In a contest that turned into a story of recovery after early stumbles, India A defeated Afghanistan A by a hefty 101 runs on Wednesday to march into the final of the ODI triangular series. A total of 319 runs, built around fifties from captain Tilak Varma, Priyansh Arya and Kumar Kushagra, was made to look even bigger by the bowlers, who folded Afghanistan A for just 218 in 36.5 overs.
The win carried extra weight for India A. The side had been under pressure after two straight losses in the tournament, but this emphatic result not only snapped the losing run, it also pushed the team to the doorstep of the final.
India A Climb to the Top of the Table
With these two vital points, India A reached a total of four points and rose to the top of the standings. Their net run rate of 0.597 is the best among all the teams. Sri Lanka A also have four points and sit second with a net run rate of 0.494. Afghanistan A are rooted to the bottom with just two points and a net run rate of -1.602. Afghanistan A now face Sri Lanka A on Friday, and they will need a big win to leapfrog the hosts and stay alive in the race for the final.
Nishant Sindhu's Devastating Spell
The real foundation of this big win was laid by the bowlers. Nishant Sindhu proved the most effective, picking up 4 wickets in 6.5 overs. Yash Thakur claimed 2 wickets in 7 overs, while Anshul Kamboj, Vipraj Nigam, Suryansh Shedge and Anukul Roy chipped in with a wicket apiece. For Afghanistan, Bahir Shah played a knock of 57 off 52 balls, laced with 4 fours and a six, while Faisal Shinozada made 46. Apart from these two, the rest of the batters failed to convert their starts into anything substantial.
Afghanistan's Batting Collapses Like a House of Cards
Chasing the target, Afghanistan got off to a poor start. Thakur removed Hasan Eesakhil for 14 in the third over to hand India their first breakthrough. Kamboj then sent back Khalid Taniwal for 13 in the sixth over, and in the tenth over Sindhu dismissed captain Imran Mir. Shinozada and Bahir Shah tried to steady the innings with an 87-run stand for the fourth wicket, but once both fell in quick succession, Afghanistan's hopes faded away.
Vaibhav Shines but Departs Early, Others Hold Firm
Earlier, after reading the slow surface, Afghanistan had chosen to bowl first. India were given a brisk start by Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Priyansh Arya, who added 75 for the opening stand. Suryavanshi played some eye-catching shots in his 38 off 28 balls but lost his wicket to a bouncer. Arya brought up his fifty in just 29 balls, only to fall while batting aggressively.
The moment the Delhi batter departed, India A's scoring rate dropped from 8 to 6. As the pitch grew slower, run-making became difficult for Tilak Varma and vice-captain Ruturaj Gaikwad. Gaikwad was unluckily caught on the leg side for 30. That is when Tilak and Kushagra took charge. Tilak completed his fifty in 67 balls and Kushagra in 60 balls, and the pair added a crucial 104 for the fourth wicket. This brought the Indian innings back on track, though the run rate stayed at around five or a touch above. In the end, Vipraj Nigam played a short but quick knock of 30 off 20 balls to take India past the 300 mark.
Brief Scores
India A: 319/9 (in 50 overs) (Tilak Varma 59, Priyansh Arya 58, Kumar Kushagra 58; Abdollah Ahmadzai 2/62). Afghanistan A: 218 (in 36.5 overs) (Faisal Shinozada 46, Bahir Shah 57; Nishant Sindhu 4/31, Yash Thakur 2/48). India A won by 101 runs.
