Lucknow, June 17 (ANI): India defeated Afghanistan by 170 runs in the second ODI at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match bilateral series.
Chasing a daunting target of 403, Afghanistan openers Ibrahim Zadran and Rahmatullah Gurbaz added a quick 52 runs for the first wicket.
Playing just his second ODI, Gurnoor Brar provided India with the first breakthrough, dismissing Gurbaz in the eighth over. The aggressive opener scored 41 off 33 balls, including seven fours and a six.
Earlier, debutant Prince Yadav had dismissed Gurbaz, but the delivery was called a no-ball by the third umpire, delaying Yadav’s first wicket in international cricket.
Zadran was the next to depart when Arshdeep Singh had him caught by Prince. He made 21 off 31 balls.
Sediqullah Atal and Rahmat Shah then added 57 runs for the third wicket before Washington Sundar broke the partnership. Atal made a promising 42 off 50 balls.
Darwish Rasooli came to the crease but was forced to retire hurt due to cramps. Earlier, he had experienced discomfort while fielding and had to be taken off the field on a stretcher.
Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi began with a boundary, but Brar bowled him on the very next delivery.
Prince claimed his maiden international wicket in the 31st over by dismissing Nangeyalia Kharote. Rashid Khan contributed 12 runs before Arshdeep removed him.
Rahmat Shah continued to fight from one end and delayed India’s victory. He scored 79 off 89 balls and stitched together a few small partnerships with the tailenders before Prince dismissed him in the 45th over.
Afghanistan were eventually bowled out for 232, handing India a comprehensive 170-run victory.
Arshdeep Singh and Gurnoor Brar claimed three wickets each, while Prince Yadav took two. Washington Sundar also chipped in with a wicket.
Earlier, the match belonged to Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan, whose centuries powered India past the 400-run mark.
Asked to bat first, India opened with Yashasvi Jaiswal and veteran Rohit Sharma. Mohammad Saleem Safi provided Afghanistan with the first breakthrough by dismissing Jaiswal in his opening over.
Gill joined Sharma at the crease, and the former captain soon shifted gears. Sharma struck six fours and two sixes before missing out on a half-century, bowled by Rashid Khan for 48.
Kishan came in at No. 4 and kept the scoreboard moving with aggressive strokeplay.
Gill reached his half-century with a six off Nangeyalia Kharote in the 17th over and followed it with a pair of boundaries in Safi’s next over.
Kishan then accelerated, hitting Safi for a six, captain Hashmatullah Shahidi for a boundary, and three boundaries in Bilal Sami’s next over. He completed his fifty with a boundary off Shahidi in the 28th over.
Gill continued to rotate the strike efficiently and moved into the 90s, while Kishan maintained the attacking approach from the other end.
Bilal Sami bowled the 33rd over, and Gill brought up his ninth ODI century with a boundary off the first delivery. It was his first ODI hundred since taking charge as India’s ODI captain.
Kishan then struck boundaries off the final three deliveries of Sami’s over to complete his second ODI century. After reaching his fifty in 52 balls, he scored his next 53 runs in just 19 deliveries.
The pair continued to find the boundary regularly and added 224 runs for the third wicket before Kharote finally broke the partnership in the 37th over. Kishan departed for 125 off just 79 balls, smashing 14 fours and seven sixes.
Shreyas Iyer then joined Gill and added 40 runs for the fourth wicket.
Gill crossed the 150-run mark with a single off Allah Ghazanfar in the 42nd over before falling while attempting another big shot against Kharote in the 43rd. He scored a magnificent 154 off 110 balls, including 22 fours and two sixes.
KL Rahul’s stay at the crease was brief as he was dismissed for a golden duck.
Iyer contributed 26 off 24 balls, including a four and a six, before also falling to Kharote.
Sundar’s valuable 19 runs with the tail helped India cross the 400-run mark before they were bowled out for 402 in 49.5 overs, setting Afghanistan a target of 403.
India will now face Afghanistan in the third and final ODI of the series at Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium on Saturday. (ANI)
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