India thump Afghanistan by 66 runs, document first victory in T20 World Cup

Earlier, Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul hammered half-centuries to information India to a towering 210 for 2 in a must-win Twenty20 World Cup match towards Afghanistan on Wednesday.

Sharma (74) and Rahul (69) placed on a gap partnership of 140 to put the inspiration for the match´s highest complete to this point within the Tremendous 12 match in Abu Dhabi.

Afghanistan had posted 190-4 of their opening win towards Scotland.

Sharma took 5 balls to get going with a boundary off skipper Mohammad Nabi after which tore into the bowling assault.

India raced to 53 within the first six overs of powerplay to sign their intent in a contest the place they should win all three remaining matches to have any likelihood of creating the semi-finals.

Rohit reached his fifty with a boundary off quick bowler Naveen-ul-Haq after which hit a six to convey up the 100 for the opening stand.

Sharma, who had scores of zero and 14 in India´s two losses, smashed the bowlers throughout the park for eight fours and three sixes in his 47-ball knock earlier than dropping his wicket to Karim Janat.

Rahul quickly adopted his companion to the dugout after being bowled by Gulbadin Naib on a slower yorker.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant and Hardik Pandya rode the momentum to smash the bowlers as they placed on unbeaten partnership of 63.

Pandya, who hit 35, the left-handed Pant, who made 27, hit 5 sixes between them in a complete domination by the Indian batting.

India: Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli (capt), Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Shami, R Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah

Afghanistan: Hazratullah Zazai, Mohammad Shahzad (wk), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi (capt.), Sharafuddin Ashraf, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, Karim Janat, Naveen-ul-Haq, Hamid Hassan

For pre-tournament favourites India, nothing has gone to plan to this point within the T20 World Cup. They misplaced two tosses, their batting failed twice, their bowlers have taken solely two wickets to this point, they usually discover themselves second-last on the Group 2 desk with no factors from two video games.

They’ll mathematically nonetheless end within the prime two of the group and make it to the semi-final. However step one of that includes successful properly towards Afghanistan.

The Afghans aren’t going to make issues simple, after all. They’re an in-form staff, with a wonderful internet run charge after large wins towards Scotland and Namibia, and gave Pakistan some nervous moments as properly. Their spin assault is world class, and would be the major risk to an Indian batting line-up that has struggled to get going towards spinners.

Afghanistan have been capable of to this point go towards one of many tendencies within the World Cup: whereas most groups successful the toss have chosen to chase, and most groups chasing have gained, Afghanistan have chosen to bat, and backed their bowlers to defend the totals. Fortunately for them, their pacers have supported the spin trio properly.

They’ve additionally adopted an aggressive batting technique – in distinction to India’s extra conservative strategy – and it has labored properly for them to this point. With the strain on India, they could take the possibility to play with additional freedom.

Pakistan have already reached the final 4 from Group 1 leaving New Zealand, Afghanistan and India to battle for the final qualifying spot.