Abhishek, Kishan, Arshdeep star as India crush Afghanistan in 1st T20I
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Abhishek, Kishan, Arshdeep star as India crush Afghanistan in 1st T20I")
Abhishek, Kishan, Arshdeep star as India crush Afghanistan in 1st T20I Photograph: (AFP)
Abhishek Sharma's 32-ball 82 and Arshdeep Singh's 3-19 led India to a dominant 7-wicket win over Afghanistan in the 1st T20I at Delhi's Kotla ground.
Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan powered India to a comfortable seven-wicket win over Afghanistan in the T20I series opener in Delhi on Sunday (Sep 13). The left-hander Abhishek was on song at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, smashing seven sixes and as many fours in his blistering 32-ball 82 during the chase, with Ishan Kishan smoking 42 off 33 balls to help India land the first punch. Earlier, seamer Arshdeep Singh starred with the ball, picking up three wickets for 19 runs in his four overs. India completed the 157-chase in 13.4 overs.
Abhishek got his first runs with a six off Fazalhaq Farooqi in the opening over and there was no looking back for the swashbuckling left-handed batter. He lost opening partner Sanju Samson for 10 but kept up the charge with a flurry of fours and sixes to raise his fifty off 22 balls. Abhishek and Ishan Kishan, who made 42, put on 121 runs as the pair tore into the opposition attack to raise the noise of over 25,000 fans at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
"The shots Abhishek played were flawless, exemplary," said India captain Shreyas Iyer. "Kishan has been in great form. He's very relaxed, calm and knows his game."
Abhishek fell to off-spinner Mohammad Nabi as Rashid Khan took a good catch in the deep.
Nabi soon sent back Kishan before Tilak Varma (3) and Iyer (8) saw the team home.
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Arshdeep Shines in Delhi
India's left-arm quick Arshdeep Singh set up victory with figures of 3-19 in his four overs as he helped restrict Afghanistan to 156-8. Put in to bat, Afghanistan slipped to 43-5 before Azmatullah Omarzai hit an unbeaten 64.
Returning pace bowler Jasprit Bumrah started with a wide down the leg side for five extras but struck on the second legal delivery to dismiss Rahmanullah Gurbaz, caught at first slip.
Iyer praised Bumrah, calling the pace spearhead, who returned to the team after an injury in the second ODI against England in Cardiff on July 16, a "great asset".
Meanwhile, skipper Ibrahim Zadran attempted to hit back with two fours but was soon run out for 11 after a mix up with Sediqullah Atal to give India the upper hand.
"I would say that run out was the turning point," said Zadran. "Ishan Kishan grabbed the ball and threw it to the bowler. They got the momentum."
Wickets kept tumbling as spinners Axar Patel and Varun Chakravarthy took one each as Afghanistan lost half their side in seven overs.
Omarzai, who survived a dropped catch on 39, and Nabi (33) then combined to rebuild the innings with a partnership of 83. Arshdeep broke the stand as he bowled Nabi off a slower yorker.
Omarzai stuck around until the end as Afghanistan got 21 runs off the last over from Shivam Dube but it was not enough against the reigning T20 world champions.
Delhi will host the second T20I on Tuesday (Sep 15).
(With inputs from AFP)
