India had no trouble adapting to conditions in the West Indies. The move from USA to Barbados was seamless, as India crushed Afghanistan by 47 runs in its first Super 8 game here on Thursday.
It was an authoritative performance with bat and ball. Led by Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya, India passed the pitch test with flying colours to make a commanding 181 for eight. With ball in hand, Jasprit Bumrah (3/7) and the three spinners put the stranglehold on Afghanistan.
Skipper Rohit Sharma will be pleased with the team’s performance. A high standard for the rest of the tournament, all of which will be held in the Caribbean, has been set.
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Suryakumar Yadav’s 28-ball 53 laid the winning template. Suryakumar thrilled the crowd with shot-making of the highest quality. His 19th T20I fifty guided India to its highest total of the tournament so far.
On a dry pitch, this was too high a mountain for Afghanistan to climb. It was on the backfoot early in the chase, when in-form batter Rahmanullah Gurbaz was deceived by a slower ball from Jasprit Bumrah. The cutter came to use again, when Bumrah foxed Hazratullah Zazai.
From 23 for three, there was no coming back. Gulbadin Naib (17, 21b), Azmatullah Omarzai (26, 20b) and Najibullah Zadran (19, 17b) batted prolonged the contest and merely delayed the inevitable.
After winning the toss, Rohit strode out with Virat Kohli to take first strike. Rohit could not adjust to the pace of the pitch, and succumbed to a mighty heave.
Virat Kohli (24, 24b, 1x6) brought up his first double-digit score of the tournament, but was not entirely convincing. In the ninth over, Kohli struck wrist-spinner Rashid Khan into the hands of long-off.
Suryakumar Yadav plays a shot against Afghanistan. | Photo Credit: K.R. Deepak / The Hindu
Strike bowler Rashid had removed the dangerous Rishabh Pant in his previous over. Pant looked in his element, until a reverse sweep missed the mark.
India’s prospects started to brighten when Suryakumar and Hardik were at the crease. Suryakumar was in impeccable touch, making it look easy when other batters struggled. His first boundary, a sweep off Rashid, was an indicator of how quickly he adjusted to conditions.
Suryakumar then planted his foot way outside off to send a low full toss from pacer Azmatullah Omarzai to the square-leg boundary. This was innovative strokeplay at its best.
At the other end, Pandya (32, 24b, 3x4, 2x6) smacked the media room window with a thunderous straight blow. When Naveen-Ul-Haq was full, Pandya powered it out of the stadium.
The fluent 60-run fifth-wicket stand between Suryakumar and Pandya pushed India well above the par-score.
Anticipating the surface to assist turn, left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav was brought in to replace fast bowler Mohammed Siraj. Kuldeep made a case for a long run in the eleven with a neat spell of 2/32.
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