Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
Brief Scores: India (221/7 in 20 overs) beat Afghanistan (94-all out in 14.1 overs) by 127 runs. They won the T20I series 3-0 in Delhi.
There was nothing friendly about India’s performance against Afghanistan in the Friendship Cup in Delhi. It was a historic occasion for the Afghans, who were hosting India in a T20I series for the first time, having picked Delhi, a city with one of the largest Afghan populations in the country, as their home venue.
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While India exchanged pleasantries off the field, they were ruthless on it, hammering the designated hosts by 127 runs in the final T20I to clinch the series 3-0.
For Abhishek, it turned out to be an unforgettable night. He put on a show for the 26,230 fans who had turned up at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on a weekend. The left-handed opener went on a record-breaking spree in a knock laden with boundaries.
ABHISHEK BLITZ IN DELHI
But none of the pre-match chatter affected Abhishek Sharma, who continued his love affair with the Arun Jaitley Stadium, where he averages 56 and strikes at over 230.
Abhishek came out swinging from the first over, making it clear that Afghanistan were in for another long night. He took on Fazalhaq Farooqi and Azmatullah Omarzai early before turning the third over into carnage, smashing 23 runs off Farooqi as India raced through the powerplay.
Sanju Samson joined the assault against the spinners, but Abhishek was firmly in the zone. He took on Rashid Khan in the powerplay, showing no hesitation against Afghanistan’s premier spinner, and kept finding the boundary all around the ground. Even after briefly showing respect to Abdullah Ahmadzai, he went straight back on the attack against Mujeeb Ur Rahman and brought up his hundred in just 30 balls.
Abhishek Sharma led the demolition job, breaking Rohit Sharma’s record for the fastest T20I hundred by an Indian. He brought up his third three-figure score in T20Is, this time in just 30 deliveries. Sanju Samson continued his rejuvenated run with another fifty, but India did not finish well, settling for 221 when they had a genuine chance to push for another score in excess of 250.
But Abhishek’s blistering knock, which included 11 sixes and nine boundaries, was more than enough for Afghanistan, who were perhaps a little too hospitable as hosts throughout the series. While their bowlers, including Rashid Khan, were taken to the cleaners, their batting continued to lack the spark needed to push the world champions in their own backyard.
ABHISHEK’S 30-BALL CENTURY IN NUMBERS
Here’s a quick look at some of the records he broke.
- 30: His century in just 30 deliveries was the fastest in T20I cricket by a batter from a Test-playing nation.
- 2: He also became the first batter in T20I history to hit two centuries in fewer than 40 deliveries. He had smashed a 37-ball hundred against England in Mumbai last year.
- 94.4%: Abhishek scored more than 90 per cent of his runs through boundaries, the highest by a batter in T20I cricket history.
It was a knock of authority and confidence as Abhishek was the only Indian batter to strike at a rate of over 150 on Thursday. He was eventually dismissed for 108 off 34 balls, finishing the series with 229 runs from three matches.
If one were to nitpick, India’s inability to press the accelerator at the end is something that can be dissected. India were 184 for 4 at the end of 15 overs but managed just 37 runs in the final five overs, hitting only two boundaries.
Captain Shreyas Iyer struggled to keep the tempo high, managing just 27 runs from 20 deliveries in the middle, while India’s decision to send Tilak Varma in at No. 3 and push Ishan Kishan down also backfired. While Abhishek and Samson contributed 158 runs from 69 deliveries, the rest of the batting group managed just 63 from 51 deliveries.
Afghanistan managed just 94 runs, lasting only 14.1 overs, as Axar Patel led another disciplined bowling effort. The legendary Jasprit Bumrah, who featured in all three matches, flaunted his yorkers, while Nitish Kumar Reddy continued his good work, adding three more wickets to his tally in the third T20I after returning career-best figures of 3/24 on Tuesday.
Nitish demolished any hopes of an Afghan fightback by picking up the wickets of Azmatullah Omarzai, their best batter in the series, Mohammad Nabi and Mujeeb Ur Rahman in the same over.
It must have been heartening for the team management to get the full quota of four overs from Nitish Kumar Reddy, who finished with figures of 3 for 25. Young Yash Thakur, who got an opportunity in place of Arshdeep Singh, returned figures of 1 for 17 in two overs.
NO VAIBHAV SOORYAVANSHI
While India enjoyed success across all three games at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, the team management did miss out on an opportunity to give Vaibhav Sooryavanshi a chance. The 15-year-old, who continues to be a fan favourite across the world, generated plenty of buzz in the capital city, but he did not get a single opportunity in the series.
Sanju Samson, who returned to the side after missing the tour of Zimbabwe, kept the outside noise away and hit back-to-back fifties to stay ahead in the pecking order.
Before the toss on Thursday, Sooryavanshi was having a throwdown session along the boundary ropes, raising hopes that he might finally get a game. Fans rushed towards the fence to catch a glimpse of the boy wonder, who has made it a habit to set the stage on fire.
However, the Indian team management decided not to give him an opportunity, much to the disappointment of millions, including his father, who had flown down to Delhi to be with his son throughout the series.
It was a baffling call from the team management as India had taken an unbeaten 2-0 lead in the series before Thursday, leaving room to give Sooryavanshi an opportunity. But the young man was made to warm the benches, raising questions over the possibility of him getting a chance at the Asian Games, where India will play a maximum of three games even if they qualify for the gold-medal match.
With a dominant 3-0 win, India have signalled their intent for their title defence at the Asian Games. The challenge from mostly second-string opponents might not have been enough to trouble India, but the Men in Blue have ticked all the boxes before heading to Nagoya for the multi-sport continental spectacle.
India will begin their Asian Games campaign with a bye to the quarter-finals.
But none of that is likely to stay in the team’s mind when they take the flight to Nagoya in the next few days. They will have another opportunity to fine-tune their preparations when they take on Japan in an exhibition match on September 22.
– Ends
SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
