IND vs AFG 1st T20I | Shivam Dube’s All-Round Show Takes India 1-0 Up

Jitesh Sharma scored a valiant half-century (BCCI)

Brief Scores: Afghanistan: 158-5 (20 overs) [Mohammad Nabi: 42 (27), Azmatullah Omarzai: 29 (22); Axar Patel 2/23 (4), Mukesh Kumar 2/33 (4)] lost to India: 159-4 (17.3 overs) [Shivam Dube: 60* (40), Jitesj Sharma: 31 (20); Mujeeb Ur Rahman 2/21 (4), Azmatullah Omarzai 1/33 (4)] by six wickets.

The Indian team pulled off a comprehensive run-chase masterclass against Afghanistan at Mohali in the first T20I to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

Nabi takes AFG to 158 after Axar’s early strikes

Afghanistan openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran tendered Arshdeep Singh and Mukesh Kumar’s accurate opening spells wicketless with a tactical rush of Powerplay boundaries. Indian spinner Axar Patel, on the other hand, undid Afghanistan’s sublime start with successive wickets. 

Shivam Dube also chipped in by removing visiting skipper Zadran as Afghanistan slipped from 50-0 to 57-3 in a space of 12 balls.

Number three Azmatullah Omarzai and veteran all-rounder Mohammad Nabi led Afghanistan’s subsequent fightback with an attacking 68-run stand from just seven overs. 

Twin strikes from Mukesh Kumar in the death overs made little difference as Nabi’s 27-ball 42 and handy runs from Najibullah Zadran and Karim Janat took the visitors to a competitive 158-5 by the end of their innings.

Shivam Dube caps all-round show with easy win

A colossal mix-up in the first over saw Rohit Sharma walk back in the hut without a run to his name. His opening partner Shubman Gill tried to make amends, which lasted for just three-and-a-half overs as he was dismissed by Mujeeb Ur Rahman for a 12-ball 23.

Tilak Varma and Jitesh Sharma listed valiant contributions in the middle-overs, all while forming handy partnerships with unbeaten half-centurion Shivam Dube. Dube defied Mujeeb’s spin threat by registering his career-best score of 60*.

Lower-order batting barbarian Rinku Singh clubbed a few in the death overs to take Team India to an easy six-wicket win with 15 balls to spare.

India, with a 1-0 lead, will now face Afghanistan in the second T20I on January 14 in Indore.

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