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India vs Afghanistan, AFG in IND, 3 T20Is, 2024 Full score card
2nd T20I, Holkar Cricket Stadium, Indore, 14 Jan, 2024
![Afghanistan](https://images.tv9hindi.com/images/large_flags/afghanistan.png)
Afghanistan
AFG
172/10
(20.0) overs
![India](https://images.tv9hindi.com/images/large_flags/india.png)
India
IND
173/4
(15.4) overs
India beat Afghanistan by 6 wickets
Player Of The Match
Axar Patel,
India
![India](https://images.tv9hindi.com/images/large_flags/india.png)
India • 173/4 (15.4 overs)
Y Jaiswal 68 (34)
S Dube 63 (32)
K Janat 2/13 (2)
F Farooqi 1/28 (3.4)
Afghanistan • 172/10 (20.0 overs)
G Naib 57 (35)
N Zadran 23 (21)
A Singh 3/32 (4)
A Patel 2/17 (4)
Commentary
We are back with the run chase and the umpires can be seen taking a stroll to the pitch and so do the Afghanistan fielders who are taking their respective positions. The Indian openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and the skipper Rohit Sharma to open for the Men In Blue. Fazalhaq Farooqi is with the new ball and is raring to go. Let's play...
... RUN CHASE ...
Right then, Afghanistan have posted a good defendable total of 172 on the board and they will look forward to picking early wickets in the Powerplay and leveling the series. Whereas India on the other end will be batting an eye to seal the series with another win. And with Virat Kohli back in the pack, the hosts' batting lineup has some real firepower. The run chase is just a few minutes away. Stay tuned.
As for India, the spin was brought early and that trick worked pretty much for the hosts. Ravi Bishnoi and Axar Patel struck one wicket each inside the powerplay and dismantled the opening stand of Afghanistan. But the pacers bowled some poor lines and lengths and kept serving gifts to Gulbadin Naib. Rohit Sharma was pretty brilliant with his bowling changes and Axar Patel was brought back to the attack, he didn't disappoint at all as he got rid of Gulbadin Naib who was looking pretty dangerous. He was clinical with his economy and picked two wickets. Shivam Dube too chipped in with a scalp of Omarzai and it was Ravi Bishnoi who dismissed Nabi. Shivam Dube went for plenty at the back end of the innings as he conceded 20 off the penultimate over. Arshdeep Singh finished off with a fantastic economical spell and a phenomenal final over of the innings and ended up with 3 wickets.
So this brings us to the end of the first half of the play and what a riveting contest we have witnessed. Afghanistan lost their openers quite early inside the powerplay itself and was taken aback. But Gulbadin Naib looked as if he entered the crease with clear intentions to just smack the ball out of the park and he did so quite well by taking the pacers to the cleaners scoring a brilliant and quick half-century and helping the run rate to fly. But he perished sooner and was followed by Omarzai. Mohammad Nabi did try to stitch a partnership with Naib but he too, departed after a sluggish start. Karim Janat and Mujeeb did hit a few crucial boundaries to breach the 150 mark for the tourists. Mujeeb ur Rahman played a scintillating cameo and accumulated 21 important runs for his team in just 9 deliveries.
Runs Scored 8 Runs
Score after 20 overs : 172/10
Naveen1 (1)
F Farooqi0 (0)
A Singh4-0-32-3
OUT! RUN OUT! A foot-race to end the innings! Arshdeep Singh nails the yorker, on middle, Naveen-ul-Haq gets his bat down in time and digs it out behind, the batters set off for the run, Jitesh Sharma picks up but misses his shy at the batter's end. Naveen tries to steal the overthrow, but Farooqi is a bit late to react, Yashasvi Jaiswal collects the ball and initially thinks about throwing it. However, he then decides to race the batter and run to the bowler's end and breaks the stumps with his hand with Farooqi short of his crease. Afghanistan have been bowled out for 172!
OUT! RUN OUT! Lack of communication cost Afghanistan another wicket. This is back of a length and well outside off, Naveen-ul-Haq tries to reach for it but misses as it goes to the keeper. Mujeeb Ur Rahman sets off for the run, but Naveen stays in his crease and sends his partner back, Jitesh Sharma throws it to the bowler and Arshdeep Singh takes the bails off with Mujeeb miles out. It is also called a wide, so we still have another ball to go here.
Naveen-ul-Haq is out to the middle.
OUT! TAKEN! Arshdeep Singh has three now! He changes his angle and serves this full, on middle, angling in, Noor Ahmad stays back to play the helicopter just like his teammate Rashid Khan does, but he fails to get under the ball and hits it miles up in the air wide of long on, Virat Kohli runs to his right, keeps his eyes on it and and takes it nicely. Afghanistan eight down now!
Arshdeep Singh bangs this short and on middle, Mujeeb Ur Rahman pulls it towards deep mid-wicket for a run.
FOUR! Gets it through! Mujeeb Ur Rahman is playing a blinder here! This is a low full toss around off, Mujeeb Ur Rahman drills it hard and gets it past Rohit Sharma at extra covers for a boundary.
Full and on middle, Noor Ahmad slogs it towards deep mid-wicket for a single.
Noor Ahmad walks out to the middle.
OUT! TAKEN! Arshdeep Singh gets another! He bowls this full, outside off, keeping it away from the batter, slower too, Karim Janat back away to loft it away, but has to reach for it and fails to get enough power on it. As a result, it goes high in the air towards long off where Axar Patel settles under it and pouches it safely. Afghanistan seven down now!
Runs Scored 20 Runs
Score after 19 overs : 164/6
Ur Rahman16 (7)
K Janat20 (9)
S Dube3-0-36-1
SIX! MASSIVE! 20 runs off the over! Shivam Dube goes for the slower again, but serves this full and on off, Mujeeb Ur Rahman this time waits for it, clears his front leg away and absolutely smokes it over the deep mid-wicket fence into the second tier for a biggie.
Another fine slower delivery, back of a length this time, Mujeeb Ur Rahman goes through his pull way early and misses it.
Change of pace now, full and on leg, Karim Janat waits for it but heaves it straight towards deep square leg for just one.
Goes for the yorker, but bowls a low full toss, on middle, Karim Janat flicks it wide of deep square leg for a brace.
SIX! Into the stands! Shivam Dube bowls a half-volley now, on off, in the slot as well, Karim Janat clears his front leg away and tonks it over the long on fence for a biggie.
FOUR! Karim Janat gets into the act now! Shivam Dube lands this on a hard length and on middle, Karim Janat backs away a bit and smacks it wide of deep square leg for a boundary.
Slower delivery, full but down the leg side, Karim Janat leaves it alone. Wided.
Shivam Dube is brought back into the attack.
Runs Scored 10 Runs
Score after 18 overs : 144/6
Ur Rahman10 (5)
K Janat7 (5)
A Singh3-0-24-1
FOUR! Just wide! Arshdeep Singh goes full and around off, Mujeeb Ur Rahman backs and tries to go over extra covers, but gets an outside edge which flies to the left of short third man, Shivam Dube is a bit lazy to move to that side and the ball goes through to the fence for a boundary.
Takes pace off now, on a length and on off, Mujeeb Ur Rahman steers it towards cover-point.
SIX! BOOM! Mujeeb Ur Rahman connects this time alright! Arshdeep Singh continues with his short ball plan, this is on middle again, Mujeeb Ur Rahman sways away and swings his bat hard at it trying to pull it away, he gets it from the middle as the ball sails over the deep square leg fence for a biggie.
Another short ball, on middle, Mujeeb Ur Rahman goes for the pull but fails to connect.
Arshdeep Singh bangs this one short, angling away from the batter, Mujeeb Ur Rahman leaves it alone.
Mujeeb Ur Rahman is the next man in at number 8.
OUT! DRAGGED ON! Arshdeep Singh gets a wicket now! Another big wicket for India as Najibullah Zadran was starting to look threatening here. This is a slower delivery, back of a length and on off, Najibullah Zadran moves back to heave it across the line, but goes through his shot early and gets an inside edge back onto the stumps. Zadran goes back after a nice little cameo!
Runs Scored 17 Runs
Score after 17 overs : 134/5
K Janat7 (5)
N Zadran23 (20)
R Bishnoi4-0-39-2
A googly, short and on middle, turns in, Karim Janat backs away to pull it but misses and gets hit on the pads. 17 runs off the over!
