Prasidh grabs five in Chennai, Afghanistan fold for 218
A Commanding Performance at Chepauk
In the third ODI encounter between India and Afghanistan, the spotlight shone brightly on Prasidh Krishna, whose devastating spell of fast bowling dismantled the opposition’s lineup. It was a day where conditions in Chennai favored those who could extract movement and bounce, and Prasidh capitalized on these elements to perfection. As the primary highlight of the day, Prasidh grabs five in Chennai, Afghanistan fold for 218, setting the stage for an intriguing chase under the lights.
The Powerplay Destruction
The match began with Afghanistan winning the toss and opting to bat first, a decision that initially looked promising until the Indian pace attack took control. Prasidh Krishna was unplayable during his opening powerplay overs, returning figures of 4 for 6. The movement on offer was sharp, with the ball frequently beating the outside edge. Rahmanullah Gurbaz was the first to fall, edging a drive to Rohit Sharma at first slip. The slide continued as Rahmat Shah and Ibrahim Zadran followed suit, both falling to catches taken by the Indian skipper, effectively leaving the Afghan top order in tatters.
Prasidh’s accuracy denied the batsmen any room for error. When Darwish Rasooli attempted to break the shackles by attacking the pacer, he only managed to sky a drive that Shreyas Iyer caught expertly while running back from cover. By this stage, Afghanistan was reeling at 36 for 4, and the game seemed destined for an early finish.
The Middle-Order Resilience
Despite the early collapse, Afghanistan found a path to recovery through a gritty partnership between Hashmatullah Shahidi and Azmatullah Omarzai. The pair put together a 105-run stand that steadied the ship. Omarzai was particularly aggressive, striking four boundaries between the 11th and 14th overs. Shahidi, while initially looking uncomfortable against the short ball, eventually settled in to play a pivotal role, eventually securing a resilient century.
India’s experiment with their bowling rotation saw Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, and Harsh Dubey bowl 21 overs in total. While they managed to control the flow to an extent, they combined for only one wicket, leaking 103 runs in the process. This phase allowed Shahidi and Omarzai to reach their respective fifties and bring some stability to the scoreboard.
A Dramatic Collapse and Penalty
The innings took a chaotic turn as the death overs approached. Omarzai was dismissed when he hooked a bouncer from Prince Yadav straight to deep fine leg. However, the true drama unfolded following a series of technical infringements. Hashmatullah Shahidi, who had been struggling with the danger area of the pitch, was penalized five runs for running on the protected zone. This penalty not only added to India’s score before they even started their innings but also hampered Afghanistan’s momentum.
Following this, the wickets tumbled in a rush. Mohammad Nabi was castled by Gurnoor Brar, and the tail-end crumbled under pressure. Two successive run-outs, both executed by captain Shubman Gill, showcased India’s sharp fielding. Rashid Khan also departed cheaply while looking for a big hit against Dubey. Afghanistan slipped from 203 for 6 to 206 for 9 in a matter of moments.
Shahidi’s Century and Final Act
Hashmatullah Shahidi fought valiantly to reach his century, taking 128 balls to reach the milestone as the wickets fell around him. With only one wicket remaining, he faced the bulk of the bowling to keep the innings alive. His defiant effort finally came to an end when he pulled a bouncer from Prasidh Krishna to deep midwicket, sealing his five-wicket haul. Afghanistan was dismissed for 218 with 28 balls remaining, providing India with a clear, albeit challenging, path to victory. With the five-run penalty applied, India began their chase at 5 for no loss, maintaining a professional and composed outlook for the remainder of the fixture.
