Match Wrap: Match 11 India vs Afghanistan

Match Wrap: Match 11 India vs Afghanistan

Afghanistan earn thrilling tie amid India's harakiri

Afghanistan breaks India's 10-game winning streak in the Asia Cup

• Mohammad Shahzad's thunderous 124 powered Afghanistan to 252/8

• India's chase run out of steam in the middle after openers start brightly

1

BIG PICTURE

In all of their 3 Super Four games, Afghanistan fought gallantly. They did not win a single game, which is why they are heading home, but enthralled everyone with their fearless brand of cricket. Playing only their 2nd ODI against India, they pulled off a thrilling tie in a game which looked to have slipped away from them. It was a blistering innings by Mohd. Shahzad, and an enterprising 64 by Mohammad Nabi, which took their side across the 250-run mark.

India, sans their regular openers, began the innings crisply with a stand of 110 between Ambati Rayudu and KL Rahul. But their departure left the door ajar for Afghanistan. With the ball starting to grip and turn, the spinners put a tight leash on India's untested middle-order. Two poor umpiring decisions coupled with 3 run outs swung the game towards Afghanistan. Ravindra Jadeja shepherded the chase until the final over but ended the game with an ungainly hoick with the scores level.
[scorecard]

2

PLAY OF THE DAY

THE PERFECT TRAP - Kuldeep Yadav used the flight, dip and turn so well to flummox Hashmatullah Shahidi [who had scored three consecutive fifties in the tournament] that Brett Lee on commentary said it was like watching 'Shane Warne in the mirror'. Dhoni's lightning quick stumping just made the aesthetics perfect.  

3

WINNING HAND

Mohammad Shahzad launched a scathing attack on India's second-string pace attack during his six-laden 124. He got into the groove when he took 17 runs from Deepak Chahar's 2nd over and never looked back. Anything which was pitched in his half disappeared; more often over cow corner. Shahzad was relatively measured against the spinners, especially Kuldeep Yadav, and received no support from the top-order tallying 85% of team runs at one point when he had scored 94 out of the team's score of 110. He plundered as many as 7 sixes and 11 fours in his 116-ball knock before holing out to Kedhar Jadhav in the 38th over.

4

MATCH-O-METER

Cricket Gateway's MatchOMeter tracks the momentum of the game through the teams' win probabilities. India obviously were pre game favorites but Afghanistan, as they have done all tournament long, made it a humdinger. 

The game swung India's way in the chase initially before a middle order collapse ensured a mad finish. There was nothing to separate the two sides in the last 5 overs. 

[Note - the probabilities are calculated based on chances of a win for each team calculated as per the match situation]