Batter | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Y Jaiswal c R Gurbaz b K Janat |
68 | 34 | 5 | 6 | 200 |
R Sharma b F Farooqi |
0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
V Kohli c I Zadran b Naveen |
29 | 16 | 5 | 0 | 181.25 |
S Dube not out | 63 | 32 | 5 | 4 | 196.87 |
J Sharma c M Nabi b K Janat |
0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
R Singh not out | 9 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 100 |
Extras
(b 0,lb 2,w 2,nb 0,Penalty 0) |
4 | ||||
Total
15.4 (RR: 11.04)
|
173/4 |
Did not bat: A Patel, W Sundar, R Bishnoi, A Singh, M Kumar
Fall of wickets:
(R Sharma, 0.5 ov) (V Kohli, 5.3 ov) (Y Jaiswal, 12.3 ov) (J Sharma, 13 ov)Bowler | O | M | R | W | ER |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
F Farooqi |
3.4 | 0 | 28 | 1 | 7.63 |
Ur Rahman |
2 | 0 | 32 | 0 | 16.00 |
Naveen |
3 | 0 | 33 | 1 | 11.00 |
N Ahmad |
3 | 0 | 35 | 0 | 11.66 |
M Nabi |
2 | 0 | 30 | 0 | 15.00 |
K Janat |
2 | 0 | 13 | 2 | 6.50 |
Batter | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
R Gurbaz c S Dube b R Bishnoi |
14 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 155.55 |
I Zadran b A Patel |
8 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 80 |
G Naib c R Sharma b A Patel |
57 | 35 | 5 | 4 | 162.85 |
A Omarzai b S Dube |
2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 40 |
M Nabi c R Singh b R Bishnoi |
14 | 18 | 1 | 0 | 77.77 |
N Zadran b A Singh |
23 | 21 | 1 | 2 | 109.52 |
K Janat c A Patel b A Singh |
20 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 200 |
Ur Rahman run out (J Sharma / A Singh) |
21 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 233.33 |
N Ahmad c V Kohli b A Singh |
1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 50 |
Naveen not out | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100 |
F Farooqi run out (J Sharma / Y Jaiswal) |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Extras
(b 0,lb 4,w 7,nb 0,Penalty 0) |
11 | ||||
Total
20.0 (RR: 8.60)
|
172/10 |
Did not bat:
Fall of wickets:
(R Gurbaz, 2.2 ov) (I Zadran, 5.4 ov) (A Omarzai, 6.5 ov) (G Naib, 11.3 ov) (M Nabi, 14.2 ov) (N Zadran, 17.1 ov) (K Janat, 19.1 ov) (N Ahmad, 19.5 ov) (Ur Rahman, 19.5 ov) (F Farooqi, 20 ov)Bowler | O | M | R | W | ER |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
A Singh |
4 | 0 | 32 | 3 | 8.00 |
M Kumar |
2 | 0 | 21 | 0 | 10.50 |
R Bishnoi |
4 | 0 | 39 | 2 | 9.75 |
A Patel |
4 | 0 | 17 | 2 | 4.25 |
S Dube |
3 | 0 | 36 | 1 | 12.00 |
W Sundar |
3 | 0 | 23 | 0 | 7.66 |
Commentary
Right then, that is it from this game where India registered a dominating victory over the Afghans and bagged the series. They will eye for the whitewash now while Afghanistan will play for some pride and finish on a positive note. The 3rd and final T20I will be played on 17th January, Wednesday at 7 pm IST (1.30 pm GMT), but as you know, you can always join us early for all the build-up to the game. Until then, cheers and goodbye!
Axar Patel is the PLAYER OF THE MATCH for his excellent bowling on this flat track. He says that he is feeling a lot less cold here. Tells that you always feel good seeing these numbers (On his 200th T20 wicket), but when you play a lot for India, that feels even better. Mentions that he has worked on varying his pace in the last couple of years but has not found the confidence, but he is in a good place now. Says he can now bowl in the Powerplay and in the death as well, and tries to let the batters take the risks and then change according to the situations. Further adds that it is all about believing in yourself, and he is happy with his performances in recent times.
Rohit Sharma, the victorious skipper of India says that it's a great feeling to play 150 matches and it's been a long journey since 2007 and that he has cherished every moment. Says that they were pretty clear with the approach and he's very proud of the way the batters executed every plan with precision. Lauds Dube and Jaiswal and say that they have been hitting the ball cleanly and have matured with time. Says that their range of shots is pretty incredible and that they have asked Dube to play attacking and he is doing exactly what he is told to do. Adds that both of them took on the spinners with some powerful hits which sealed the game then and there. Ends up saying that he has come out and played two crucial innings for them and hopes that he continues to do so further as well.
Ibrahim Zadran, the captain of Afghanistan says that they were a lot of runs short here. Adds that they started well with the bat, but in the middle overs lost their way and then finished well. Tells that they play well in patches, but haven't been consistent enough throughout a full game. Mentions that they need to stop committing mistakes as the T20 World Cup is coming up shortly. Praises Gulbadin Naib for his knock and says that he is the most senior and everyone trusts him which has paid off for the tram.
Presentation Time...
Shivam Dube, one of the architects of this chase is up for a chat. He says that he is very happy to get an opportunity to contribute for the team and that the skipper is very happy with him. Adds that he and Yashasvi Jaiswal are both stroke players and know each other's game pretty well. He says that his job in the middle was to take on the spinners, and even Jaiswal was hitting it cleanly which was an advantage. And then they both decided to finish off the game as soon as possible. Adds that there are many things that he has worked on in the past few months. Being focused is more important to him, and he says that he is also working on his bowling, says that he didn't bowl well in this game which is part and parcel of the sport. Ends up by saying that he will continue to contribute whenever needed.
Earlier in the game, Afghanistan posted a fighting total courtesy of a quick-fire fifty from Gulbadin Naib with good contribution from Najibullah Zadran, and quick-fire cameos from Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Karim Janat towards the end. Arshdeep Singh was the pick of the bowlers for India with three wickets while Ravi Bishnoi and Axar Patel got a couple each, and Shivam Dube chipped in with one as well. While chasing, we got to see some classy shots from Virat Kohli and then it was all about the Jaiswal-Dube show at Indore which blew away the Afghans and helped the hosts clinch the series.
Afghanistan, on the other hand, will be really disappointed with their bowling effort here. They got the early breakthrough through Fazalhaq Farooqi but failed to build on that. Firstly, they couldn't stop Virat Kohli and once they got rid of him, it was the two youngsters from India who took them to the cleaners and showed them how to bat on a flat surface like this. Karim Janat managed to get two scalps in one over and was the only positive for them, along with Farooqi who also did well. Naveen-ul-Haq got one wicket as well, but that was never going to be enough against this explosive batting lineup of India.
Despite losing skipper Rohit Sharma for a duck, India got off to an absolute flier with Yashasvi Jaiswal continuing to show his aggressive game, but to the surprise, Virat Kohli also took an attacking approach and played a quick-fire cameo of 29 off just 16 balls with five eye-catching boundaries on his return to T20Is. Both of them utilised the Powerplay well and built up a half-century stand. Shivam Dube then joined Jaiswal and wasted no time as both of them went hammer and tons. They punished the bowlers all around the park, and it was a scintillating display of power-hitting from these two. They added 92 runs together in absolutely no time and made this chase look like a cakewalk, and in doing so, they notched up their respective fifties as well. Jaiswal couldn't stay till the end as he was dismissed for 68 off just 34 balls. However, Dube did not stop there and stayed unbeaten on 63 off just 32 balls and finished the job alongside Rinku Singh with 26 balls to spare.
INDIA SEAL THIS SERIES IN SOME STYLE! All the eyes were on Rohit Sharma who was playing his 150th T20I, and Virat Kohli who made his return to the side, but the limelight in this game was stolen by the two youngsters, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shivam Dube with their breathtaking power-hitting in this game. With that, they take an unassailable lead and also win their 15th consecutive T20I series at home.
And that will do it! India seal the series and in what style? Hurls it on the pads and Shivam Dube looks to flick it off but misses and the ball thuds the pads and trickles down to fine leg. They run for a leg-bye single. With that India have clinched the series comprehensively and it's the youngsters who have stepped up to do the needful job for India. India win by 6 wickets and with 26 balls to spare.
Nails a good yorker on off, Shivam Dube is rooted in the crease and smashes it towards mid off.
SCORES LEVEL! Bowls a full toss on the middle-leg line, Rinku Singh goes hard at it but gets the bottom half of his blade and hits it to mid-wicket and sprints for a single.
Over the wicket and fuller on off, Rinku Singh drives it straight to cover. He wants a single but Dube sends him back.
Runs Scored 7 Runs
Score after 15 overs : 171/4
R Singh8 (7)
S Dube63 (30)
K Janat2-0-13-2
Will have to wait for another over to finish off! This is bowled on a shortish length across the stump, Rinku Singh goes hard to pull but miscues it to deep long on for a single. India just 2 away!
Yorker to follow on the middle stump, Shivam Dube works this one down to long on for a single. India just 3 runs away.
Bowls a slower one and shorter into the stump line, Shivam Dube swings hard and misses out on it. This might be the first one that he has missed out on.
Goes on a back of a length again on off, Rinku Singh heaves it towards deep square leg for another single.
Nails in a yorker which was missing for the whole innings tonight, Rinku Singh carves it out to the covers.
FOUR! Now Rinku joins the party as well! Around the wicket and on a tad shorter length, Rinku Singh gets on his front foot and pulls away nicely to deep mid-wicket for a boundary.
Runs Scored 8 Runs
Score after 14 overs : 164/4
R Singh2 (3)
S Dube62 (28)
F Farooqi3-0-27-1
Short this time and outside off, Rinku Singh steps out and pulls it towards deep square leg for a single to end the over.
Fuller and on off, Shivam Dube steers it to deep mid-wicket for a single.
FOUR! There's no stopping to this man tonight! Short delivery which nips back into the southpaw but Dube does not get bothered by that and swings across and finds the fine leg fence for a boundary. Also, this is his highest T20I score! What an assault this has been from the left-hander.
Length ball outside off, Rinku Singh hits this one across to deepish mid-wicket for a single.
