T20 World Cup, AFG vs IND: After the Suryakumar show, Bumrah takes over

The batter’s 28-ball 53, his second fifty of the tournament, propels India to its highest total in this campaign while the pacer proves too hot for the Afghans; Arshdeep, Kuldeep do their bit

India had no trouble adapting to conditions in the West Indies. The move from USA to Barbados was seamless, as India crushed Afghanistan by 47 runs in its first Super 8 game here on Thursday.

It was an authoritative performance with bat and ball. Led by Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya, India passed the pitch test with flying colours to make a commanding 181 for eight. With ball in hand, Jasprit Bumrah (3/7) and the three spinners put the stranglehold on the Afghans.

Skipper Rohit Sharma will be pleased with the team’s performance. A high standard for the rest of the tournament, all of which will be held in the Caribbean, has been set.

Suryakumar Yadav’s 28-ball 53 laid the winning template. He thrilled the crowd with shot-making of the highest quality and his 19th T20I fifty guided India to its highest total of the tournament so far.

Too steep

On a dry pitch, it proved a mountain to climb for Afghanistan. It was on the backfoot early in the chase when the in-form batter Rahmanullah Gurbaz was deceived by a slower ball from Bumrah. The cutter came to use again when the Indian pace ace foxed Hazratullah Zazai.

From 23 for three, there was no chance of a fightback though Gulbadin Naib (17, 21b), Azmatullah Omarzai (26, 20b) and Najibullah Zadran (19, 17b) delayed the inevitable.

After winning the toss, Rohit strode out with Virat Kohli to take first strike. He could not adjust to the pace of the pitch, and succumbed to a mighty heave.

Kohli (24, 24b, 1×6) brought up his first double-digit score of the tournament, but was not entirely convincing.

In the ninth over, he hit wrist-spinner Rashid Khan into the hands of long-off.

Strike bowler Rashid had removed the dangerous Rishabh Pant in his previous over. Pant looked in his element until he was trapped while playing a reverse sweep.

India’s prospects started to brighten when Suryakumar and Hardik were at the crease. The former was in impeccable touch, making it look easy on a pitch where the others struggled.

His first boundary, a sweep off Rashid, proved how quickly he had adjusted to the conditions.

Suryakumar then planted his foot way outside off-stump to send a low full toss from pacer Azmatullah Omarzai to the square-leg boundary. This was innovative strokeplay at its best.

At the other end, Hardik (32, 24b, 3×4, 2×6) smashed the media room window with a thunderous straight blow. When Naveen-ul-Haq was full, he despatched the ball out of the stadium.

The fluent 60-run fifth-wicket stand between Suryakumar and Hardik swung the momentum India’s way and pushed it well above the par-score. Anticipating the surface to assist turn, left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav was brought in to replace fast bowler Mohammed Siraj. And Kuldeep made a case for a longer run in the XI with a neat spell.

SCOREBOARD

INDIA

Rohit Sharma c Rashid b Farooqi 8 (13b, 1×4), Virat Kohli c Nabi b Rashid 24 (24b, 1×6), Rishabh Pant lbw b Rashid 20 (11b, 4×4), Suryakumar Yadav c Nabi b Farooqi 53 (28b, 5×4, 3×6), Shivam Dube lbw b Rashid 10 (7b, 1×6), Hardik Pandya c Omarzai b Naveen 32 (24b, 3×4, 2×6), Ravindra Jadeja c Naib b Farooqi 7 (5b, 1×4), Axar Patel run out 12 (6b, 2×4), Arshdeep Singh (not out) 2 (2b); Extras (lb-5, w-8): 13; Total (for eight wkts. in 20 overs): 181.

FALL OF WICKETS

1-11 (Rohit, 2.5 overs), 2-54 (Pant, 6.6), 3-62 (Kohli, 8.3), 4-90 (Dube, 10.5), 5-150 (Suryakumar, 16.6), 6-159 (Hardik, 17.6), 7-165 (Jadeja, 18.4), 8-181 (Axar, 19.6).

AFGHANISTAN BOWLING

Farooqi 4-0-33-3, Nabi 3-0-24-0, Naveen 4-0-40-1, Rashid 4-0-26-3, Noor 3-0-30-0, Omarzai 2-0-23-0.

AFGHANISTAN

Rahmanullah Gurbaz c Pant b Bumrah 11 (8b, 1×4, 1×6), Hazratullah Zazai c Jadeja b Bumrah 2 (4b), Ibrahim Zadran c Rohit b Axar 8 (11b, 1×4), Gulbadin Naib c Pant b Kuldeep 17 (21b, 1×4, 1×6), Azmatullah Omarzai c Axar b Jadeja 26 (20b, 2×4, 1×6), Najibullah Zadran c Arshdeep b Bumrah 19 (17b, 2×6), Mohammad Nabi c Jadeja b Kuldeep 14 (14b, 1×6), Rashid Khan c Jadeja b Arshdeep 2 (6b), Noor Ahmad c Rohit b Arshdeep 12 (18b, 1×4, 1×6), Naveen-ul-Haq c Pant b Arshdeep 0 (1b), Fazalhaq Farooqi (not out) 4 (1b, 1×4); Extras (b-4, lb-7, w-7, nb-1): 19; Total (in 20 overs): 134.

FALL OF WICKETS

1-13 (Gurbaz, 1.2), 2-23 (Ibrahim, 3.4), 3-23 (Zazai, 4.1), 4-67 (Naib, 10.2), 5-71 (Omarzai, 11.1), 6-102 (Najibullah, 15.2), 7-114 (Nabi, 16.3), 8-121 (Rashid, 17.4), 9-121 (Naveen, 17.5).

INDIA BOWLING

Arshdeep 4-0-36-3, Bumrah 4-1-7-3, Axar 3-1-15-1, Hardik 2-0-13-0, Kuldeep 4-0-32-2, Jadeja 3-0-20-1.

Toss: India.

PoM: Suryakumar.

India won by 47 runs.