India defeated Afghanistan by 170 runs to win the ODI series 2-0. India scored 402 runs thanks to centuries of Shubman Gill (154) and Ishan Kishan (125). In reply, Arshdeep Singh and Gurnoor Brar took three wickets each and Afghanistan’s team was reduced to 232 runs.
India defeated Afghanistan by 170 runs in the second ODI played at Ekana Stadium in Lucknow. With this victory, India has taken an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match bilateral series.
Afghanistan’s innings
Chasing a big target of 403 runs, Afghanistan’s openers Ibrahim Zadran and Rahmatullah Gurbaz quickly added 52 runs for the first wicket. Gurnoor Brar, playing only his second ODI, gave India the first success and dismissed Gurbaz in the eighth over. This explosive opener scored 41 runs in 33 balls with the help of seven fours and one six. Earlier, debutant Prince Yadav had dismissed Gurbaz, but the third umpire declared that ball a no-ball, forcing Yadav to wait a little longer for his first international wicket.
Zadran was the next batsman out when he was caught by Arshdeep Singh at the hands of Prince. Zadran scored 21 runs on 31 balls. Sediqullah Atal and Rahmat Shah added 57 runs for the third wicket, but Washington Sundar broke this partnership. Atal played a good inning of 42 runs in 50 balls. After this Darvish Rasooli came to bat but due to cramps he had to retire hurt. Earlier also, he had cramps while fielding and had to be taken out of the field on a stretcher. Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi started with a four, but Brar bowled him on the very next ball and sent him to the pavilion. Prince got his first international wicket in the 31st over, when he dismissed Nangeyalia Kharote. Rashid Khan scored 12 runs and then became the victim of Arshdeep. Rahmat Shah kept fighting from one end and waited for India’s victory. He scored 79 runs in 89 balls and made some small partnerships with the lower order batsmen, but in the 45th over, Prince Yadav took his wicket and bundled out the entire team for 232 runs.
India won this match by 170 runs. Arshdeep Singh and Gurnoor Brar took three wickets each, while Prince got two wickets. Sundar also took one wicket in the match.
India scored 402 runs with the centuries of Gill-Kishan
Earlier, the match was entirely in the name of Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan, who scored brilliant centuries and took India’s score beyond 400. Invited to bat first, Yashasvi Jaiswal and experienced Rohit Sharma opened the innings. Mohammad Salim Safi achieved the first success of the match by dismissing Jaiswal in his very first over. After this, Gill came to the crease with Sharma and the former captain changed the batting gear. He hit six fours and two sixes, but missed his half-century and was bowled by Rashid Khan at the score of 48 runs.
Gill-Kishan’s show: 224-run partnership
Kishan, who came to bat at number four, continued to run the scoreboard with his big shots. Gill completed his half-century by hitting a six off Nangeyalia Kharote in the 17th over. He hit a few more fours in Safi’s next over. Then Kishan changed gears and hit a six to Safi, a four to Hashmatullah Shahidi and three fours to Bilal Sami in the next over. Kishan completed his half-century by hitting Shahidi for a four in the 28th over. Gill kept rotating the strike from one end and reached the score of 90. Kishan kept hitting big shots from the other end and joined them. Bilal Sami came to bowl the 33rd over and Gill completed his 9th ODI century by hitting a four on the very first ball. This was his first century after becoming the ODI captain. Kishan also completed his century by hitting three consecutive fours on the last three balls of Sami’s over. This was his second ODI century. After completing his half-century in 52 balls, he scored the next 53 runs in just 19 balls. The duo continued hitting boundaries at regular intervals and added 224 runs for the third wicket, before Kharote broke the partnership in the 37th over.
India’s finishing
Kishan scored 125 runs in just 79 balls with the help of 14 fours and seven sixes. After this Shreyas Iyer came and added 40 runs for the fourth wicket with captain Gill. Gill crossed the 150-run mark with a single off Allah Ghazanfar in the 42nd over. Gill lost his wicket in the 43rd over while trying to hit a big shot against Kharote. He scored 154 runs in 110 balls with the help of 22 fours and two sixes. KL Rahul could not last long and was out on a golden duck. Iyer contributed 26 runs in 24 balls with the help of one six and one four, but gave his wicket to Kharote. Sundar played a valuable inning of 19 runs with the lower order batsmen to help India cross 400 runs. The entire Indian team was all out in 49.5 overs and set a target of 403 runs for the visiting team.