World number-one India kicked off the Tremendous Eight stage of the ICC Males’s Twenty20 World Cup with a powerful 47-run victory over Afghanistan on Thursday.
Suryakumar Yadav’s blistering half-century and a dominant bowling efficiency led by Jasprit Bumrah set the tone for the win.
Yadav, who scored 53 off 28 balls, together with 5 fours and three sixes, performed a pivotal position in guiding India to a aggressive whole of 181 for eight of their 20 overs at Kensington Oval. His nineteenth T20I fifty earned him the Participant-of-the-Match award.
India struggled initially
After selecting to bat, India struggled initially however managed to publish a good whole due to Yadav’s aggressive batting. Bumrah then dismantled the Afghan batting line-up with exceptional figures of three for seven from his 4 overs, whereas left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh supported with three for 36, proscribing Afghanistan to 134 all out.
“Two years in the past, we’ve performed T20Is right here, so we perceive the circumstances and deliberate accordingly,” mentioned India captain Rohit Sharma. “We tailored effectively and obtained 180, which was an incredible effort from the batters. Now we have class bowlers who defended it completely. Everybody got here in and did their job, that’s important, and we dwell on it.”
– Commercial –
Afghanistan’s chase faltered early, dropping prolific opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz for 11 within the second over, caught behind off Bumrah. Left-arm spinner Axar Patel then dismissed Ibrahim Zadran for eight, and Bumrah struck once more to take away Hazratullah Zazai for 2, leaving Afghanistan reeling at 35 for 3 on the finish of the Energy Play.
Afghanistan misplaced their final 5 wickets for 19 runs
Azmatullah Omarzai (26) and Gulbadin Naib tried to stabilize the innings with a 44-run, fourth-wicket stand, however each fell in fast succession, inflicting Afghanistan to droop to 71 for 5 on the midway mark. The remaining batsmen supplied little resistance, and Afghanistan misplaced their final 5 wickets for 19 runs, ending their innings on the ultimate ball.
“We knew we’d be chasing 160-170, given it was in opposition to a much bigger crew,” mentioned Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan. “We may’ve finished it had we executed smarter.”
– Commercial –
Earlier, Yadav and Hardik Pandya (32) mixed for a vital 60-run partnership for the fifth wicket, reviving India’s innings after they had been 79 for 3 on the midway level. Regardless of a short restoration, Afghanistan’s bowlers, led by Khan (three for 26) and Fazalhaq Farooqi (three for 33), managed to assert late wickets, however not earlier than India posted a formidable whole.
