The opening over of the match set a clear tone for the subsequent 33.5 overs. A well-placed outswinger left the batsman swinging at thin air, while an inswinger nearly clipped the inside edge of the bat. A yorker was only just managed, resulting in a toe-end that escaped to safety.
During this initial over, Jasprit Bumrah displayed his exceptional skill, creating six moments of uncertainty for the batsman, even though it did not result in any wickets. This first over was pivotal in establishing the foundation for India’s convincing seven-wicket victory over Afghanistan, which secured the T20 series with a 2-1 scoreline. It marked a significant moment for Bumrah, as he opened the bowling for India for the first time in his career, approaching his 100th T20I cap. While the series lacked intensity, his return from a knee injury made it personally meaningful.
However, the focus of the match was less on individual achievements and more on team performance. Bumrah’s impressive control with the new ball was complemented, if not overshadowed, by Arshdeep Singh, who affirmed his position as India’s top T20I wicket-taker by dismissing opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz in his first over.
This was the only wicket lost in the first eight overs. Captain Ibrahim Zadran stepped up under pressure, crafting a resilient 37 runs off 33 balls before being caught at deep midwicket off Nitish Kumar Reddy. Reddy’s contribution proved to be one of India’s highlights for the night.
The last time Reddy took a wicket in T20I cricket, captain Shreyas Iyer wasn’t on the team, and various milestones in Indian cricket were yet to unfold. Given Hardik Pandya’s ongoing injury struggles, having a reliable seam-bowling all-rounder like Reddy was particularly valuable for India in this series.
With 30 runs conceded across two overs in his previous outing, Reddy’s performance on Tuesday was a considerable improvement, yielding figures of 3-0-24-3, the best of his international career. Nearly all bowlers delivered effectively, with the only exception being Shivam Dube’s single over that cost 13 runs. Iyer also deserves commendation for his strategic management of resources during the game.
After a challenging start at 43/5 in the previous match, Iyer had perhaps over-utilized his leading wicket-takers too early, leading to non-regular bowlers being called upon for critical overs. This time, both Arshdeep and Bumrah were strategically held back after their initial spells.
Afghanistan, on a pitch devoid of challenging conditions aside from the psychological pressure imposed by Indian bowlers, managed to score only 159/8.
In the ensuing hour, Sanju Samson showcased his batting prowess, reminiscent of his performances during the T20 World Cup. Following three near-centuries that contributed to India’s second T20 title, Samson had only accumulated 43 runs in his last five T20I matches, resulting in his exclusion from the squad for the series against Zimbabwe in July. His explosive 57 runs off just 22 balls on Tuesday marked his seventh T20I half-century, but its significance is amplified by the context of competition for his position from a promising 15-year-old player. Notably, 91.23% of Samson’s runs came from boundaries, and his strike rate of 259.09 was the highest he has achieved in innings exceeding 25 runs.
India’s batting was characterized by collective effort, with Abhishek Sharma, who had excelled in the previous match, contributing a brisk 39 runs off 19 balls. The Powerplay phase yielded an impressive 82 runs, making the remainder of the innings somewhat academic.
Reflecting on the game’s finer points, Shreyas Iyer was dismissed for 11 runs off 11 balls by a delivery from Rashid Khan, marking his sixth consecutive T20I innings without surpassing 30 runs. Ishan Kishan remained not out with 38 runs off 23 balls as India successfully chased down the target with 31 balls remaining.
In this series, Afghanistan has faced nothing but challenges and has a further 40 overs of competition ahead of them.
Brief Scores: Afghanistan 159/8 in 20 overs (Ibrahim Zadran 37; Nitish Kumar Reddy 3/24) lost to India 163/3 in 14.5 overs (Sanju Samson 57; Rashid Khan 3/35) by seven wickets.
Shuvaditya Bose is a Deputy Copy Editor at the sports desk of The Indian Express.
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