Shivam Dube takes India to convincing 6-wicket win over Afghanistan in T20I series opener (WATCH)
Shivam Dube's stellar performance guided India to a commanding 6-wicket triumph over Afghanistan in the series opener.
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FollowShivam Dube concludes the match in grand fashion and takes India to a convincing win against Afghanistan. India win the match by 6 wickets in the inaugural T20I of the three-match series, seizing an early lead.
Having won the toss, India opted to field first. Despite openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz (23 off 28) and Ibrahim Zadran (25 off 22) making a promising start and adding 50 runs for the opening wicket in 8 overs, the home team bowlers effectively controlled the scoring rate in the first half of Afghanistan's innings. In their pursuit to accelerate, Afghanistan lost three wickets in quick succession, reaching 57/3 at the halfway mark.
Mohammad Nabi (42 off 27) and Azmatullah Omarzai (29 off 22) orchestrated a recovery with a 68-run 4th wicket partnership, with the former displaying aggression. Mukesh Kumar dismissed both well-set batters in the same over, and Najibullah Zadran (19* off 9) and Karim Janat (9* off 5) contributed crucial strokes, guiding Afghanistan to a total of 158/5 in 20 overs.
India's bowling effort saw Axar Patel and Mukesh securing two wickets each, while Shivam Dube claimed one. Ravi Bishnoi and Washington Sundar proved to be relatively expensive.
India faced a calamitous start to their reply as captain Rohit Sharma was run out on the second ball. Rohit and Shubman Gill found themselves stranded at one end, with visible frustration from the skipper due to miscommunication.
Shubman Gill (23 off 12) showcased some brilliant strokes but fell short of a substantial innings. Tilak Varma (26 off 22) struggled initially but managed to contribute 44 runs for the 3rd wicket alongside Shivam Dube. After Varma's departure in the 9th over, Jitesh Sharma (31 off 20) joined forces with Dube, adding another 40+ partnership.
Mujeeb Ur Rahman (4-1-21-2) made a comeback and made an impact, dismissing Jitesh in the 14th over. Rinku Singh and Dube then completed the job with another partnership exceeding 40. Dube showcased brilliance with his second T20I fifty, finishing unbeaten on 60 off 40 balls, while Rinku remained not out at 16 off 9 balls.
India comfortably sealed the victory with 15 balls to spare, adding a memorable touch to Rohit Sharma's 100th T20I victory, even though it wasn't personally significant for him with the bat.
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