In the lead-up to the 2024 T20 World Cup in June, every game (also including the IPL) is an audition of sorts, more so for the hopefuls. Back in India’s scheme of things for the shortest format after a 14-month absence, India skipper Rohit Sharma expressed at the toss that he was trying to get a hang of things and understand what the team needed to do going forward.
Among all things that the team needed the most and perhaps learnt from their failures in the 2020 and 2021 editions of the T20 World Cup is a fearless batting approach, starting with a sound opening stand.
On a decent batting surface in Mohali, chasing a below par 159 against the Afghans, Rohit had the perfect opportunity to get some handy runs and set the template for the side ahead of the marquee tournament in June. But those hopes were hurriedly buried after a horrible mix-up with fellow opener Shubman Gill as the Indian captain walked back without troubling the scorers after finding himself in the same end with Gill.
Gill straightaway knew he was under some pressure, and looking to seize the opportunity and the opener’s slot in the absence of designated opening batter Yashasvi Jaiswal, who was ruled out with a last minute groin injury, the local lad came up with five boundaries for a 12-ball 23 before making his way back. India were soon in a spot of bother, losing two quick wickets with 28 on the board, but the fall of openers provided an opportunity to the Mumbai pair of Tilak Varma and Shivam Dube (60 off 40 balls), looking to cement their places in the side.
Tilak, who walked in to bat at No.3, consumed 13 deliveries for his first seven runs but somehow managed to make amends with a couple of boundaries and a six before eventually ending on 22-ball 26, but it was the Chennai Super Kings all-rounder Dube, who came up with some exquisite strokeplay to keep India in the hunt. Stumper Jitesh Sharma (31 off 20), playing on his IPL home ground, played the perfect second fiddle to Dube until Mujeeb was brought back into the attack to break the flourishing 45-run fourth wicket stand, leaving the stage open for a Rinku Singh special with India needing 42 off 35 balls to take a 1-0 lead in the series.
Dube, meanwhile, wasn’t affected by the loss of wickets, and meant business at the other end, displaying a wide repertoire of shots, and celebrated his return to international cricket with an attacking half century off 38 balls. The Mumbaikar showed great maturity to build the innings while maintaining the pace of the game, and had all the answers to the Afghanistan side that kept testing the southpaw with short-pitched stuff, and eventually brought up the winning runs with a pull to the third man boundary. Rinku preferred to play the supporting act in the unbeaten 42-run fifth wicket partnership as he ended on a 9-ball 16 with India romping home with 15 balls to spare.
Earlier, on a greenish Mohali pitch in chilly conditions, India went in with three spinners and two frontline pacers along with the seam-bowling all-rounder Shivam Dube, as against the opponents’ ploy of employing two seam-bowling all-round options along with the spin duo of Mohammed Nabi and Muzeeb-ur-Rahman. And as the game progressed, it appeared that the pitch turned out to be a flat deck, and India managed to restrict the opponents for a below-par 158 for 5 after opting to field.
Local boy Arshdeep Singh started off the proceedings with a maiden and could have had a wicket in his second over had Dube not spilled a catch and given Afghanistan captain Ibrahim Zadran a reprieve. However, India kept the pressure up on Afghanistan and it resulted in three wickets falling in quick succession between the sixth and 10th overs before Mohammed Nabi stepped up to the occasion with a quickfire 27-ball 42, powered by three sixes.
Reduced to 57 for 3, Nabi and Azmatullah Omarzai resurrected Afghanistan’s ship adding 68 off 43 balls for the fourth wicket before Mukesh Kumar struck twice in the same over to pack back the duo. Coming back for a second spell, Mukesh first broke the partnership with the wicket of Omarzai on 29 off 22, and further dented Afghanistan by removing Nabi in the same over. Najibullah Zadran and Karim Janat then made a good finish to the match.
Earlier walking in to bat, Rahmannulah Gurbaz struggled to go run-a-ball and when he finally managed to break the shackles by nailing a slog-sweep over deep square leg off Axar Patel to bring up the 50-run opening stand with skipper Zadran, he fell a couple of balls later after being stumped while attempting to charge at the bowler.
In a span of three deliveries, Afghanistan were down to 50 for 2, with Dube making up for the dropped chance, as he struck in his very first over, removing the Afghanistan captain, who couldn’t clear his opposite number Rohit Sharma at short cover in his attempt to pump the ball on the up. Axar then came back to remove debutant Rahmat Shah, who had an impressive outing during the ODI World Cup, but perished cheaply on Thursday while dragging a thick inside edge back onto his own stumps.