Afghanistan push for upset but Shami hat-trick seals victory for India

Shami was the star as India wrapped up a close victory against Afghanistan.

India remain undefeated in this World Cup but they could not have been harder pushed by the winless Afghanistan, who fell just 11 runs short of chasing down the anaemic total of 224 for eight posted by Virat Kohli’s side in a thrilling sun-kissed encounter. Jasprit Bumrah was the primary difference between the teams, the spearhead’s two for 39 punctuated by a double-wicket maiden in the 29th over, bouncing out two set chasers in the space of three deliveries. Not to be outdone, his fellow quick Mohammed Shami settled it with a 50th-over hat-trick.

Reinforcing why he is the top-billed seamer in the world, regardless of the format or colour of ball, Bumrah was too quick for Rahmat Shah who was out hooking on 36, breaking a crucial stand of 40 for the third wicket, then the player of the match found Hashmatullah Shahidi’s leading edge with another well-directed short ball. When his over began, CricViz had Afghanistan’s chances of winning at 51%; by the end their hopes relied on depth they do not yet have. That inexperience was highlighted by three partnerships reaching 36 but none reaching 50 or beyond. Shami (four for 40), playing his first game of the tournament, bowled them out one ball short of their complement.

A late rally, led by Mohammad Nabi still swinging and darting between the wickets as partners fell around him, left 21 to get in two overs. Earlier, he was Afghanistan’s exemplar with the ball with two for 33, dislodging the typically immovable Kohli (67). But with Bumrah sending down a superb penultimate over, the degree of difficulty proved too acute. The evergreen Afghani holed out for 52 from 55 balls, Shami then hitting leg stump twice to close out the nail-biter.

The resilience of Gulbadin Naib’s team, however, should not be underestimated. When England piled on 397 for six against them on Monday, some observers insisted it was proof Afghanistan did not belong on this stage. Had they scraped their way to victory, it might have served as a meteor to silence those sneers. That was not to be. But taking advantage of a slower surface that suited their spin-heavy attack – and putting in a superb fielding effort – they finally displayed their world-class worth with the ball.

At the start of the day, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, who to this point had experienced a stinker of a World Cup, bowled Rohit Sharma for one with a delicious carrom ball – the first time he had been denied a chance to raise his bat since landing in England. It was the first wicket that India had lost to spin since arriving, too, but would not be the last of the innings.

Nabi’s off-spin first sorted out the opener KL Rahul (30), who reverse-swept when he should not have, before Vijay Shankar (29) misread Rahmat Shah’s top-spinner. Kohli was caught slashing at a Nabi delivery that bounced and gripped, rewarded with the prized scalp for successfully tying him down after looking at complete ease for his first 50 runs in 48 deliveries. At 135 for four in the 31st over, India had work to do.

Instead of exploding as they have in recent fixtures, India’s middle order did anything but, their final 10 overs adding just 49. In that spluttering end, MS Dhoni fell on 28 after absorbing 52 balls, stumped in an ODI for the first time in eight years from the bowling of Rashid Khan, who bounced back splendidly from his hiding at the hands of Eoin Morgan. Kedar Jadhav added 52 but took 68 balls and never truly got going. He was caught from the seam of the captain, Gulbadin (two for 51), who did the job at the death. Hardik Pandya’s power hitting did not come off either, caught behind for seven.

India’s seam attack bowled without luck early on, creating a host of false strokes before Shami bowled the dangerous Hazratullah Zazai in the sixth. Gulbadin then became the first of three Afghanistan players to fall to the bouncer, Pandya getting into the book after coughing up 20 in his first two overs. The controlled stand of Rahmat and Hashmatullah took them beyond 100 and into the driver’s seat, but that was when Bumrah’s second spell changed the trajectory.

Nabi did not get the support he needed from his fellow veteran Ashgar Afghan, who tried to hit the wrist spinner Yuzvendra Chahal to Portsmouth and lost his off stump at an important time. Chahal was the best of the Indian slow bowlers, accounting for his opposite number, Rashid, who ran past a leg break. Between times, Najibullah Zadran lifted the tempo with Nabi after the asking rate went beyond seven an over but Pandya’s slower ball was too good for him, taken at midwicket.

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As Gulbadin said before this game, playing big nations is exactly what Afghanistan need to do more of to make the progress they require to win on days such as these. Until Saturday, in 12 ODIs against other full-member nations since the 2015 World Cup, they had won six and tied against India. They have a way to go, but on this evidence are continuing to head in the right direction. THE STAR

Shami celebrates the final wicket.

Mohammed Shami, playing in his first match in this tournament, gave Indian selectors headaches, finishing with match figures of 4 for 40 off his 9.5 overs, including a hat-trick was a perfect first impact in the World Cup. THE MOMENT

Shami celebrating his hat trick!

With Afghanistan requiring 11 runs off 4 balls, with three wickets in hand, many were starting to believe that the game could actually be won by the Afghanistanis. But enter Mohammed Shami. With only 4 balls remaining in the final over, first he removed Mohammad Nabi for 52, caught by Pandya on the long on boundary, Before sending consecutive deliveries crashing into the stumps of Aftab Alam and Mujeeb Ur Rahman, it wrapped up the innings and secured the match for India.

THE FAILURE

Rohit Sharma failed to get going against the Afghanistan bowlers.

It's tough being an opening batsman with so much expectations. But for Rohit Sharma against the lowly ranked Afghani's, many expected more than his 1 off 10 balls. For a player who had already scored two centuries in this World Cup, it was a perfect opportunity to push for his fourth ODI double century had he had got going. But it wasn't to be.

WHAT NEXT - India take on the West Indies on Thursday, whilst Afghanistan take on Bangladesh on Monday. TONIGHT - Pakistan take on South Africa in a game that appears to have no context, but pride.