T20 World Cup 2021 India vs Afghanistan: Who won yesterday's match?

The real India finally stood up as Virat Kohli and co. hammered Afghanistan by 66 runs to keep their slender hopes of qualifying for the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup 2021 alive.

Indian captain Kohli lost his third toss in a row, but this time the team came out to bat with positive intent and the results followed. Rohit Sharma (74 off 47) and KL Rahul (69 off 48) featured in an opening stand of 140 as India put up an imposing total of 210 for 2 after being sent into bat in match number 33 of the T20 World Cup in Abu Dhabi.

Afghanistan tried to take on the Indian bowling but lost too many wickets at the start. Skipper Mohammad Nabi (35) and Karim Janat (42*) played fighting knocks as the Afghan innings ended on 144 for 7. For India, Ravichandran Ashwin returned with figures of 2 for 14 on his white-ball comeback, while Mohammed Shami claimed 3 for 32.

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The Rohit-Rahul show in Abu Dhabi

Indian opener KL Rahul hits a big one. Pic: Getty Images

The powerplay had been India’s bane in the first two matches of the T20 World Cup 2021. However, this time Rohit and Rahul asserted their dominance as Team India crossed the 50-run mark in the fifth over itself. 16 runs came off the second over of the innings as the opening pair took on Sharafuddin Ashraf. Rohit pulled out a lap sweep for four after which Rahul smacked a six and a four over mid-on.

Naveen-ul-Haq, who was Afghanistan’s man of the match in the previous game, could not stop Rohit’s assault. In the fifth over, the Indian opener smashed a wide delivery past point for four and then lofted a six over long-off. Another wristy boundary followed as 17 came off the over. The boundaries kept coming as India eased their way to 85 for no loss at the halfway stage.

Naveen-ul-Haq was reintroduced in the 12th over and this time the Indian opening pair took 16. Rohit brought up his fifty by slapping a slower ball past the sweeper for four. Rahul then launched another slower one over the ropes at backward square leg to bring up the century partnership. The over ended with another boundary as Afghanistan ran out of ideas over how to stop the carnage. Rahul got to his half-century at the start of the 13th over by lofting Gulbadin Naib inside-out over extra-cover for four.

Rashid Khan is not someone who is smashed for consecutive sixes. However, Rohit achieved the rare distinction in the last two deliveries of the 14th over. He first charged down and whipped a six over deep midwicket. The next ball was slog-swept over square leg with disdain. Karim Janat finally broke the partnership as Rohit hit a full delivery straight to extra-cover. The 140-run stand is now the highest partnership for India in the T20 World Cup. Rahul perished soon after Rohit, yorked by Naib while attempting a premeditated scoop.

With the platform set, Rishabh Pant (27* off 13) and Hardik Pandya (35* off 13) swung their bats hard to take India past the 200-mark. Pant brought out his trademark one-handed sixes while Pandya also found the middle of the bat more often than not.

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Indian bowlers too hot to handle for Afghanistan

R Ashwin celebrates the wicket of Najibullah Zadran with teammates. Pic: Getty Images

Afghanistan went hard at the Indian bowlers but were three down before reaching 50 by the seventh over. Mohammad Shahzad perished without scoring, getting a leading edge off an attempted flick to be caught at mid-off off Shami. Hazratullah Zazai (13) was the next to go. He sliced a slower ball from Jasprit Bumrah to mid-on.

Rahmanullah Gurbaz came in and took on Shami with some audacious strokes. After swinging a six over long-on, he pulled the next ball over the midwicket boundary. The over ended with a slash outside off for another four. 21 came off the fifth over as Afghanistan’s innings gained some momentum.

Ravindra Jadeja ended Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s promising knock on 19. The young Afghan batter jumped down the track to the left-arm spinner, but he couldn’t clear long-on as Pandya took a well-judged catch near the boundary.

Ashwin, playing his first match of the T20 World Cup 2021, made an impact in his second over, trapping Gulbadin Naib (18) with a carrom ball. A clueless Naib missed his sweep and was struck right in front of the stumps. Afghanistan had stumbled to 61 for 4 at the halfway stage in their chase, making the result a foregone conclusion.

Ashwin picked up his second wicket by outfoxing Najibullah Zadran (11). The batter attempted a reverse sweep but was cleaned up as the seasoned off-spinner slipped in a quicker one.

Nabi and Janat resisted for a few overs before Shami returned in the penultimate over to pick up two wickets. Nabi was caught and deep midwicket and Rashid Khan (0) slammed his first ball to long-on.

In between, Shami could have had Janat’s wicket as well as he pulled off what looked like a stunning diving catch. However, replays concluded that the ball brushed the ground. It didn’t matter though as Afghanistan fell way short of the target.

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India vs Afghanistan: Who won Player of the Match in yesterday’s T20 World Cup 2021 match?

Rohit and Rahul were in sublime form for India. They got on top of Afghanistan and never allowed them to have a say in the game. Rohit was the aggressor early on while Rahul later joined and upped the ante.

Ashwin made a memorable comeback for India, claiming 2 for 14 in his four overs. He outthought Naib and Zadran with his guile. Shami also claimed three wickets.

Indian opener Rohit was named Player of the Match for his sublime knock.

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