done well in the IPL, he’s carried that forward here.
Player of the Series, Shivam Dube (124 runs and two wickets), India said:
Definitely a wonderful series, you dream of winning this award as an allrounder, happy to have achieved it. We didn’t think about the Super Over initially, but it was a great game by both teams. There are many aspects to work on, got to bowl in these three matches, I’ve learnt many things.
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