India rode on skipper Rohit Sharma's record-breaking century to bulldoze Afghanistan by eight wickets at the Arun Jaitley stadium in New Delhi on October 11, Wednesday. This win also boosted India's Net Run Rate to 1.50 to climb up to second spot in the points table, before arch-rivals Pakistan, who are third with a NRR of 0.937 as both share four points in the standings.
Rohit scored the fastest century ever by any Indian in the history of ODI World Cup to help India chase down a target of 273 without breaking a sweat. In his lightning knock he hammered a spellbinding 131 off 84 which was decorated with 16 fours and five sixes.
Rohit-Ishan's cracking start
Rohit paired up with opening partner Ishan Kishan to give India a stormy start. While Rohit kept on taking Afghan bowlers to cleaners, Ishan Kishan played a more subdued role alongside him. Rohit's sublime form began with a boundary off Fazalhaq Farooqi, which was just the trailer to his upcoming blitzkrieg over the Afghanistan bowlers. He went on to take on Mujeeb Ur Rahman with a pull shot, and then exhibited his power and finesse against Naveen-ul-Haq, Farooqi, and Azmatullah Omarzai.
Records galore for Rohit
Achieving his half-century in just 30 balls, Rohit's onslaught continued. Meanwhile, Kishan confidently targeted Mohammad Nabi with sweeps and lofted drives. Even the introduction of the formidable Rashid Khan didn't perturb the Indian duo, effectively diminishing Afghanistan's spin advantage.
Rohit took no time to race to the the century in just 63 balls and celebrated it with a heartfelt gaze towards the heavens amid the roaring crowd. Enroute to his lightning knock Hitman shattered Chris Gayle's record for the highest number of international sixes. Rohit pipped Gayle's 553 sixes record with 556 in the international cricket. He also set a new benchmark for the fastest World Cup century by an Indian, achieving the feat in just 63 balls. This eclipsed Kapil Dev's earlier record of a century in 72 balls, which was set during his legendary 175-run innings against Zimbabwe in India's triumphant 1983 World Cup journey. Furthermore, with this century, Rohit has now outdone Sachin Tendulkar's record of six World Cup hundreds. Remarkably, Rohit has already scored seven centuries in merely the onset of his third World Cup, compared to Tendulkar's six in as many World Cup editions. Not just this, Rohit also pipped Tendulkar's record of most centuries in ODI World Cup with his seventh one.
Virat, Iyer ensure India's facile win
The powerful opening partnership contributed 156 runs until Kishan's (47 off 47)dismissal from a Rashid delivery. The spectators momentarily held their breath, only to erupt in jubilation for local hero Virat Kohli. Kohli, with his trademark elegance, combined boundaries with quick runs. Despite Rohit's departure after attempting an aggressive shot against Rashid, India's momentum remained unhampered. Kohli, with an unbeaten 55, and Shreyas Iyer ensured a facile victory for the Men in Blue.
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Shahidi and Omarzai anchor Afghanistan's innings
Earlier, Afghanistan batter did well to post a competitive total of 272/8. A significant portion of this total came courtesy of skipper Hasmatullah Shahidi's gritty 80 runs and Azmatullah Omarzai's bold 62.
Captain Shahidi led from the front, displaying a marked improvement in Afghanistan's batting prowess, especially when compared to their previous match against Bangladesh. The strategic 121-run partnership between Shahidi and the budding talent, 23-year-old Omarzai, established a competitive foundation for their team.
Hitting 211/4 in the first 40 overs, Afghanistan were on a trajectory towards nearing a 300-run mark. However, the Indian bowlers, displaying impeccable skill, restricted the latter's progress. Among the Indian bowlers, Jasprit Bumrah emerged as the standout performer. His effective bowling during the crucial powerplay and death overs earned him figures of 4/39 in 10 overs, marking this as his most impactful World Cup performance to date.
Kuldeep Yadav, another key bowler for India, maintained a consistent line and length, restricting his tally to a commendable one for 40 in his 10-over spell. Given the traditionally batter-friendly pitch of Feroz Shah Kotla, India is anticipated to chase down Afghanistan's total with relative ease.
Afghanistan's innings started on a slightly rocky note, with an opening score of 48 for one during the initial Powerplay. While Bumrah exhibited mastery with the ball during his first four-over spell, Mohammed Siraj's performance was on the expensive side, with 28 runs conceded in his first 24 deliveries. Siraj's final tally amounted to 76 runs in nine overs.
Opening batsmen Ibrahim Zadran and Rahmanullah Gurbaz managed to secure five boundaries off Siraj's deliveries, whose consistent strategy of aiming for the stumps didn't yield the desired results. Bumrah's breakthrough came with a delivery that narrowly edged Zadran's bat, resulting in his dismissal.
The subsequent fall of Gurbaz and Rahmat Shah in quick succession brought Shahidi and Omarzai to the forefront. Omarzai, despite his relative inexperience, showcased an exceptional ability to tackle India's spin duo of Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav, hitting Kuldeep for three significant sixes during his innings. Shahidi, in contrast, played a more anchored role, with his defining moment being a ramp shot off Hardik Pandya.
Despite Rashid Khan's few powerful shots towards the innings' conclusion, Afghanistan could only accumulate 61 runs in the final 10 overs, losing four wickets in the process.
India will next face Pakistan on October 14 while Afghanistan will take on defending champions England on October 15.
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