On a back of a length outside off, Rinku Singh defends it back to the bowler.
Bowls short and outside off, Shivam Dube hits it across the deep mid-wicket region for a single.
Rinku Singh walks out to bat now.
Runs Scored 7 Runs
Score after 13 overs : 156/4
J Sharma0 (2)
S Dube56 (25)
K Janat1-0-6-2
OUT! CAUGHT! Jitesh departs on a duck. Short and outside off again and it shoots further up after pitching, Jitesh Sharma wants to go on the aerial route but slices it instead towards Mohammad Nabi at mid off who takes a dolly.
Short and wide of off, Shivam Dube looks to pull but miscues to the off side and takes a single.
Over the wicket and on a back of a length, Jitesh Sharma looks to play across but does not connect at all and gets hit over his thigh pad. The ball rolls to deep third man and they collect a leg-bye single. Karim Janat was interested at that one but eventually aborts to send it upstairs.
Jitesh Sharma is the next man in.
OUT! CAUGHT BEHIND! Yashasvi Jaiswal departs but he has assured a probable victory for the hosts. On a back of a length outside off, Yashasvi Jaiswal looks to stand and deliver but gets a faint outside edge of the blade straight into the glove of Rahmanullah Gurbaz who goes low and pouches it comfortably. Jaiswal looks disappointed as he fails to stay there till the end but walks out to a round of applause from the crowd for his amazing knock.
Slower and outside off on a length, Shivam Dube hits hard towards long off but this time finds a fielder in the deep for a single.
FOUR! It doesn't really matter to him who is bowling. He is just hitting it precisely and effortlessly! Around the wicket and outside off, Shivam Dube plants his ahead and just drives it with sheer power over the covers for a boundary. No chance for the fielder to chase it down as it bullets away to the fence.
Runs Scored 15 Runs
Score after 12 overs : 149/2
S Dube50 (22)
Y Jaiswal68 (33)
Naveen3-0-33-1
FIFTY for Dube and this has come in absolutely no time! Back-to-back half-centuries for him and he is punishing the bowlers here. This is on hard length and on leg, Shivam Dube tucks it towards mid-wicket for one.
FOUR! Another chance, but a tough one! This is pitched up and on middle, Shivam Dube lofts it in the air towards long on, Mohammad Nabi there dives forward to go for the catch, but lets it through for another boundary.
In the air...safe! This is short and on middle, slower too, Shivam Dube goes for the pull but gets top edge which lands safely on the mid-wicket region. Two runs taken.
Change of pace this time, back of a length, on off, Shivam Dube goes through his pull early and toe-ends it towards short third man.
FOUR! Another one! Naveen-ul-Haq goes a bit fuller, on the pads, Shivam Dube picks it up, uses the flick of the wrists to whip it away wide of long on for four more runs.
FOUR! Powered away! This is on a good length and on off, angling in, Shivam Dube stays there and swats it over the bowler's head for a thumping boundary.
Naveen-ul-Haq is back into the attack.
Runs Scored 18 Runs
Score after 11 overs : 134/2
Y Jaiswal68 (33)
S Dube35 (16)
N Ahmad3-0-35-0
SIX! Oh..my! This is some power hitting going on here! This is fligthed, full and around middle, Yashasvi Jaiswal gown on one knee and sweeps it powerfully towards the deep square leg fence for a flat maximum.
Shortish and on middle, Shivam Dube pulls it hard but towards deep mid-wicket for a run.
Flatter, full and on middle, Yashasvi Jaiswal clips it towards deep mid-wicket for a single.
Flighted, full and on off, Yashasvi Jaiswal reverse-sweeps it straight to short third man.
SIX! This is huge! Noor Ahmad tosses this one up, full and on middle, Yashasvi Jaiswal this time uses the depth of his crease, whacks it over the deep mid-wicket fence with ease for a biggie.
FOUR! Not from the middle of the bat, but gets the end result! This is flaoted, full and on middle, Yashasvi Jaiswal skips down the track, heaves it from the bottom part of the bat splitting long on and deep mid-wicket, Mohammad Nabi from long on runs to his right, and tries to push it back inside but only manages to parry it to the advertising boards for a boundary.
Drinks! Afghanistan needed this break as they had been blown away by the two Indian youngsters with some clean hitting. The target has been cut in more than half and we are only halfway through the chase. The hosts are on course to seal this series in some style if it continues like this. The Afghans knows that, they need a few wickets very quickly to get back in this game or else this could get over in a flash. Noor Ahmad to continue after the break.
Runs Scored 21 Runs
Score after 10 overs : 116/2
Y Jaiswal51 (28)
S Dube34 (15)
M Nabi2-0-30-0
On a dragged length on off, Yashasvi Jaiswal flicks it towards widish long on for a single to end an expensive over from Mohammad Nabi.
Fuller and wide outside off, Shivam Dube crunches it to widish long off for a single.
SIX! That's in the top tier! Poor from Nabi as he tosses a juicy full toss this one right into the hitting arc of Dube. He gets on his front foot and clubs it with the middle of the bat over cow corner. That's a hat-trick of sixes for Shivam Dube. This is just clean and precise power hitting from the southpaw.
SIX! He continues to dump it in the crowd! Fuller and on the off stump line, Shivam Dube clears his front foot and gets slog sweeps over mid-wicket for another half a dozen.
SIX! He is just depositing the ball into the stands tonight. Nabi stays on the off stump line and bowls tad fuller, Shivam Dube shimmies down the track and whacks it from the middle of the wood and clears long on for a biggie.
FIFTY for Jaiswal! Nabi darts it on the pads and Yashasvi Jaiswal steps out and pushes it to deep mid-wicket for a single. This is his 4th T20I half-century and what a comeback this is from him! He looks confident with his shots and looks dangerous as keeps piling up runs for the hosts.
Runs Scored 11 Runs
Score after 9 overs : 95/2
Y Jaiswal49 (26)
S Dube15 (11)
N Ahmad2-0-17-0
Flatter, full and on leg, Yashasvi Jaiswal works it towards long on for one.
Short and around off, Shivam Dube dabs it through point for another run.
Fires this one full and down the leg side, Shivam Dube misses his flance. Wided.
Fuller and on the pads this time, Yashasvi Jaiswal flicks it towards deep mid-wicket for a single.
Fuller and outside off, Shivam Dube slaps it down the ground for a single towards long off.
Dragged length outside off, Shivam Dube flicks it to fine leg where Fazalhaq Farooqi fumbles to pick it cleanly. Dube wanted the run but it sent back by Jaiswal.
SIX! He has picked up from where he left in the previous game. Over the wicket and fuller outside off, Shivam Dube gets down on a knee and smashes it down the ground for a huge maximum.
Runs Scored 9 Runs
Score after 8 overs : 84/2
Y Jaiswal47 (24)
S Dube7 (7)
M Nabi1-0-9-0
Darts in on the pads, Yashasvi Jaiswal steps out again and this time he is hit on the pads as he misses out completely on the flick.
Full and on off, Yashasvi Jaiswal drives it straight to cover.
Good length delivery on the off pole, Shivam Dube steps down the ground and plays towards deep mid-wicket for a single.
Drags his length a bit now and on off, Yashasvi Jaiswal punches it to widish long off for a single.
SIX! He continues to go big! A tossed-up ball which straightens after pitching around off, Yashasvi Jaiswal dances down the track and plays with a straight bat over the sightscreen for a maximum.
Around the wicket and drops it on a length at the middle stump line, Shivam Dube clips it to the leg side for a single.
Runs Scored 6 Runs
Score after 7 overs : 75/2
S Dube5 (5)
Y Jaiswal40 (20)
N Ahmad1-0-6-0
A googly to end the over on the off stump line, Shivam Dube clips it to mid-wicket for a single.
On a dragged length outside off, Shivam Dube chops it off the back foot towards short third.
WIDE! Short and down the leg side, Rahmanullah Gurbaz fails to collect it cleanly and the ball trickles to the vacant slip.
Short and at the stumps, Yashasvi Jaiswal smashes it hard to long on for a single.
Fuller and outside off again, Yashasvi Jaiswal hits a straight drive off the front foot towards the bowler where Noor Ahmad stops it with his boot.
Fuller and outside off, Shivam Dube strides forward and drives it straight towards the bowler who stops it on the follow-through.
Over the wicket and shorter on the pads, Shivam Dube flicks it to deep square where the fielder fumbles to cleanly pick it up and the batters cross for a double in the meantime.
Runs Scored 11 Runs
Score after 6 overs : 69/2
Y Jaiswal39 (18)
S Dube1 (1)
Naveen2-0-18-1
Length ball and outside off, Yashasvi Jaiswal times the drive well but finds the fielder.
SIX! How about that? Bowls an off-cutter on a length outside off, Yashasvi Jaiswal hits it on the rise from the middle of the blade and deposits to the second tier for a huge six.
Around the wicket this time and pitches it fuller, Shivam Dube pushes it with a straight bat towards mid off and cruises for a single. Yashasvi Jaiswal doesn't want to run but scampers quickly. Rahmanullah Gurbaz collects the ball and disrupts the sticks but as shown in the replay, the batter is home safely.
Shivam Dube comes out to the middle now.
