Dhoni leads; India, Afghanistan tie

India (Shar)made five changes to their playing eleven – Rohit, Shikhar Dhawan, Yuzvendra Chahal, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah made way for Lokesh Rahul, Manish Pandey, One-day International debutant Deepak Chahar, Siddarth Kaul and Khaleel Ahmed.

Afghanistan made half-a-dozen changes to the eleven that last played the Indians – the Zadrans (Noor Ali, Shapoor and Dawlat), Nawroz Mangal, Samiullah Shinwari and Mirwais Ashraf made way for Javed Ahmadi, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, Aftab Alam and Mujeeb Ur Rahman.

On winning the toss, Asghar Afghan, Afghanistan’s skipper, chose to bat.

The first Powerplay of Afghanistan’s innings – which was the mandatory Powerplay – was between the first and the 10^th over. They scored 63, without the loss of a wicket.

Afghanistan’s openers put on 50 off 8.2 overs (51 balls). India had conceded four extras at that point. While the contribution of Mohammad Shahzad, the player of the match, to the partnership was 45, Ahmadi’s contribution to the partnership was three.

Shahzad’s half-century – which included seven boundaries and a couple of sixes – came off 37 balls.

The second Powerplay of Afghanistan’s innings – which was the mandatory Powerplay – was between the 11^th and the 40^th over. They scored 126, and lost half-a-dozen wickets.

Ahmadi, who faced 30 balls, eventually scored just five. Seventy-seven balls into the match, he was stumped by Mahendra Singh Dhoni, India’s skipper. Ravindra Jadeja broke the 65-run partnership.

Rahmat Shah, who faced four balls, scored just three. A dozen balls later, Jadeja broke the 16-run stand.

Shahidi, who faced three balls, D(hon)idn’t get off the mark. Four balls later, he was stumped. Kuldeep Yadav broke the one-run stand.

Ninety-three balls (15.2 overs) into the match, the first drinks break was taken. Afghanistan had scored 82 for the loss of three wickets at that point. Shahzad was batting on 70.

The fourth-wicket pair didn’t get off the mark. Afghan, who faced a ball, didn’t get off the mark. A ball after Shahidi’s dismissal, he was dismissed by Yadav.

Afghanistan scored 100 off 19 overs (115 balls). India had conceded five extras at that point.

A hundred and twenty-four balls into the match, Afghanistan sought a batting review. Shahzad was the batsman. It was upheld by Bangladeshi umpire Anisur Rahman.

Shahzad’s ton – which included 10 boundaries and half-a-dozen sixes – came off 88 balls.

The fifth-wicket pair put on 50 off 77 balls. While Shahzad’s contribution to the partnership was 33, Naib’s contribution to it was 15. Extras’ contribution to the partnership was a couple.

Naib, whose 46-ball innings included a boundary, didn’t add to the aforementioned score. Seventy-nine balls after Afghan’s dismissal, he was caught by Kedar Jadhav. Chahar broke the 50-run partnership.

Afghanistan scored 150 off 33.5 overs (204 balls). The number of extras they had conceded at that point gave India no reason to be in seventh heaven. That was, incidentally, the number of extras they eventually conceded.

Thirty-four overs into the match, the second drinks break was taken. Afghanistan had scored 154 for the loss of five wickets at that point. While Shahzad was batting on 115, Mohammad Nabi had scored nine.

Shahzad, whose 116-ball innings included 11 boundaries and seven sixes, eventually scored 124. Fifty-four balls after Naib’s dismissal, he was caught by Dinesh Karthik. Jadhav broke the 48-run stand.

The third Powerplay of Afghanistan’s innings – which was the mandatory Powerplay – was between the 41^st and the 50^th over. They scored 63, and lost a couple of wickets.

Afghanistan scored 200 off 41.2 overs (249 balls).

Nabi’s half-century – which included three boundaries and as many sixes – came off 45 balls.

Two hundred and sixty-five balls into the match, Afghanistan sought a batting review. Najibullah Zadran, the batsman, scored 20. His run-a-ball innings included a couple of boundaries. It was struck down by Rahman. Thirty-eight balls after Shahzad’s dismissal, he was trapped leg before wicket by Jadeja, who broke the 46-run stand.

Nabi, whose 56-ball innings included the aforementioned number of boundaries, in addition to four sixes, eventually scored 64. Twenty balls later, he was caught by Yadav. Khaleel Ahmed broke the 18-run stand.

Afghanistan scored 250 off 49.2 overs (297 balls).

Khan, who faced 19 balls, scored a dozen. He was unbeaten, as was Alam, who faced half-a-dozen balls, scoring a couple.

Afghanistan scored 252 for the loss of eight wickets off 50 overs.

Kaul, who bowled nine wicketless overs, conceded 58.

Chahar, who bowled four overs, conceded 37. He picked up a wicket.

Jadhav, who bowled seven overs, conceded 27. He picked up a wicket.

Ahmed bowled 10 overs, including a maiden. He conceded 45, picking up a wicket.

Yadav, who bowled 10 overs, conceded 38. He picked up a couple of wickets.

Jadeja bowled 10 overs, including a maiden. He conceded 46, picking up three scalps.

The first Powerplay of India’s innings – which was the mandatory Powerplay – was between the first and the 10^th over. They scored 64, without the loss of a wicket.

India’s openers put on 50 off nine overs (54 balls). Afghanistan had conceded four extras at that point. While Rahul’s contribution to the partnership was 21, Ambati Rayudu’s contribution to it was 30.

The second Powerplay of Afghanistan’s innings – which was the mandatory Powerplay – was between the 11^th and the 40^th over. They scored 143, and lost half-a-dozen wickets.

India’s openers put on 100 off 15.2 overs (92 balls). Afghanistan had conceded four extras at that point. While Rahul’s contribution to the partnership was 47, Rayudu’s contribution to it was 49.

Rayudu’s half-century – which included three boundaries and four sixes – came off 43 balls.

He eventually scored 57 off 49 balls, which included four boundaries, in addition to the aforementioned number of sixes. A hundred and three balls into the chase, he was caught by Najibullah. Nabi broke the 110-run partnership.

It was at that point that the first drinks break was taken. India had scored 110 for the loss of a wicket at the point. Rahul was batting on 49.

Rahul’s half-century – which included four boundaries and a six – came off 49 balls.

A hundred and twenty-three balls into the match, India sought a batting review. Rahul, the batsman, scored 60. His 66-ball innings included a couple of boundaries. It was struck down by Rahman. Twenty balls after Rayudu’s dismissal, he was trapped leg before wicket by Khan, who broke the 17-run stand.

Dhoni, who faced 17 balls, scored just eight. Thirty-two balls later, he was trapped leg before wicket by Ahmadi, who broke the 15-run stand.

India scored 150 off 27 overs (162 balls). Afghanistan had conceded five extras at that point.

Pandey, who faced 15 balls, scored just eight. Twenty-eight balls after Dhoni’s dismissal, he was caught by Shahzad. Alam broke the 24-run stand.

Thirty-three overs into the chase, the second drinks break was taken. India had scored 180 for the loss of four wickets at the point. While Karthik was batting on 31, