Batters, bowlers put up stellar show to help India make winning start in Super 8

Putting up a good team effort, India wrapped up its Super 8 opener defeating Afghanistan by 47 runs. Both batters and bowlers contributed their mites in helping the 2007 champions to a dream start. Deciding to bat first after winning the toss, India had the misfortune of losing its captain and opener, Rohit Sharma, early on with the scoreboard reading 11 from 2.5 overs. However, subsequent batters, including Virat Kohli, had their heads down as they missed no opportunity to punish the loose balls to end up with a defendable total of 181 for eight wickets. Virat Kohli got his highest of this tournament by making 24 while wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh (20), mercurial Surya Kumar Yadav (53), Shivam Dube (10), Hardik Pandya (32) and Axar Patel (12) propped up Indian innings. For Afghanistan pacer Fazalhaq Farooqi (3 for 33) and skipper Rashid Khan (3 for 26) were devastating.
Chasing 182 for an outright win, Afghan batters met tough resistance from Indian pacers and spinners alike. While Jasprit Bumrah, as usual, was outstanding, finishing with a marvelous figure of three for seven, his opening bowler partner, Arshdeep Singh ended with three for 36, claiming the last wicket of Noor Ahmad on the last ball of the innings.
Though it was a turning track, India brought in Kuldeep Yadav to replace Mohammed Siraj. Though he was hit for three sixes, Kuldeep justified his inclusion by finishing with two for 32 while other spinners Ravindra Jadeja (one for 20) and Axar Patel (1 for 15) were among the wickets.
With one change in the team and winning the toss, skipper Rohit Sharma must have got into the game with mixed feelings as his form in the tournament has been far from expectations. Though he failed with bat again, making only 8 from 13 balls with the help of a boundary, he inspired his colleagues to give their best. They did. Virat Kohli was more cautious than aggressive as he preferred singles and twos to build his innings. He hit a six but his usual Strokeplay was conspicuous by its absence. He made 24 from as many balls. Incidentally, it was his highest in the ongoing tournament. It was the first time in this marquee event, he got into the double figures.
The toast of Indian innings was Surya Kumar Yadav who notched up his second successive fifty from 28 balls with five boundaries and three towering sixes. He held the Indian innings together while keeping the scoreboard moving. He got ample support from Hardik Pandya after Shivam Dube left at 90 for four. Hardik and Surya added 60 for the fifth wicket.
In between Afghan skipper Rashid Khan tied Indian batters in knots with his intelligent weave of spinners. He claimed the wickets of Virat, Rishabh, and Shivam Dube.
It was Jasprit Bumrah who gave India a good start claiming the first two wickets of Rahmanullah Gurbaz for 11 and Hazratullah Zazai for 2 to make the Afghan score 23 for 3 in 4.1 overs after Axar Patel had claimed the wicket of Ibrahim Zadran (8) with the score reading 23 for 2. When Jaspreet returned to bowl his second spell, he removed Najabullah Zadran for 19 by getting him caught by Arshdeep Singh.
For Afghanistan, Gulbadhin Naib (17 from 21 balls), Azmatullah Omarzai (26 from 20 balls), Najbullah Zadran ( 19 from 17 balls) and Mohammad Nabi (14 from 14 balls) were outstanding batters.
Arshdeep after an expensive opening spell of none for 22 in two overs, came back strongly to claim three wickets, including two wickets of skipper Rashid Khan and Naveen-ul-Haq on successive balls to end with an impressive tally of three for 36. The win for India comes as a great morale booster to start the Super 8 on a cheerful note with both batters and bowlers coming together with impressive shows.