OUT! CAUGHT! What an anti-climax this is! Naveen-ul-Haq gets the big scalp of Kohli. Bowls it outside off and full, Kohli with a very minimal movement on the front foot tries to go over the cover region but gets the bottom half of the blade and hits it straight towards Ibrahim Zadran at mid off who moves to his left and times his leap nicely to take a fine catch. Virat Kohli goes back to the hut after a scintillating start. India are two down now!
FOUR! Oh, hello! This is overpitched into the hitting arc of Virat Kohli and he just picks it up and lofts it over deep mid-wicket for a boundary.
Bowls on a back of a length around off, Virat Kohli stays in the crease and punches it to covers.
Runs Scored 19 Runs
Score after 5 overs : 58/1
Y Jaiswal33 (16)
V Kohli25 (13)
Ur Rahman2-0-32-0
FOUR! Make that three in row! Mujeeb Ur Rahman continues with his shorter length, on off, Yashasvi Jaiswal stays back in his crease this time, lets it come to him, and thumps it over the bowler's head and towards the long off fence for four more runs. 19 runs off the over! That also brings up the 50-run partnership between these two batters in no time.
FOUR! Two in two! Mujeeb Ur Rahman drags his length back again, outside off, Yashasvi Jaiswal accepts the width on offer and crunches it through point for another boundary.
FOUR! Yashasvi Jaiswal is not backing off either here! Mujeeb Ur Rahman floats this one up, short and around off, Yashasvi Jaiswal makes room and punches it brilliant timing wide of mid off for a boundary.
Quicker, full and on middle, Virat Kohli drills it to long on for a single.
A bit short and on middle, Virat Kohli tucks it with soft hands through mid-wicket and comes back for the second run quite easily. Good running!
FOUR! Virat Kohli finds the fence yet again! This is flatter, full and around off, Virat Kohli waits for it and squeezes it past covers for four more runs.
Mujeeb Ur Rahman is back into the attack.
Runs Scored 7 Runs
Score after 4 overs : 39/1
Y Jaiswal21 (13)
V Kohli18 (10)
Naveen1-0-7-0
Back of a length and on off, slower again, Yashasvi Jaiswal stabs it towards extra covers.
Slower again, length again, on off, Virat Kohli punches it uppishly but safely to long on for a run.
Good change of pace! This is on a good length and on off, Virat Kohli goes through his slog early due to the lack of pace and misses.
FOUR! King has made his intentions pretty clear here! Naveen-ul-Haq lands this on a good length and on off, Virat Kohli stays back in his crease, shows the full face of the bat to smack it over the bowler's head for a one-bounce more. He is not happy with himself as he could not get it over for a six. Shades of his shot against Haris Rauf in the T20 World Cup this one.
Slower delivery, full and on off, Yashasvi Jaiswal drills it wide of mid off for a run.
Naveen-ul-Haq starts with a fuller one and on off, Virat Kohli uses his feet to swing across the line, but gets an inside edge towards short fine leg for a quick single.
Naveen-ul-Haq is into the attack.
Runs Scored 14 Runs
Score after 3 overs : 32/1
V Kohli12 (6)
Y Jaiswal20 (11)
F Farooqi2-0-19-1
On a length and on middle, slower too, Virat Kohli initially backs away to go big, but adjusts and steers it through cover-point for one.
Fullish and on middle, Yashasvi Jaiswal eases it towards long on for a single.
SIX! This one is even bigger! Fazalhaq Farooqi bangs this one short and around off, Yashasvi Jaiswal picks up the length very early, swivels and hammers it over the deep mid-wicket fence for another maximum. Salt to the wounds for Farooqi!
DROPPED! A tough chance though! This is on a good length and on off, Yashasvi Jaiswal pushes it uppishly towards the bowler, Fazalhaq Farooqi is a bit late to react on his follow-through, gets both hands but spills it out. Jaiswal gets an early life!
Pitched up and on middle, Yashasvi Jaiswal clips it towards mid on.
SIX! BANG! First six of the innings! Fazalhaq Farooqi serves this full and on middle, angling in, Yashasvi Jaiswal stays in his crease and launches it high and handsomely over the long on fence for a biggie.
Runs Scored 13 Runs
Score after 2 overs : 18/1
V Kohli11 (5)
Y Jaiswal7 (6)
Ur Rahman1-0-13-0
FOUR! Excellent shot! Mujeeb Ur Rahman flights this one up, full and around off again, Virat Kohli shuffles across this time, goes down again, and slog-sweeps it over mid-wicket for another boundary.
Brings out the leggie this time, shortish and on the pads, Yashasvi Jaiswal works it through square leg for one.
Goes short and around off, Virat Kohli punches it wide of cover-point, the fielder there dives to his right to make a fine stop. They cross.
Quicker, full and around leg, Virat Kohli clips it through backward square leg for a brace.
FOUR! King gets off the mark in style! This is tossed up, full and around off, Virat Kohli backs away, goes down on one knee and smashes it over extra covers for a boundary.
Mujeeb Ur Rahman begins with a floated delivery, full and on off, Yashasvi Jaiswal drills it wide of mid off for a single.
Early spin as Mujeeb Ur Rahman will operate from the other end.
Runs Scored 5 Runs
Score after 1 overs : 5/1
V Kohli0 (1)
Y Jaiswal5 (4)
F Farooqi1-0-5-1
Very full this time, on middle, Virat Kohli drives it firmly but straight to mid on.
The crowd roars to its pinnacle as Virat Kohli makes his way out to the middle.
OUT! TIMBER! Crazy scenes in Indore! Rohit Sharma walks back for a second consecutive duck in this series. Fazalhaq Farooqi strikes early and celebrates wildly. He lands this on a hard length and on middle, Rohit Sharma backs away and goes for a pre-meditated pull, but this one does not bounce that much, and he misses as the ball goes through to shatter the stumps. The crowd here goes silent!
Back of a length and on off, Yashasvi Jaiswal dabs it wide of point for a quick single.
A huge shout for LBW, but turned down! Fazalhaq Farooqi looks confident and convinces his skipper to go for the review. This is a brilliant inswinging yorker, on middle, shaping in, Yashasvi Jaiswal steps across to flick it away but misses and gets hit on the pads. UltraEdge shows no bat involved, Ball Tracking indicates that the impact is umpire's call it is missing the wickets as well. Afghanistan lose a review!
Full again and on off, shaping away, Yashasvi Jaiswal tries to get out of the shot at the last moment, but keeps his bat there and steers it towards point. He is not happy with something in front of his eyes, and asks the umpire if it is a dead ball or not, but the umpire says no.
FOUR! Yashasvi Jaiswal and India are underway in style! Fazalhaq Farooqi starts with a full delivery, outside off, Yashasvi Jaiswal gets the chance to free his arms and he slices it hard through point for a boundary.
Commentary
We are back with the run chase and the umpires can be seen taking a stroll to the pitch and so do the Afghanistan fielders who are taking their respective positions. The Indian openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and the skipper Rohit Sharma to open for the Men In Blue. Fazalhaq Farooqi is with the new ball and is raring to go. Let's play...
... RUN CHASE ...
Right then, Afghanistan have posted a good defendable total of 172 on the board and they will look forward to picking early wickets in the Powerplay and leveling the series. Whereas India on the other end will be batting an eye to seal the series with another win. And with Virat Kohli back in the pack, the hosts' batting lineup has some real firepower. The run chase is just a few minutes away. Stay tuned.
As for India, the spin was brought early and that trick worked pretty much for the hosts. Ravi Bishnoi and Axar Patel struck one wicket each inside the powerplay and dismantled the opening stand of Afghanistan. But the pacers bowled some poor lines and lengths and kept serving gifts to Gulbadin Naib. Rohit Sharma was pretty brilliant with his bowling changes and Axar Patel was brought back to the attack, he didn't disappoint at all as he got rid of Gulbadin Naib who was looking pretty dangerous. He was clinical with his economy and picked two wickets. Shivam Dube too chipped in with a scalp of Omarzai and it was Ravi Bishnoi who dismissed Nabi. Shivam Dube went for plenty at the back end of the innings as he conceded 20 off the penultimate over. Arshdeep Singh finished off with a fantastic economical spell and a phenomenal final over of the innings and ended up with 3 wickets.
So this brings us to the end of the first half of the play and what a riveting contest we have witnessed. Afghanistan lost their openers quite early inside the powerplay itself and was taken aback. But Gulbadin Naib looked as if he entered the crease with clear intentions to just smack the ball out of the park and he did so quite well by taking the pacers to the cleaners scoring a brilliant and quick half-century and helping the run rate to fly. But he perished sooner and was followed by Omarzai. Mohammad Nabi did try to stitch a partnership with Naib but he too, departed after a sluggish start. Karim Janat and Mujeeb did hit a few crucial boundaries to breach the 150 mark for the tourists. Mujeeb ur Rahman played a scintillating cameo and accumulated 21 important runs for his team in just 9 deliveries.
Runs Scored 8 Runs
Score after 20 overs : 172/10
Naveen1 (1)
F Farooqi0 (0)
A Singh4-0-32-3
OUT! RUN OUT! A foot-race to end the innings! Arshdeep Singh nails the yorker, on middle, Naveen-ul-Haq gets his bat down in time and digs it out behind, the batters set off for the run, Jitesh Sharma picks up but misses his shy at the batter's end. Naveen tries to steal the overthrow, but Farooqi is a bit late to react, Yashasvi Jaiswal collects the ball and initially thinks about throwing it. However, he then decides to race the batter and run to the bowler's end and breaks the stumps with his hand with Farooqi short of his crease. Afghanistan have been bowled out for 172!
