Drama, drama, drama.
The third T20I between India and Afghanistan in Bengaluru will go down in history as one of the, if not the best, matches in the format’s history. Right from the first over of India’s innings to the last ball of the night, the contest produced one twist after another with alarming regularity. Towards the end, the winner became secondary with the players and fans still unpacking the events of the not-so-distant past.
CricketNext takes a look at the dramatic encounter
Top-order Collapse
India skipper Rohit Sharma opted to bat first. M Chinnaswamy Stadium is known for its affinity for the batters. The plan was obvious even though Rohit at the toss said his call was purely based on the intent to try something different having chased in the first two matches. What followed wasn’t part of his plan though. Fareed Ahmad landed three major blows inside the first five overs to leave the hosts reeling. At 22/4, India were surely under pressure and Afghans, on and off the field, were flying high.
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Rohit-Rinku Mayhem
Rohit and Rinku went on to ransack 103 runs in the last 5 overs after rebuilding the innings for India from the top-order collapse. As they say, class is permanent, form is temporary, and Rohit showed that. Coming off on the back of two ducks, Sharma was not bogged down and showed clear intent. On the other hand, Rinku played a fearless brand of cricket that bodes well for India heading into the T20 World Cup in roughly five months times.
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Rinku showed he is not a one-trick pony and after settling in, he upped the ante allowing Sharma to free his arms and the mayhem that ensued was one of a kind. The duo also notched up an impressive record, hitting 36 runs in the final over – only the third instance in T20Is that 36 runs were scored in an over what is remarkable was the fact that it was the first such instance without six sixes being hit in the over.
Rohit achieved a huge personal milestone hitting his 5th T20I century, to become the player with the most T20I centuries, while Rinku Singh accelerated in the most brutal fashion notching up his second T20I fifty, finishing on 69 not out off just 39 deliveries with the help of six sixes and two fours. Sharma fell runs short of registering the highest individual score for India in T20Is, ending with 121 not out off just 69 deliveries with the help of 11 fours and eight sixes.
A Fantastic Start
Well, Afghanistan weren’t going down without a fight. Their openers laid down the marker with a solid partnership of 93 runs. Skipper Ibrahim Zadran and wicketkeeper Rahmanullah Gurbaz scored 50 each and gave India the message: it’s on.
The Mini Comeback
And came another twist. India spinners triggered a mini collapse with Kuldeep Yadav giving his team an opening when he had Gurbaz out in the 11th over. And then Washington Sundar took two in two to put Afghanistan under pressure. With the asking rate climbing up, India were steadily getting ahead but knew the serious firepower Afghanistan still have in their line-up and hence, cannot afford to relax.
Naib-Nabi Inject Life
Gulbadin Naib, playing his 100th T20I game for his country, could not have picked a better match to give his absolute best. In the company of the ‘President’ and Afghanistan veteran Mohammad Nabi, one of the cleanest strikers of the ball went about injecting life with some crazy hitting. It was range-hitting at its best as Naib and Nabi picked on the slightest error in judgement from the bowlers – especially spinners – Ravi Bishnoi and Kuldeep Yadav to bring Afghanistan back in the game. The duo added 56 in just 22 deliveries and even though Nabi departed, Naib continued the fight.
And a Tie
It eventually came down to wire, with 36 needed of 12 runs. Rohit had the option to go with his spinners – Washington Sundar, who went for only 6 rpo amidst the run-fest and Bishoni; instead, he opted for the pace of Avesh Khan and Mukesh. And there is were India failed to grab the opportunity to close out the game early, Naib enjoyed the pace coming at him and chanced his arms around with aplomb managing to hit Mukesh for a massive six in the final over courtesy of the Helicopter shot. With 3 needed on 1, Mukesh’s wide yorker was well dug out by Naib and he along with Sharafuddin Ashraf managed to come through for two runs required for the tie outpacing a Rinku Singh throw from the deep to take the game to the Super Over.
The Super Over 1.0
Afghanistan sent down Gulbadin Naib, the fourth half-centurion of the contest alongside Rahmanullah Gurbaz to tackle the guile of Mukesh Kumar. India drew the first blood when a sharp throw from Virat Kohli to wicketkeeper Sanju Samson resulted in Gulbadin being run out for 1 off the very first delivery.
Gurbaz was unfazed. He responded by dispatching a low full toss for a four over covers. Mukesh would go for a yorker again in the over but that too ended up being a low full toss which Nabi used his power to launch over long-on for a six. And then there was a little controversy when a lob from wicketkeeper Samson to the bowler was inadvertently deflected off Nabi’s pad with the ball rolling towards Kohli and the Afghan batters taking an extra two runs despite Rohit’s protest.
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Meanwhile, Azmatullah Omarzai was tasked to defend 15 runs and Rohit walked out to chase it down alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal. First two deliveries yielded just two before Rohit blasted consecutive sixes. A single brought Jaiswal on strike and non-striker Rohit retired hurt to bring in the fresh legs of Rinku with 2 runs needed to win. India managed a single resulting in a second Super Over.
The Super Over 2.0
This time it was India’s turn to set the target. They sent Rohit alognside Rinku this time around. Rohit started with a six and a four followed by a single. 11 off 3. And then Rinku was caught behind before Rohit was run out at the striker’s end while trying to sneak in a bye. India were bowled out for 11.
Target for Afghanistan: 12
Easy-peasy, right?
No.
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India made the brave call and decided to defend the total via a spinner in Ravi Bishnoi. Nabi went for a big hit first-ball and ended up holing out at long-off for 0. Karim Janat then took a single off the next before Gurbaz would also hole out to Rinku at long-off for 0. Game over. Afghanistan all out for 2. India win.
Phew.
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