In the opening Twenty20 encounter against Afghanistan in Mohali, Team India’s captain Rohit Sharma was run out for a duck after facing only two deliveries, making his homecoming to T20Is after more than 14 months somewhat bittersweet. When Shubman Gill disregarded his request for a quick single, Rohit Sharma, who is always composed and cool, did not hold back his rage.
While Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma’s opening partner for this match, was ball-watching and remained in the crease at the opposite end, the Afghan bowler Fazalhaq Farooqi’s fuller-length ball was hit towards the off-side and he proceeded to score a single. After a terrible mix-up, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, the wicketkeeper, whacked off the bails to dismiss Rohit Sharma while both Shubman and Rohit were at the non-striker’s end.
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While Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma’s opening partner for this match, was ball-watching and remained in the crease at the opposite end, the Afghan bowler Fazalhaq Farooqi’s fuller-length ball was hit towards the off-side and he proceeded to score a single. After a terrible mix-up, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, the wicketkeeper, whacked off the bails to dismiss Rohit Sharma while both Shubman and Rohit were at the non-striker’s end.
In the opening Twenty20 of the three-match series, India’s peripheral players, headed by Shivam Dube, capitalized on the opportunity to defeat Afghanistan by six wickets on Thursday.
India dominated the powerplay, but a dynamic 68-run combination off 43 balls between young Azmatullah Omarzai (29 off 22) and experienced Mohammad Nabi (42 off 27) propelled Afghanistan to 158 for five.
In favorable batting conditions, the posted score was insufficient, as India easily reached home in 17.3 overs.
After losing the opening wickets in four overs, Dube (60 not out), playing his first Twenty20 since the Asian Games, and Tilak Varma (26 off 22) put on a 44-run partnership off 29 balls to give the Indian innings momentum.
As a backup to the injury-prone Hardik Pandya, Dube made effective use of his long levers, and his contemptuous drives on the off side were particularly noticeable. With a perfect six and four in the fine leg area, he brought the game to a spectacular close.