OUT! RUN OUT! Lack of communication cost Afghanistan another wicket. This is back of a length and well outside off, Naveen-ul-Haq tries to reach for it but misses as it goes to the keeper. Mujeeb Ur Rahman sets off for the run, but Naveen stays in his crease and sends his partner back, Jitesh Sharma throws it to the bowler and Arshdeep Singh takes the bails off with Mujeeb miles out. It is also called a wide, so we still have another ball to go here.
Naveen-ul-Haq is out to the middle.
OUT! TAKEN! Arshdeep Singh has three now! He changes his angle and serves this full, on middle, angling in, Noor Ahmad stays back to play the helicopter just like his teammate Rashid Khan does, but he fails to get under the ball and hits it miles up in the air wide of long on, Virat Kohli runs to his right, keeps his eyes on it and and takes it nicely. Afghanistan eight down now!
Arshdeep Singh bangs this short and on middle, Mujeeb Ur Rahman pulls it towards deep mid-wicket for a run.
FOUR! Gets it through! Mujeeb Ur Rahman is playing a blinder here! This is a low full toss around off, Mujeeb Ur Rahman drills it hard and gets it past Rohit Sharma at extra covers for a boundary.
Full and on middle, Noor Ahmad slogs it towards deep mid-wicket for a single.
Noor Ahmad walks out to the middle.
OUT! TAKEN! Arshdeep Singh gets another! He bowls this full, outside off, keeping it away from the batter, slower too, Karim Janat back away to loft it away, but has to reach for it and fails to get enough power on it. As a result, it goes high in the air towards long off where Axar Patel settles under it and pouches it safely. Afghanistan seven down now!
Runs Scored 20 Runs
Score after 19 overs : 164/6
Ur Rahman16 (7)
K Janat20 (9)
S Dube3-0-36-1
SIX! MASSIVE! 20 runs off the over! Shivam Dube goes for the slower again, but serves this full and on off, Mujeeb Ur Rahman this time waits for it, clears his front leg away and absolutely smokes it over the deep mid-wicket fence into the second tier for a biggie.
Another fine slower delivery, back of a length this time, Mujeeb Ur Rahman goes through his pull way early and misses it.
Change of pace now, full and on leg, Karim Janat waits for it but heaves it straight towards deep square leg for just one.
Goes for the yorker, but bowls a low full toss, on middle, Karim Janat flicks it wide of deep square leg for a brace.
SIX! Into the stands! Shivam Dube bowls a half-volley now, on off, in the slot as well, Karim Janat clears his front leg away and tonks it over the long on fence for a biggie.
FOUR! Karim Janat gets into the act now! Shivam Dube lands this on a hard length and on middle, Karim Janat backs away a bit and smacks it wide of deep square leg for a boundary.
Slower delivery, full but down the leg side, Karim Janat leaves it alone. Wided.
Shivam Dube is brought back into the attack.
Runs Scored 10 Runs
Score after 18 overs : 144/6
Ur Rahman10 (5)
K Janat7 (5)
A Singh3-0-24-1
FOUR! Just wide! Arshdeep Singh goes full and around off, Mujeeb Ur Rahman backs and tries to go over extra covers, but gets an outside edge which flies to the left of short third man, Shivam Dube is a bit lazy to move to that side and the ball goes through to the fence for a boundary.
Takes pace off now, on a length and on off, Mujeeb Ur Rahman steers it towards cover-point.
SIX! BOOM! Mujeeb Ur Rahman connects this time alright! Arshdeep Singh continues with his short ball plan, this is on middle again, Mujeeb Ur Rahman sways away and swings his bat hard at it trying to pull it away, he gets it from the middle as the ball sails over the deep square leg fence for a biggie.
Another short ball, on middle, Mujeeb Ur Rahman goes for the pull but fails to connect.
Arshdeep Singh bangs this one short, angling away from the batter, Mujeeb Ur Rahman leaves it alone.
Mujeeb Ur Rahman is the next man in at number 8.
OUT! DRAGGED ON! Arshdeep Singh gets a wicket now! Another big wicket for India as Najibullah Zadran was starting to look threatening here. This is a slower delivery, back of a length and on off, Najibullah Zadran moves back to heave it across the line, but goes through his shot early and gets an inside edge back onto the stumps. Zadran goes back after a nice little cameo!
Runs Scored 17 Runs
Score after 17 overs : 134/5
K Janat7 (5)
N Zadran23 (20)
R Bishnoi4-0-39-2
A googly, short and on middle, turns in, Karim Janat backs away to pull it but misses and gets hit on the pads. 17 runs off the over!
Darts this one full, on off, Najibullah Zadran goes for the heave but mistimes it towards deep mid-wicket for one.
SIX! Clears the fence again! Ravi Bishnoi flights this one up, full and on middle, Najibullah Zadran once again goes down and smashes it towards the deep mid-wicket fence, he gets enough power on this to take it over the fielder there for another maximum.
Quicker, short and outiside, Najibullah Zadran tries to cut but gets an outside edge on the bounce to short third man.
FOUR! 10 off the first two balls! This is the googly, short and on off, turns away, Najibullah Zadran moves to the leg side to make room, and slices it over covers, deep point runs to his right and dives but fails to stop it from going to the fence for a boundary.
SIX! Up, up and away! This is tossed up, full and on off, in the slot as well, Najibullah Zadran goes down on one knee and nails his slog-sweep over the wide long on fence for a biggie.
Runs Scored 8 Runs
Score after 16 overs : 117/5
K Janat7 (4)
N Zadran6 (15)
W Sundar3-0-23-0
FOUR! Nicely played! Washington Sundar bowls this flatter, full and on leg, Karim Janat shuffles across a bit, goes down and whips it over square leg for a boundary.
Slower through the air this time, full and on middle, Najibullah Zadran backs away and goes down to loft it, but miscues it towards long on for one.
Pushed through very quicker, short and outside off, Najibullah Zadran cus it hard but straight to point.
Shorter in length once more on middle, Karim Janat forces it towards long on for another run.
Short again and outside off, Najibullah Zadran slashes hard but straight towards deep point for a run.
Quicker, short and on middle, Karim Janat moves back and punches it towards long on for a single.
Runs Scored 6 Runs
Score after 15 overs : 109/5
N Zadran4 (12)
K Janat1 (1)
R Bishnoi3-0-22-2
Flatter delivery, full and outside off, Najibullah Zadran backs away to cut it away, but misses.
That's FOUR LEG-BYES! Pulls his length around the vicinity of the off pole, Najibullah Zadran sits on his knee and tries to reverse sweep it but he is late to connect it and hits the gloves instead. Rohit Sharma dives to his right at the first slip but misses to reach out on that and the ball races away to the boundary for four leg-byes.
A googly now, full and on off, turns away sharply, Najibullah Zadran fails to pick it up and gets beaten on the outside edge.
Flighted, full and on off, Karim Janat drives it towards long off for a run.
Karim Janat walks out to bat now.
OUT! CAUGHT! The spin trick is working for India and what a big scalp this is as the Indians see the back of Mohammad Nabi. On a dragged length outside off, Mohammad Nabi clears his front leg and half bends his knee trying to heave it down the ground but doesn't get enough bat on it but gets the elevation. The ball lobs up in the air and Rinku Singh who is stationed at long on judges it pretty well to grab it. A brilliant catch from him and Bishnoi gets his second.
Over the wicket and pitches a googly on a length outside off, Najibullah Zadran cuts it to deep point for a single.
Runs Scored 5 Runs
Score after 14 overs : 103/4
M Nabi14 (17)
N Zadran3 (8)
A Singh2-0-14-0
Length delivery outside off, Mohammad Nabi stays deep in the crease and slaps it through extra cover for a couple of runs to end the over.
On a back of a length at the off stump line, Najibullah Zadran waits on the back foot and plays it late dabbing it towards backward point where Ravi Bishnoi misses to cleanly hit the sticks at the striker's end and gifts one run as an overthrow.
Short again and quicker this time outside off, Najibullah Zadran hurries on the back foot for the ramp but misses.
Slower now and in the channel outside off, Najibullah Zadran fails to reach it out trying to swing it hard.
Short and at the fourth stump line, Mohammad Nabi is deep in the crease and shuffles a bit across and inside edges the pull towards square leg for a single.
Over the stumps and back of a length outside off, Najibullah Zadran punches it off the back foot to mid off and sets off for a single, Virat Kohli picks up and throws but misses his shy at the bowler's end. A direct hit and Zadran would have been a goner.
Runs Scored 6 Runs
Score after 13 overs : 98/4
M Nabi11 (15)
N Zadran1 (4)
W Sundar2-0-15-0
DROPPED! A tough chance though as this is bowled outside off on a length, Mohammad Nabi clears his front leg to heave it away but gets a faint inside edge. Jitesh Sharma is late to react on that catch and spills it.
Darts in at fuller length at the leg stump line, Mohammad Nabi sits on his knee and misses the slog sweep on to his front pad.
