India has started the Super 8 from where they left the Group Stage. The Men in Blue produced a magnificent all-round show. They were excellent in three departments. The batting show was led by Suryakumar Yadav, who was nicely supported by Hardik Pandya. Bowling-wise, as usual, Jasprit Bumrah was the pick of bowlers, but every bowler barring Hardik chipped in with the wickets. Ravindra Jadeja was excellent in the field, claiming three catches, and if not for Virat Kohli’s easy drop, everything was on point.
SKY—No. 1 batter for a reason
Suryakumar Yadav showed why he’s rated so highly against a high-quality Afghanistan bowling attack. After two low scores, the No. 1 T20I batter in the world has scored a second consecutive fifty. He rescued India from a tough spot, as they lost Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant in quick succession. He continued to take the team forward, and that too at a rapid pace.
Hardik Pandya played the second fiddle to Surya and ended up as the second-highest run-scorer, albeit with a lower strike rate (133.33). Pant gave India the required aggression in the powerplay after Rohit Sharma departed in the third over. Kohli played a scratchy inning, mustering a strike rate of 100.
Shivam Dube failed once again, going out to Rashid Khan. Played in the team as a specialist spin bash, the all-rounder continues to disappoint. Ravindra Jadeja couldn’t do much either and got out on a ball that he could have easily left for a wide. Meanwhile, his direct competitor, Axar Patel, played the finisher role perfectly, scoring 12(6).
Indian Cricket
Bumrah—brilliant as usual
India’s best bowler of the T20 World Cup, Jasprit Bumrah, was sensational in the India vs Afghanistan match. He sent both of Afghanistan’s batters into the hut in the space of 7 balls and then returned back in the death to get Najibullah Zadran as well. Arshdeep Singh claimed three wickets as well, but gave away 29 runs more. The pacer ended with the mind-boggling figures of 4-0-7-3.
Axar Patel was the best spinner of the day, despite Kuldeep Yadav taking an extra wicket. Axar bowled 2 overs in the powerplay while giving away just 8 runs and taking Ibrahim Zadran’s wicket. Jadeja also got his first wicket of the tournament but wasn’t as good as Axar when it came to his economy.
Kuldeep went for a few runs but compensated that with the wickets of Mohammed Nabi and Gulbadin Naib. India’s highest wicket-taker prior to the match, Hardik Pandya, couldn’t add to his tally.
IND vs AFG Brief Scores
India: 181/8 (Suryakumar Yadav 53, Hardik Pandya 32; Rashid Khan 3/26, Fazalhaq Farooqi 3/33)
Afghanistan: 134/10 (Azmatullah Omarzai 26, Najibullah Zadran 19; Jasprit Bumrah 3/7, 3/36)
