- Saturday, July 27, 2024
Afghanistan failed to score 12 runs in six balls in the second super over and lost both their wickets for just one run.
By: Shubham Ghosh
AFGHANISTAN’S ambition to beat India in a T20 game remained unfulfilled on Wednesday (17) despite them having the advantage more than once in a thrilling contest at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
The third game of the series, which the hosts had already clinched 2-0, saw two super-over contests after the main game ended in a tie and India eventually had the last laugh, winning the game by 10 runs and pocket the series 3-0.
A determined Afghanistan braved a mini middle-order collapse to level India’s score of 212 for 4 in 20 overs with half centuries from their top three batters and a brisk 34 from the experienced Mohammad Nabi. They ended up on 212 for 6 with pacer Mukesh Kumar conceding 18 runs in the final over.
Read: Rohit Sharma smashes record 5th T20 century in third game vs Afghanistan
The match then went into the first Super Over in which Afghanistan put up a total of 16 runs for the loss of the in-form Gulbadin Naib, who made 55 not out in Afghanistan’s chase in the main contest. India also ended up on the same score with Rohit Sharma, who hit an unbeaten 121 earlier in the day, slamming two consecutive sixes. The hosts required two runs off the final delivery and Sharma, 36, was then seen retiring to make way for a fresher Rinku Singh in case two runs had to be run. But the batter in strike, Yashasvi Jaiswal could take only one run, necessitating another Super Over.
Read: Rohit Sharma screams at Shubman Gill after getting run out in Afghanistan T20; WATCH
In the second Super Over, Sharma came out to bat with Rinku Singh, with whom he added 190 runs earlier in the day when India slumped to 22 for 4. The captain struck a six and four but after he took a single, India could not add any more runs. Singh was caught by Afghanistan wicket-keeper Rahamanullah Gurbaz in the first ball that he faced while Sharma himself got run out while taking a run from the non-striker’s end. A direct throw from Gurbaz ended the Indian innings with a ball to spare and set Afghanistan a target of 12 in six balls.
It seemed an easy target for the Afghans but they failed to score more than a run with spinner Ravi Bishnoi dismissing Nabi and Gurbaz after both tried to clear the boundaries but were caught by Singh at long-off.
India won the first two matches by six wickets each.