FOUR! Shot! Provides some air to that ball and pitches it well outside off on a length, Mohammad Nabi stretches ahead with a huge stride and smacks it through extra cover for a boundary.
Comes from over the wicket this time and pitches it on length at the middle stump line, Mohammad Nabi pushes it to right of the bowler.
Around the wicket this time and flights it up at the off pole, Najibullah Zadran gets to the pitch of the ball and drives it along long off for a single.
Over the wicket and drops it short and outside off, Mohammad Nabi gets on the back foot and hammers it to left of square leg for a single.
Runs Scored 2 Runs
Score after 12 overs : 92/4
N Zadran0 (3)
M Nabi6 (10)
A Patel4-0-17-2
Length ball at the stumps, Najibullah Zadran flicks it towards short mid-wicket.
Full and outside off, Najibullah Zadran prods forward and pushes it to short extra cover.
Pulls his length around off, Najibullah Zadran is late on the punch and chops it to extra cover.
Bowls this quicker but way down the legs side, Najibullah Zadran leaves it alone. Wided.
Najibullah Zadran is the next man in.
OUT! CAUGHT! Axar strikes and he gets his 200th T20 wicket! Drags his length this time outside off, bowls this well behind the crease and slows it up as well, Gulbadin Naib with a bent knee tries to hack it over mid-wicket but fails to get the desired elevation as he goes through his shot early, and drags it straight to Rohit Sharma at short mid-wicket who pouches it comfortably. Axar Patel sends back the dangerous-looking Gulbadin Naib back to the hut. Naib will be a bit disappointed but he departs after a fiery half-century.
Fuller length at the stumps, Gulbadin Naib defends on the front foot to the bowler.
Around the stumps and drops it fuller and outside off, Mohammad Nabi makes room to drive it to deep cover for a single.
Runs Scored 9 Runs
Score after 11 overs : 90/3
G Naib57 (33)
M Nabi5 (9)
W Sundar1-0-9-0
Fires this one in, full and on middle, Gulbadin Naib tries to slog it across the line, but misses and gts hit high on the pads.
Fires this one way outside off, Gulbadin Naib leaves it alone. Wided.
Short and outside off, Mohammad Nabi punches it to long off for a single.
Short and at the stumps, Gulbadin Naib stands tall and whips it to deep square leg for a single.
Dragged length at the stumps, Gulbadin Naib punches it off the back foot to short mid-wicket.
SIX! That's in the second tier! Length delivery outside off, Gulbadin Naib half squats at it and drags it over deep mid-wicket boundary for a huge maximum.
Over the stumps and on a dragged length around off, Gulbadin Naib punches it back to the bowler.
DRINKS! What a first hour or so of cricket we have had here at Indore. India got rid of the Afghan openers within the powerplay with Ravi Bishnoi and Axar Patel striking for India. But, Gulbadin Naib entered the crease with some other plans as he took the pacers to the cleaners, and honestly, Indian pacers bowled on poor lengths and kept offering gifts to the batters, but the spinners have pulled things back nicely. Also, Washington Sundar to bowl after the break.
Runs Scored 4 Runs
Score after 10 overs : 81/3
M Nabi4 (8)
G Naib50 (28)
A Patel3-0-15-1
Gives this one some air, full and on middle, Mohammad Nabi strides out and defends it well.
FIFTY FOR NAIB! A simply outstanding knock from him, and he has taken the attack to the hosts here. This is short again and on leg, Gulbadin Naib nudges it through mid-wicket for one more and gets to his half-century in just 28 balls.
Quicker this time, short again, on middle, Mohammad Nabi flicks it off the back foot through mid-wicket for one.
Slower through the air, short and on middle, Mohammad Nabi blocks it down the pitch.
Floated, full and on leg, Gulbadin Naib clips it through backward square leg for a run.
A bit short and on middle, Mohammad Nabi stays back and eases it towards long on for a single.
Runs Scored 14 Runs
Score after 9 overs : 77/3
G Naib48 (26)
M Nabi2 (4)
S Dube2-0-16-1
Back of a length and around off, Gulbadin Naib dabs it towarfds point.
SIX! BANG! Gulbadin Naib goes big again! This is a freebie from Dube as he serves a juicy full toss, on off, Gulbadin Naib makes no mistake and heaves it over the deep mid-wicket fence for another biggie.
Overpitched and around off, Mohammad Nabi squeezes it towards sweeper covers for one.
DROPPED! A great effort through in the deep! Shivam Dube pitches this one up, on middle, Gulbadin Naib tries to loft it away but hits it flat and in the air towards long on, Virat Kohli there runs forward and puts in a dive, gets his fingers onto it just above the ground but fails to hold onto it. A run is taken. Naib gets a life here!
SIX! No hesitation this time! This one goes into the crowd! Shivam Dube goes for the slower one this time, fullish and on off, Gulbadin Naib picks it up, waits for it and whacks it will over the deep square leg for a biggie.
Fuller one and around off, Gulbadin Naib winds up for the slog initially, but ends up blocking it back to the bowler.
Runs Scored 3 Runs
Score after 8 overs : 63/3
M Nabi1 (3)
G Naib35 (21)
A Patel2-0-11-1
An arm-ball now, shortish and on middle, Mohammad Nabi defends it on the pitch.
Flatter, full and on middle, Gulbadin Naib goes for the slog, but miscues it towards long on for a run.
Quicker one, full and on middle, Gulbadin Naib knocks it to the right of the bowler.
Tossed up, full and on off, Gulbadin Naib pushes it towards covers.
In the air..safe! This is floated, full and on middle, Mohammad Nabi looks to play at it, but gets into his shot early and ends up chipping it, the ball loops in the air but lands well behind the bowler as Axar Patel collects it.
Flatter, full and on middle, Gulbadin Naib drills it towards long on for a single.
Runs Scored 2 Runs
Score after 7 overs : 60/3
M Nabi0 (1)
G Naib33 (17)
S Dube1-0-2-1
Pitched up and on middle, Mohammad Nabi tucks it towards short mid-wicket.
Mohammad Nabi comes out to the middle at number 5 for Afghanistan.
OUT! TIMBER! You Miss I Hit! Shivam Dube strikes in his first over as well! Another bowling change that has worked for the Men in Blue, Rohit Sharma is using his bowlers really well here. Dube rolls his fingers this time, on a length and in line with the stumps, keeps low too, Azmatullah Omarzai goes for the big heave across the line, but gets deceived by the lack of pace and bounce as the ball goes through to shatter the stumps. Afghanistan three down now!
Good work in the deep! This is full again and on middle, Gulbadin Naib drills it wide of long on, Virat Kohli there moves to his left quickly and dives to make a fine stop. They cross.
Touch fuller and on middle, Azmatullah Omarzai works it through mid-wicket for a single.
BEATEN! Shivam Dube lands this on a hard length and on off, takes off a bit, Azmatullah Omarzai tries to guide it away but gets beaten due to the extra bounce.
Run out chance...missed! Shivam Dube begins with a full delivery, on off, Azmatullah Omarzai knocks it towards mid off, Gulbadin Naib sets off for the run but is sent back, he slips and falls on the ground while turning back and gives up. However, Ravi Bishnoi misses his shy at the bowler's end and Naib lives to fight another day.
Shivam Dube comes to the attack now.
Runs Scored 8 Runs
Score after 6 overs : 58/2
G Naib32 (16)
A Omarzai1 (1)
A Patel1-0-8-1
FOUR! Afghanistan ends the Powerplay with a boundary! Axar Patel drags his length back a bit this time, on middle and leg, Gulbadin Naib moves back and smacks it over mid-wicket for a boundary.
Fires this one full, on off, Azmatullah Omarzai drills it towards long off for a run and gets off the mark.
Azmatullah Omarzai is the new man in for Afghanistan at number 4.
OUT! BOWLED'EM! A beauty from Axar! An excellent change from Rohit Sharma and India reap the rewards. This is flighted nicely, full and just around off, grips and turns away a shy bit, Ibrahim Zadran backs away and tries to push it away, but plays completely down the wrong line as the ball goes through to rattle the stumps. Afghanistan lose both their openers now!
Quicker, short and on leg, Gulbadin Naib flicks it through square leg for another run.
Tossed up, full and around off, Ibrahim Zadran pushes it towards extra covers for a quick run.
Axar Patel starts with a floated delivery, full and on middle, angling in, Gulbadin Naib works it through mid-wicket for a single.
Runs Scored 18 Runs
Score after 5 overs : 50/1
G Naib26 (13)
I Zadran7 (8)
R Bishnoi2-0-20-1
Another short delivery, on leg, Gulbadin Naib nudges it towards short fine leg, there is a bit of hesitation between the batters, but they complete the run safely in the end.
Drags his length back and around off, Ibrahim Zadran punches it towards long off for a run.
Darts this one short but down the leg side, Ibrahim Zadran misses his glance and Jitesh Sharma behind the stumps moves to his left to collect it well.
Flatter, full and on middle, angling in, Gulbadin Naib stays back and clips it towards deep mid-wicket for just a single this time.
FOUR! It's raining boundaries here in Indore! Fuller and outside off with plenty of width outside off, Gulbadin Naib reaches out to it and smashes it over extra cover again for another boundary.
FOUR! His intents are pretty clear tonight. Full length delivery wide outside off, Gulbadin Naib hits it on the up with a huge stride ahead and smashes it over extra cover for a boundary.
