T20 WC 2021: IND vs AFG Review – India grab first points with dominating win

Team India finally got their first points of the T20 World Cup, with a dominating performance against Afghanistan on Wednesday. It was the batting unit that showed up in full force, getting the team to the highest total of the tournament so far. The Afghanistan batsmen put up a spirited show but fell short by a whopping 66 runs in the end.

The Rohit-Rahul show

Earlier, Mohammad Nabi won the toss and elected to field. Back at his opening spot, Rohit Sharma walked out to bat alongside KL Rahul and got going from ball one. The duo played some astonishing shots, dealing mostly in boundaries from both ends. They added 140 runs for the 1st wicket, with both batsmen reaching their respective half-centuries in the process. Rohit’s dismissal in the 15th over paved the way for Rishabh Pant’s promotion to No.3, while Rahul’s gave Hardik Pandya a chance to shed his rustiness. Both Pant and Hardik went hard at the Afghan bowlers at the death, launching India to a 210/2.

Afghan batters crumble under pressure

Afghanistan lost both their openers inside the Powerplay, which dented an already difficult chase at the very start. The Indian bowling department also joined the party that was started by the batsmen. While the pacers got the early breakthroughs, the spinners too got into the act and caused further damage. R Ashwin’s inclusion worked wonders, as he picked a couple of wickets and finished with impressive figures of 2/14 in his 4 overs.

Top performers

Rohit Sharma: It was that kind of a day. Rohit’s blistering 47-ball 74 included 8 fours and 3 sixes, setting the perfect foundation for a solid total on the board. It was his 23rd fifty in T20Is, one that helped India seal the match.

Mohammed Shami: The Indian pacer returned figures of 3/32 in his 4-over spell that included key wickets like Mohammad Shahzad and the Afghan skipper, Mohammad Nabi.

Records/Milestones

• Rohit and Rahul’s stand of 140 runs is the highest opening partnership for India in T20 World Cup. The previous record was held by Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag – 136 in 2007 against England
• Ravichandran Ashwin picked up his first T20I wicket since August 2016

Way ahead

A 66-run victory has earned India their first 2 points and also a positive net run rate. But only time will tell (and how other teams perform) whether or not their qualification hope is still alive. They play Scotland on November 5, while Afghanistan face the strong Kiwis in their final group game on November 7.