Rohit and Bumrah headline fiery India display
India vs Afghanistan was one of the closer encounters of the 2019 World Cup, but a blistering hundred from Rohit Sharma ensured there would be no double jeopardy in 2023. Any jeopardy at all was taken out of the game in the first ten overs or so of the chase, when Rohit, who went past Sachin Tendulkar for most hundreds at the ODI World Cup, took the attack to all Afghanistan bowlers, turning a potentially tricky chase of 273 into a net run rate boosting cakewalk. A half-century from Virat Kohli capped a near-perfect day for India as they eased to an eight-wicket win with 15 overs to spare, after a disciplined performance with the ball had restricted Afghanistan to a below-par total despite half-centuries from Hashmatullah Shahidi and Azmatullah Omarzai.
India's top request, Rohit included, had passed up a major opportunity seriously against Australia after the hosts tumbled to 2 for 3. Today, Rohit would guarantee there was to be no rehash of that. A quiet first several overs were trailed by Rohit's most memorable limit, and the conduits opened. Fazalhaq Farooqi was belted over lengthy off for a six followed up by two or three fours. There was a recurrent portion in his following Farooqi over, with Rohit speeding along to a lightning 50 years, which he raised with a limit, off 27 balls. One more several sixes and a limit followed, and toward the finish of the powerplay, India had romped along to 94, the most noteworthy of this competition.
With Ishan Kishan content to assume a supporting part at the opposite end, Rohit set his lazy arms free. The spinners weren't saved; Mujeeb-ur-Rahman releasing three limits in four conveyances to the opener, and before the finish of the eighteenth over, the unavoidable Rohit hundred was up. Coming in 63 balls, it was the quickest by an Indian at an ODI World Cup; that Rohit was the one that accomplished that record was not at all astounding.
Rashid Khan eliminated Ishan Kishan at the opposite end, however Rohit just motored alongside Kohli for some time. However, Rashid, who hit on bowl later than his side maybe required him, at last tidied him up with a flipper for 131, however at this point India required exclusively to make an insincere effort. Kohli's innings was minimal more than batting practice, and when he tonked the triumphant destroyed back the ground, that net meeting, and India's success, was finished.
Afghanistan had won the throw and chose for bat first, yet spent a significant part of the innings playing too many dab balls scattered with a periodic limit. Jasprit Bumrah demonstrated hard to move away, as could be, however Mohammad Siraj came in for some tap, releasing 76 of every nine overs. Openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran fell inexpensively, with Rahmat Shah tumbling to the brilliant arm of Shardul Thakur, leaving Afghanistan rocking at 63 for 3.
Afghanistan's best section of play would follow. Shahidi and Omarzai incorporated a 121-run organization that delivered the spinners to a great extent insufficient, compelling Rohit to bring the quicks back sooner than he could have needed. Towards the back end, as both raised half-hundreds of years, Afghanistan were getting limits freely, and seemed prepared for an all out more than 300.
When Hardik Pandya tidied up Omarzai with an off shaper, however, things started to self-destruct. Mohammad Nabi watched horrendously withdrawn, his knock of 19 off 27 denying Afghanistan of force as opposed to giving it any, and the men that followed would never fully torque control back. Shahidi stopped along, his 88-ball 80 imperative in setting up a decent score, yet when he fell switch clearing to Kuldeep Yadav, any expectations of 300 disintegrated.
It left Rashid, Mujeeb and Naveed to play modest little appearances that pushed the score up to the 272 they made due, yet as Rohit guaranteed, it was excessively minimal eventually.
India 273 for 2 (Sharma 131, Kohli 55*, Rashid 2-57) beat Afghanistan 272 for 8 (Shahidi 80, Omarzai 62, Bumrah 4-39) by 8 wickets