SIX! They are opening the flood gates upfront! Over the wicket and short in length, Gulbadin Naib rocks back and just hammers the pull over deep mid wicket for a biggie.
Runs Scored 10 Runs
Score after 4 overs : 32/1
G Naib10 (8)
I Zadran6 (7)
M Kumar2-0-21-0
Ends with a shortish delivery into the bodyline of the batter, Gulbadin Naib is hurried on the pull and miscues it and it rolls in the vacant backward short leg region for a single.
Back of a length at the off pole, Gulbadin Naib gets behind the line of the ball and pushes it to mid off.
Short again and around off and bowls it slow, Gulbadin Naib looks to pull but the ball dies on the bounce and through to the keeper.
FOUR! That's two in two for Naib! This is a poor delivery and it gets the treatment. A low full toss outside off, Gulbadin Naib reaches out for it and simply eases this one through point and there's no one stopping this as it races away to the fence for another boundary.
FOUR! Now that's some way to get into the act. Short of a length and just outside off channel, Gulbadin Naib is rooted deep in the crease and spreads himself on the back foot and short arm jabs it towards mid-wicket region for a boundary.
Over the wicket and on a nagging length around off, Ibrahim Zadran stands on his toes and punches it off the back foot to backward point for a single.
Runs Scored 2 Runs
Score after 3 overs : 22/1
I Zadran5 (6)
G Naib1 (3)
R Bishnoi1-0-2-1
Flatter, full and around off, Ibrahim Zadran drills it through covers for one, they think about the two, but Rinku Singh is very quick to get to the ball in the deep and keeps it to one.
A googly now, short and on middle, Gulbadin Naib tucks it through mid-wicket for a run.
Quicker, short and on off, Gulbadin Naib stays back to play at it but gets an inside edge onto his pads as the ball goes nowhere.
Flighted, full and on off, Gulbadin Naib pushes it towards covers.
Gulbadin Naib walks out to bat at number 3.
OUT! CAUGHT! Ravi Bishnoi strikes once again in his very first over! He bowls it full and outside off under the hitting arc of Gurbaz who clears his front leg to smack it over mid on, but doesn't get enough wood on it and the ball lobs over from the bottom half of his bat. Shivam Dube who is stationed at mid on takes an absolute sitter. Ravi Bishnoi draws the first blood for India as Rahmanullah Gurbaz walks back to the hut.
On a back of a length again in the channel outside off, Rahmanullah Gurbaz plays late and opens the face of the bat and pushes it to left of short extra cover.
Runs Scored 11 Runs
Score after 2 overs : 20/0
I Zadran4 (5)
R Gurbaz14 (7)
M Kumar1-0-11-0
On a length and around off, Ibrahim Zadran taps it wide of covers and calls for the single, but he is sent back by his partner.
FOUR! Now that's salt on the wounds. Short length outside off, Ibrahim Zadran backs away and makes room for him and frees his arms through point for a cracking boundary.
On a hard length outside off, Ibrahim Zadran doesn't move an inch and throws his hands at it. The keeps low and misses the inside edge through to the keeper.
APPEAL! But the umpire turns it down and Rohit Sharma has gone upstairs. Pitches on a back of a length that zips back from the off stump, Ibrahim Zadran goes for a drive with a straight bat to the mid on region but gets beaten on through to the keeper. Rohit Sharma decides to review it after some discussion with Jitesh Sharma. The replays come in and the UltraEdge shows that there is no bat involved and it brushed on the thigh of Zadran. The umpire checks for LBW and the Ball Tracker shows the impact is Umpire's Call. Ibrahim Zadran survives but India keeps the review.
Back of a length and outside off, Rahmanullah Gurbaz opens the face of the bat and punches it to deep backward point for a single.
SIX! Now that is some shot! Bowls from over the wicket outside off and full, Rahmanullah Gurbaz gets on the front foot and thumps it straight down the ground with a good amount of wood on it and deposits it in the advertisement boards for a biggie.
Mukesh Kumar to share the attack.
Runs Scored 9 Runs
Score after 1 overs : 9/0
I Zadran0 (1)
R Gurbaz7 (5)
A Singh1-0-9-0
On a back of a length this time on the stumps, Ibrahim Zadran blocks it with straight bat to end the over.
Slower now on a length at the middle stump, Rahmanullah Gurbaz plays it off the back foot and drops it in front of cover-point for a single.
Up in the air...but safe! Back of a length at the middle stump line by Arshdeep Singh, Rahmanullah Gurbaz shimmies down the track and lofts it over the bowler which falls right in between the chasing mid on and mid off fielders. They sprint for a quick double. Attacking intent upfront from Gurbaz this.
On a back of a length around off, Rahmanullah Gurbaz pushes this one straight to Rohit Sharma at short cover.
Fuller and outside off, Rahmanullah Gurbaz strides ahead and drives it straight to cover.
FOUR! Gurbaz is underway! First runs of the bat as he pitches on a fuller length with a good amount of in-swing, Rahmanullah Gurbaz plants his leg ahead and simply flicks it through the mid-wicket region for a boundary.
WIDE! Will have to reload that one again! This is bowled down the leg side with a considerable in-swing which goes through to the keeper.
Starts off with the Wide! Not an ideal start as this is bowled way outside off angling across the tramline. Rahmanullah Gurbaz leaves it happily.
We are all set to begin! The big bell has been rung and the players make their way out in the middle now. The Indian players spread out and take their respective field positions. Ibrahim Zadran and Rahmanullah Gurbaz are the two openers for Afghanistan. Arshdeep Singh has the new ball in hand and is raring to go. Let's play...
Ibrahim Zadran, the captain of Afghanistan says that they will try to bat well and put a good score on the board. Adds that they also wanted to bowl first due to the conditions and the ground being a small one. Tells that they made some mistakes in the last game and they have discussed about it and will look to execute their plans better. Says that Rahmat Shah is not playing and Noor Ahmad comes in for him. Ends by saying that playing an extra spinner is a tactical decision considering the ground conditions.
Rohit Sharma, the skipper of India says there's no particular reason to bowl first and that it's just the nature of the ground. He says that it's a chasing ground with pretty small boundaries. He's happy with the previous game and says that the guys are executing the plans being spoken to them. Says that they have asked for specific roles for the guys and they are doing accordingly so far. not much, they don't have any baggage and it is all about backing them, allowing them to be free on the ground. He says that they will do things keeping the World Cup in mind, but adds that they they know results are also important. Further adds that they want to try out a few things but the end result also matters a lot and winning is more important than anything. There's a huge roar in the crowd as he says Virat Kohli is in the XI with Yashasvi Jaiswal in place of Tilak Varma and Shubman Gill.
Afghanistan (Playing XI) - Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), Ibrahim Zadran (C), Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Najibullah Zadran, Karim Janat, Gulbadin Naib, Noor Ahmad (In place of Rahmat Shah), Fazalhaq Farooqi, Naveen-ul-Haq, Mujeeb Ur Rahman.
India (Playing XI) - Rohit Sharma (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal (In place of Shubman Gill), Virat Kohli (In place of Tilak Varma), Shivam Dube, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Mukesh Kumar.
TOSS - The coin goes up and lands in favor of Rohit Sharma. India have elected to BOWL first.
PITCH REPORT - Deep Dasgupta is pitchside and says that this ground is small and we can expect a lot of boundaries. Nick Knight joins him and says that it's pretty much flat and traditionally a very high-scoring venue and obviously the smaller boundaries are one of the reasons. Adds that the surface is really flat and the cracks are firm. Tells that there won't be any turn but maybe a bit of a little movement initially with the new ball for the pacers. He ends by saying that the team who wins would look to bat under the lights and with the dew coming, batting first will have an additional advantage.
Also, the good news for all the staunch cricket enthusiasts is that the two greats of the sport, Rohit Sharma, who is standing on the cusp of his 150th T20 International, and Virat Kohli will be together seen donning the Blues in the shortest format for the first time since the T20 World Cup 2022 Semi-Final.
Afghanistan, though posted a decent total last time, thanks to the ‘President’ Mohammad Nabi’s fantastic knock down the order. However, the tourists missed the magic of Rashid Khan due to a back injury and that huge void was indeed felt. The hosts clinched the victory, and now, India’s eyes are set on sealing the series in Indore. The anticipation is through the roof, and we're in for another exciting showdown! Toss and team sheets coming up very soon, so stay tuned for the play-by-play action. Let the games begin!
Hello and a warm welcome to our live coverage of the second T20I clash between India and Afghanistan at the Holkar Stadium in Indore! India's spirits are soaring sky-high after a stellar performance in Mohali, led by Shivam Dube's scintillating 60 off 40 in the run chase and a crucial wicket in the first inning. Youngster Jitesh Sharma, too, added fireworks with the bat and stabilized the middle order and Rinku Singh helped India chase 158, and with Virat Kohli back in the pack for the rest of the series, the team looks rock-solid and much more assured.
...MATCH DAY...
