The second One Day International match between India and Afghanistan has come to an end with a massive victory for Team India. India defeated Afghanistan by a huge margin of 170 runs to seal another dominant performance. With this spectacular win, India now leads the three-match ODI series by 2-0.
It was a highly entertaining game of cricket for the fans, but a very tough one for the Afghanistan team. After India set a mountain-like target of 403 runs, the Afghan batting lineup could not hold under pressure. They were bowled out for 232 runs in 44.3 overs, giving India a historic win.
An Outstanding and Dominant Batting Display by Team India
Earlier in the match, Afghanistan won the toss and elected to bowl first on a flat batting pitch. This decision backfired completely as the Indian opening and middle-order batsmen went on a total rampage. India posted a mammoth total of 402 runs on the scoreboard before getting bowled out in 49.5 overs.
The Afghan bowlers had absolutely no answers to the aggressive approach of the Indian top order. Boundaries and sixes flowed easily throughout the first innings of the game. This giant total put immense psychological pressure on Afghanistan before they even started their run chase.
Captain Shubman Gill Smashes a Spectacular and Classy 154 Runs
The young Indian captain Shubman Gill led his team from the front with a truly masterclass innings. He looked in sensational form right from the first ball and played beautiful cricketing shots. Gill played a massive knock of 154 runs off just 110 balls.
His highly entertaining and dominant innings was packed with 22 elegant fours and 2 huge sixes. By the time he was dismissed by Nangeyalia Kharote, he had already put India in an unbeatable position. It was a captain's knock in the truest sense.
Ishan Kishan Plays a Brutal and Destructive Innings of 125 Runs
While captain Shubman Gill was anchoring the innings with pure class, wicketkeeper-batsman Ishan Kishan brought absolute destruction. Kishan completely destroyed the confidence of the Afghan bowlers by hitting boundaries at will. He smashed a rapid 125 runs off only 79 balls.
His explosive knock included 14 beautiful boundaries and 7 colossal sixes all over the stadium. His incredible strike rate of over 158 kept the run rate incredibly high. The huge partnership between Gill and Kishan became the turning point of the match.
Afghanistan Starts the Chase with Quick Runs in the Powerplay
Chasing a target of 403 runs was never going to be easy, but the Afghan openers started bravely. Rahmanullah Gurbaz looked very dangerous at the start and played some aggressive shots. He scored a quickfire 41 runs off 33 balls, hitting 7 beautiful boundaries.
His opening partner Ibrahim Zadran played a more steady role at the other end. Zadran managed to score 21 runs off 31 overs before getting caught. Gurnoor Brar gave India the first big breakthrough by dismissing the dangerous Gurbaz.
Rahmat Shah Shows Great Grit with a Fighting Half-Century
After the opening partnership broke, the experienced Rahmat Shah fought hard against the quality Indian bowling attack. He showed brilliant patience and technique to keep one end safe for his team. Rahmat was the highest scorer for Afghanistan today, making a solid 79 runs off 89 balls.
His gritty knock included 8 boundaries, and he tried his best to keep the required run rate within reach. Unfortunately, he did not get enough support from the other batsmen to build a match-winning partnership. He was eventually dismissed by Prince Yadav.
Sediqullah Atal Played a Solid Inning in the Middle Order
Sediqullah Atal looked quite comfortable at the crease during his stay in the middle overs. He tried to build a good partnership with Rahmat Shah to keep Afghanistan alive in the chase. Atal scored a valuable 42 runs off 50 balls, hitting 5 boundaries.
Just when he was looking ready to accelerate the scoring rate, Washington Sundar trapped him leg-before-wicket. His dismissal was a major blow for Afghanistan as it broke a very crucial and settled partnership.
Indian Fast Bowler Arshdeep Singh Shines with the Ball
The Indian left-arm fast bowler Arshdeep Singh was highly impressive with his pace and variations today. He bowled beautiful spells in both the powerplay and the death overs. Arshdeep finished the match with brilliant bowling figures of 3 wickets for 45 runs in his 9 overs.
He took the important wickets of dangerous lower-order batsmen to completely stop Afghanistan from making any late comeback. His disciplined line and length never allowed the Afghan tailenders to score easy runs.
Gurnoor Brar and Prince Yadav Tear Through the Lineup
Apart from Arshdeep, the young Indian bowlers Gurnoor Brar and Prince Yadav performed exceptionally well. Gurnoor Brar was highly aggressive and picked up 3 crucial wickets for 60 runs in his 10 overs. He took the massive wicket of opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz.
Prince Yadav also showed his talent by taking 2 wickets for 56 runs in his 7.3 overs. Both these young bowlers kept taking wickets at regular intervals, which never allowed the Afghanistan batting lineup to settle down or build momentum.
Complete Collapse of the Afghanistan Lower Order
The Afghanistan middle and lower order fell like a pack of cards under the heavy pressure of the run chase. Darwish Abdul Rasooli got retired hurt after scoring 6 runs, and captain Hasmatullah Shahidi was clean-bowled by Gurnoor Brar for just 4 runs.
The star player Rashid Khan tried to hit a few big shots and scored 12 runs off 12 balls, but Arshdeep Singh quickly dismissed him. The last few batsmen could not sustain the pressure, and the entire team was bowled out for 232 runs.
A Comprehensive and Well-Deserved Series Win for Team India
This 170-run victory proves the sheer dominance of the Indian cricket team in this series. From scoring a massive 402 runs to bowling out the opposition for a low score, India excelled in every single department of the game today.
Afghanistan will need to do a lot of homework before going into the final match of the series. Their bowling attack needs to find a way to stop the Indian top-order batsmen from scoring so freely in the powerplay overs.
Do you think Team India will comfortably win the final match to complete a 3-0 clean sweep, or can Afghanistan bounce back to get a consolation win? Please let us know your predictions in the comments section below!
Read Also: If you want to know how Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan smashed the bowlers,
click here to read the IND vs AFG 1st Innings Review!
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