India avoid upset against Afghanistan as Mohammad Shami takes hat-trick
Written by News on 22/06/2019
India avoided a huge World Cup upset with Mohammad Shami’s match-winning hat-trick earning an 11-run victory over Afghanistan in an absorbing, low-scoring game at The Hampshire Bowl.
Afghanistan, having restricted India to 224-8, required 16 from the final over with three wickets in hand as Mohammad Nabi (52 off 55) played a superb innings.
However, Shami, who was blazed for four by Nabi from the first ball of the over, then had the batsman caught from the third delivery before bowling Aftab Alam and Mujeeb Ur Rahman for golden ducks to deny Afghanistan a famous win and keep India unbeaten.
Jasprir Bumrah, who shipped just five runs from the penultimate over, had seemingly wrecked Afghanistan’s chase when he removed Rahmat Shah (36) and Hashmatullah Shahidi (21) in the 29th over as Gulbadin’s side slipped to 106-4, only for Nabi to give them an almighty scare.
India had been limited by an Afghanistan attack blazed for 397 by England at Old Trafford four days earlier, with Mujeeb (1-26), Rashid Khan (1-38) and Nabi (2-33) suffocating Virat Kohli’s men with spin – Kolhi (67) and Kedar Jadhav (52) the only players to pass fifty.
But their death bowlers then came up trumps as they consolidated their place in the top four – moving above England and, temporarily at least, New Zealand – and earned a 50th win at the World Cup.
Afghanistan were consigned to their sixth straight defeat but Gulbadin Naib’s will have won many admirers after subduing an India batting line-up that eased past 300 against Australia and Pakistan and then taking the run chase to the wire.
More to follow…
(c) Sky News 2019: India avoid upset against Afghanistan as Mohammad Shami takes hat-trick