It is now time for the 2nd T20I between India and Afghanistan at the Holkar Stadium in Indore. India are already 1-0 up in the three-game series and will look to seal the series right away. It was a very chilly evening in Mohali last time around and on a stellar batting track, Afghanistan put on a decent total which was well below par. The dynamic duo of Ibrahim Zadran and Rahmanullah Gurbaz up top did get runs under their belt but neither looked convincing enough. The middle order did feature a couple of solid knocks from the veteran Mohammad Nabi and Azmatullah Omarzai with the latter improving game after game. The bowling was mostly flat with only Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Fazalhaq Farooqi troubling the Indian batters. Naveen-ul-Haq was off colour and they do have a couple of more quality spinners in the form of Noor Ahmad and Qais Ahmad in the squad and we might see the Afghans turn back to a spin-heavy line-up. As for India, they had a pretty good outing even without the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Virat Kohli both of whom might feature in the next game. Arshdeep Singh was solid with the ball and Axar Patel put on yet another strong showing in the middle overs with only Ravi Bishnoi proving to be really expensive. With the option of Kuldeep Yadav on the bench, we might see India tinker with their spin set-up as well. Shivam Dube really impressed with the bat and even bowled a couple of handy overs. Dube's rise in the past year or so has given India a fine back-up when Hardik Pandya isn't available and Dube will be looking to make his stay a more permanent one in the national team. Indore's temperature and pitch will make for a high-scoring game but Afghanistan will need to be more impactful with the bat if they are to trouble the hosts. Can they do so and bring their spinners to the fore? Or will India once again prove to be just too hot to handle? We shall find out.
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Commentary
Right then, that is it from this game where India registered a dominating victory over the Afghans and bagged the series. They will eye for the whitewash now while Afghanistan will play for some pride and finish on a positive note. The 3rd and final T20I will be played on 17th January, Wednesday at 7 pm IST (1.30 pm GMT), but as you know, you can always join us early for all the build-up to the game. Until then, cheers and goodbye!
Axar Patel is the PLAYER OF THE MATCH for his excellent bowling on this flat track. He says that he is feeling a lot less cold here. Tells that you always feel good seeing these numbers (On his 200th T20 wicket), but when you play a lot for India, that feels even better. Mentions that he has worked on varying his pace in the last couple of years but has not found the confidence, but he is in a good place now. Says he can now bowl in the Powerplay and in the death as well, and tries to let the batters take the risks and then change according to the situations. Further adds that it is all about believing in yourself, and he is happy with his performances in recent times.
Rohit Sharma, the victorious skipper of India says that it's a great feeling to play 150 matches and it's been a long journey since 2007 and that he has cherished every moment. Says that they were pretty clear with the approach and he's very proud of the way the batters executed every plan with precision. Lauds Dube and Jaiswal and say that they have been hitting the ball cleanly and have matured with time. Says that their range of shots is pretty incredible and that they have asked Dube to play attacking and he is doing exactly what he is told to do. Adds that both of them took on the spinners with some powerful hits which sealed the game then and there. Ends up saying that he has come out and played two crucial innings for them and hopes that he continues to do so further as well.
Ibrahim Zadran, the captain of Afghanistan says that they were a lot of runs short here. Adds that they started well with the bat, but in the middle overs lost their way and then finished well. Tells that they play well in patches, but haven't been consistent enough throughout a full game. Mentions that they need to stop committing mistakes as the T20 World Cup is coming up shortly. Praises Gulbadin Naib for his knock and says that he is the most senior and everyone trusts him which has paid off for the tram.
Presentation Time...
Shivam Dube, one of the architects of this chase is up for a chat. He says that he is very happy to get an opportunity to contribute for the team and that the skipper is very happy with him. Adds that he and Yashasvi Jaiswal are both stroke players and know each other's game pretty well. He says that his job in the middle was to take on the spinners, and even Jaiswal was hitting it cleanly which was an advantage. And then they both decided to finish off the game as soon as possible. Adds that there are many things that he has worked on in the past few months. Being focused is more important to him, and he says that he is also working on his bowling, says that he didn't bowl well in this game which is part and parcel of the sport. Ends up by saying that he will continue to contribute whenever needed.
Earlier in the game, Afghanistan posted a fighting total courtesy of a quick-fire fifty from Gulbadin Naib with good contribution from Najibullah Zadran, and quick-fire cameos from Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Karim Janat towards the end. Arshdeep Singh was the pick of the bowlers for India with three wickets while Ravi Bishnoi and Axar Patel got a couple each, and Shivam Dube chipped in with one as well. While chasing, we got to see some classy shots from Virat Kohli and then it was all about the Jaiswal-Dube show at Indore which blew away the Afghans and helped the hosts clinch the series.
Afghanistan, on the other hand, will be really disappointed with their bowling effort here. They got the early breakthrough through Fazalhaq Farooqi but failed to build on that. Firstly, they couldn't stop Virat Kohli and once they got rid of him, it was the two youngsters from India who took them to the cleaners and showed them how to bat on a flat surface like this. Karim Janat managed to get two scalps in one over and was the only positive for them, along with Farooqi who also did well. Naveen-ul-Haq got one wicket as well, but that was never going to be enough against this explosive batting lineup of India.
Despite losing skipper Rohit Sharma for a duck, India got off to an absolute flier with Yashasvi Jaiswal continuing to show his aggressive game, but to the surprise, Virat Kohli also took an attacking approach and played a quick-fire cameo of 29 off just 16 balls with five eye-catching boundaries on his return to T20Is. Both of them utilised the Powerplay well and built up a half-century stand. Shivam Dube then joined Jaiswal and wasted no time as both of them went hammer and tons. They punished the bowlers all around the park, and it was a scintillating display of power-hitting from these two. They added 92 runs together in absolutely no time and made this chase look like a cakewalk, and in doing so, they notched up their respective fifties as well. Jaiswal couldn't stay till the end as he was dismissed for 68 off just 34 balls. However, Dube did not stop there and stayed unbeaten on 63 off just 32 balls and finished the job alongside Rinku Singh with 26 balls to spare.
INDIA SEAL THIS SERIES IN SOME STYLE! All the eyes were on Rohit Sharma who was playing his 150th T20I, and Virat Kohli who made his return to the side, but the limelight in this game was stolen by the two youngsters, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shivam Dube with their breathtaking power-hitting in this game. With that, they take an unassailable lead and also win their 15th consecutive T20I series at home.
And that will do it! India seal the series and in what style? Hurls it on the pads and Shivam Dube looks to flick it off but misses and the ball thuds the pads and trickles down to fine leg. They run for a leg-bye single. With that India have clinched the series comprehensively and it's the youngsters who have stepped up to do the needful job for India. India win by 6 wickets and with 26 balls to spare.
Nails a good yorker on off, Shivam Dube is rooted in the crease and smashes it towards mid off.
SCORES LEVEL! Bowls a full toss on the middle-leg line, Rinku Singh goes hard at it but gets the bottom half of his blade and hits it to mid-wicket and sprints for a single.
Over the wicket and fuller on off, Rinku Singh drives it straight to cover. He wants a single but Dube sends him back.
Runs Scored 7 Runs
Score after 15 overs : 171/4
R Singh8 (7)
S Dube63 (30)
K Janat2-0-13-2
Will have to wait for another over to finish off! This is bowled on a shortish length across the stump, Rinku Singh goes hard to pull but miscues it to deep long on for a single. India just 2 away!
Yorker to follow on the middle stump, Shivam Dube works this one down to long on for a single. India just 3 runs away.
Bowls a slower one and shorter into the stump line, Shivam Dube swings hard and misses out on it. This might be the first one that he has missed out on.
Goes on a back of a length again on off, Rinku Singh heaves it towards deep square leg for another single.
Nails in a yorker which was missing for the whole innings tonight, Rinku Singh carves it out to the covers.
FOUR! Now Rinku joins the party as well! Around the wicket and on a tad shorter length, Rinku Singh gets on his front foot and pulls away nicely to deep mid-wicket for a boundary.
Runs Scored 8 Runs
Score after 14 overs : 164/4
R Singh2 (3)
S Dube62 (28)
F Farooqi3-0-27-1
Short this time and outside off, Rinku Singh steps out and pulls it towards deep square leg for a single to end the over.
Fuller and on off, Shivam Dube steers it to deep mid-wicket for a single.
FOUR! There's no stopping to this man tonight! Short delivery which nips back into the southpaw but Dube does not get bothered by that and swings across and finds the fine leg fence for a boundary. Also, this is his highest T20I score! What an assault this has been from the left-hander.
Length ball outside off, Rinku Singh hits this one across to deepish mid-wicket for a single.
On a back of a length outside off, Rinku Singh defends it back to the bowler.
Bowls short and outside off, Shivam Dube hits it across the deep mid-wicket region for a single.
Rinku Singh walks out to bat now.
Runs Scored 7 Runs
Score after 13 overs : 156/4
J Sharma0 (2)
S Dube56 (25)
K Janat1-0-6-2
OUT! CAUGHT! Jitesh departs on a duck. Short and outside off again and it shoots further up after pitching, Jitesh Sharma wants to go on the aerial route but slices it instead towards Mohammad Nabi at mid off who takes a dolly.
Short and wide of off, Shivam Dube looks to pull but miscues to the off side and takes a single.
Over the wicket and on a back of a length, Jitesh Sharma looks to play across but does not connect at all and gets hit over his thigh pad. The ball rolls to deep third man and they collect a leg-bye single. Karim Janat was interested at that one but eventually aborts to send it upstairs.