Asia Cup 2018, India vs Afghanistan, Highlights: Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s comeback as skipper, albeit for a game ended in a thrilling tie against a resurgent Afghanistan in their final Super Four match of the Asia Cup at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Tuesday. Chasing a competitive 253, the defending champions got off to a flier from the new opening pair of Lokesh Rahul (60 off 66 balls; 4X5, 6X1) and Ambati Rayudu (57 off 49; 4X4, 6X4) before a mini collapse, coupled with a few run-outs and umpiring errors, eventually resulted in a tie.
Needing 7 off the final over, Ravindra Jadeja (25 off 34; 4X1) struck a boundary on the second ball off leg-spinner Rashid Khan before taking two singles with last man Khaleel Ahmed in the company.
With 1 needed off the final two balls, Jadeja pulled the fifth delivery — a shorter one towards midwicket only to find Najibullah running in from deep to grab it with both hands and help Afghanistan bow out of the tournament with their head held high.
Earlier, replacing the regular pair of Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan, Rahul and Rayudu got India to a 110-run opening stand before Mohammed Nabi managed to draw first blood with the wicket of Rayudu. Rashid then joined the party by removing Rahul before Dinesh Karthik’s (44 off 66; 4X4) sedate knock stabilised things for the Men-in-Blue.
Karthik, however failed to get adequate support from the other end as Dhoni (8), Manish Pandey (8) and Kedar Jadhav (19) fell in quick succession before an umpiring blunder sent the Tamil Nadu stumper back in the hut.
Towards the end, Jadeja played a lone hand even as the bowlers — Deepak Chahar (12), Kuldeep Yadav (9) and Siddharth Kaul (0) — could hardly lend any support to the southpaw.
For the Afghans, pacer Aftab Alam and spin duo of Nabi and Rashid picked two wickets each while Javed Ahmadi picked one.
Mohammad Shahzad was today's Player of the Match after his blistering 124!#INDvAFG pic.twitter.com/M2RdKzNu6M
— ICC (@ICC) September 25, 2018
Asia Cup 2018, IND vs AFG Live Updates: MOHAMMAD SHAHZAD HAS BEEN NAMED THE MAN OF THE MATCH. He says he isn’t happy with the result as he wanted to win, but is happy with the performance his side put against a team like India. States that since they were going to go back home anyway, his idea was to just hit it and play his natural game. Is glad to have played a knock like this. Reckons that he wasn’t playing well in the last few games, so is content he ended the tournament on a high.
Asia Cup 2018, IND vs AFG Live Updates: Phew. Let us try and dissect the innings. Can one bad review turn the game against you? It surely did against India tonight. Lokesh Rahul chose to review a straightforward LBW decision and well, it really hurt India. The 110-run opening stand set the run chase up and then, there was a bit of a collapse. The batting side slipped from 110/1 to 166/4 but Jadhav and Karthik were still at the crease.
Asia Cup 2018, IND vs AFG Live Updates: Take a bow, Afghanistan. You can go back home with your heads held high. At 204/4, with 49 needed from 68 balls, one would have thought it is India’s game. However, the Afghan bowlers and fielders believed in themselves and though they could not win, prevented a defeat too.
The match ends in a tie! What an unbelievable turn of events here!
R Jadeja(25) sends one into the air and finds the man in the deep N Zadran! #INDvAFG #AsiaCup2018 pic.twitter.com/BY9MdiVCI3— AsianCricketCouncil (@ACCMedia1) September 25, 2018
IT'S A TIE!!
Rashid Khan gets Jadeja with the scores level so the game is tied!
What a game of cricket.
FOLLOW THE REACTION ➡️ https://t.co/QOBmNShq3d pic.twitter.com/xZfqls9YHF
— ICC (@ICC) September 25, 2018
Asia Cup 2018, IND vs AFG Live Updates: OUT! THE MATCH IS TIED! Unbelievable scenes. Rashid Khan is flying around, like an aeroplane. Shikhar Dhawan is smiling in the dressing room. How did India goof it up? A short ball, Jadeja rocked back and pulled it uppishly. He could have hit it anywhere he liked but he chose the only man in the deep on the leg side – mid-wicket. Najibullah Zadran comes running in and takes a terrific catch. Oh boy, what a game. Does not matter to either team but what a match we have had. Afghanistan (252/8) hold India (252) for a tie in Super Four match. Nabi 2/40, Rashid 2/41, Rahul 60, Rayudu 57
Asia Cup 2018, IND vs AFG Live Updates: OUT! Siddarth Kaul run-out for nought. It is wicket number 9! The Afghans are hitting the stumps alright. Full on middle, Kaul pushes it towards mid on and hares across. Hashmatullah Shahidi charges to the ball, picks it up and then fires a direct hit the bowler’s end! It is referred upstairs and replays show that Kaul is gone! India 245/9 in 48.5 overs, chase 253 to win Afghanistan (252/8)
OUT again!
Afghanistan with some brilliant fielding! S Kaul(0) gets himself run out too at the hands of H Shahidi #INDvAFG #AsiaCup2018 pic.twitter.com/BBL18jWzoh— AsianCricketCouncil (@ACCMedia1) September 25, 2018
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