India defeats Afghanistan in the second super over, clinching the series 3-0

Rohit Sharma and Rinku Singh initially rescued India from a terrible scenario before totally turning the tables on Afghanistan, helping them score 212/4 in 20 overs. India were left reeling early on as Afghanistan’s Fareed Ahmed and Azmatullah Omarzai fell on them on a Chinnaswamy pitch that appeared to catch the batters off guard.

India lost four wickets during the powerplay, three of which were taken by Fareed alone. Two of those wickets, those of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Virat Kohli, came from consecutive deliveries, with the latter falling for a golden duck. Sanju Samson, who replaced Jitesh Sharma in this match, also went for a golden duck, while Shivam Dube, who had struck unbroken half-centuries in the previous two games, dropped for one.

With Rohit Sharma’s unbroken 69-ball 121 and Rinku Singh’s 69 off 39 deliveries, India recovered to 212 for four from 22 for four in the fifth over. India lost four fast wickets to Afghanistan pacers, with Fareed Ahmad dismissing Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, and Sanju Samson. Kohli and Samson walked to the pavilion for a golden duck. Meanwhile, Azmatullah Omarzai dismissed Shivam Dube (1).

In response, Afghanistan finished at 212, with Gulbadin Naib smashing a 23-ball 55 to spearhead his team’s incredible comeback. Fareed Ahmad Malik was Afghanistan’s most successful bowler, finishing with 3/20 as Rohit and Rinku took on the duty.

Mohammad Nabi and Gulbadin Naib staged a spectacular comeback that slowed the Indians. Nabi perished for 34 off 16, bringing an end to his 56-run stand with Gulbadin in just 22 balls. However, Gulbadin persevered as wickets dropped at the other end. He finished undefeated on 55 off 23, and Afghanistan matched the score, forcing the match to a Super Over.

Both sides scored 16 runs in the first one, requiring a second Super Over to determine the match. India scored 11 runs and lost two wickets in their second Super Over innings, therefore Afghanistan needed 12 runs to win their first T20I match against India. But they only scored one run and lost two wickets, hence India won the second Super Over.

Rohit Sharma, Indian captain: “We don’t do that in Tests also, think it happened once in the IPL. 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.”

Shivam Dube, Player of the Series: “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.”

Ibrahim Zadran, Afghanistan captain: “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.”

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