In the third and final T20I series of the three, India defeated Afghanistan in double Super Overs on Wednesday in Bengaluru, thanks to a 12-run defense in the second Super Over by Ravi Bishnoi. India won the series 3-0.
Afghanistan managed to score 16 runs in the first Super Over thanks to strong hitting from Mohammad Nabi and Rahmanullah Gurbaz, after the scores had tied at 212 between the two teams. India’s response saw Rohit Sharma hit back-to-back sixes, but the team was unable to reach their 17-run target as Yashasvi Jaiswal misplayed the final ball against Azmatullah Omarzai.
In the second Super Over that followed, Rohit maintained his excellent form by outhitting Fareed Ahmad with a six and a four up front. But despite Rohit’s best efforts, Sanju Samson and Rinku Singh left for a duck, which put the hosts in a difficult situation.
Mohammad Nabi and Rahmanullah Gurbaz struggled against Ravi Bishnoi, falling within three balls of each other as they attempted to chase 12 for a historic victory. This gave the hosts the advantage in the close to 44-over match in Bengaluru, which was an exciting finish.
Afghanistan needed to take 36 off the last two overs and 19 off the final over to chase down 212, but Gulbadin Naib’s heroics at bat forced a Super Over. Afghanistan amassed 17 runs in the 19th over bowled by Avesh Khan and 18 in the last over bowled by Mukesh Kumar.
In the Super Over, Gulbadin Naib and Gurbaz took the field against Mukesh Kumar. Naib was out for just one run, but Afghanistan finished with 16 off their Super Over thanks to sixes from Mohammed Nabi, fours from Gurbaz, and three controversial byes from Afghanistan’s captain.
ROHIT’S RECORD-BREAKING NIGHT
Rohit Sharma, the captain of India, chose to bat after winning the toss. Nevertheless, the team suffered an early blow when Fareed Ahmad’s potent new-ball tactics during the powerplay dismissed opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, veteran player Virat Kohli, and middle-order batsman Sanju Samson.
Azmatullah Omarzai further compounded India’s problems by dismissing the highly effective Shivam Dube, leaving the hosts reeling at 22-4 after just five overs. Together with aggressive batsman Rinku Singh, captain Sharma engineered an incredible comeback that saw the team surpass 100 runs by the 13.2-over mark.
With a half-century in 41 balls and a record-breaking fifth T20I century in the penultimate over, Sharma’s innings was nothing short of extraordinary. The captain finished with a T20I career-high score of 121* off 69 balls, which included eight massive sixes and 11 boundaries. Rinku Singh, who scored 69* off 39 balls with sixes, also had a significant impact.
Afghanistan’s openers, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran, faced a formidable target, but they fought back tactically, scoring 93 runs in the first 11 overs. But Indian spinner Kuldeep Yadav, who outwitted Gurbaz with a cunning delivery, broke through their resistance.
Afghanistan’s hopes were further dashed by Washington Sundar, Yadav’s spin partner, who dismissed Azmatullah Omarzai and skipper Zadran in quick succession, taking them from 93-0 to 107-3 in just 10 deliveries.
In spite of the setbacks, Afghanistan’s run chase was spearheaded by Gulbadin Naib and Mohammed Nabi, who put together a swift 56 runs in 22 balls. In the last over of the game, Gulbadin led his team to an exciting draw while Nabi made a brilliant cameo, scoring 34 runs off just 16 balls.