18 January,2024 06:17 AM IST | Bangalore | R Kaushik
India’s Rinku Singh during his unbeaten 69 in Bangalore yesterday; India captain Rohit Sharma pulls one during his 121 not out in the third T20I against Afghanistan, at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore yesterday. Pics/PTI
Twenty-seven deliveries into the final T20I, there was no indication of the run-fest and the drama to follow. In the blink of an eye, India's top order had been systematically dismantled by Farid Ahmad Malik, the left-arm seamer playing his first match of the series.
Malik picked up the sticks of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli and Sanju Samson (the last two for first-ball ducks). In the interim, Azmatullah Omarzai accounted for Shivam Dube as Afghanistan had India, who batted by choice, gasping at 22 for four at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday night.
In the middle were Rohit Sharma, yet to score a run all series, and Rinku Singh, more of a finisher. How would the script pan out?
Quite nicely, the good crowd will say. After all, they got more than bargained for, the match decided in the second Super Over. They also got a home victory, India holding their nerve for a 3-0 series sweep.
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Rohit made a record-setting fifth T20I international hundred, Rinku weighed in with a brilliant 69 and their unbeaten 190-run fifth-wicket stand, India's highest in the format, hauled them to 212 for four as 103 came in the last five overs.
Afghanistan have always possessed tremendous firepower, it was always a question of harnessing it. They managed that in spectacular fashion, sent on their way by openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran, who put on 93 for the first wicket in 66 balls. Washington Sundar returned India into the contest with two wickets in as many balls, but the real damage was done by Gulbadin Naib and Mohammad Nabi, the former captains putting on 56 for the fourth wicket in just 22 deliveries.
Gulbadin stayed on till the end, ensuring that Afghanistan scored 35 off the 36 runs needed in the last two overs to push the game into the Super Over. Having made a blazing 57 in the previous game in Indore, he remained unbeaten on 53 off 23, driving the game into overtime as 28 fours and 26 sixes came in 40 overs.
In the first Super Over bowled by Mukesh Kumar, who had conceded 18 in the final over of regulation play, Afghanistan reached 16 for one, Rohit's mood not helped by Nabi and Rahmanullah running two extra byes off the last ball despite the ball ricocheting off the former's legs.
Rohit and Jaiswal came out again, needing 17 against Azmatullah Omarzai, and despite two sixes by the captain, who then retired out when two were needed off the last ball, India also finished on 16, leading to another Super Over.
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A first-ball six and a four off the next by Rohit off Malik notwithstanding, India didn't last the over and lost two wickets for just 11 runs. But Ravi Bishnoi dismissed Nabi and Gurbaz in his first three balls, Afghanistan managing only a solitary run. What excitement!
Brief scores
India 212-4 in 20 overs (R Sharma 121', R Singh 69'; F Ahmad 3-20) beat Afghanistan 212-6 in 20 overs (G Naib 55', R Gurbaz 50, I Zadran 50; W Sundar 3-18). Match decided in second Super Over
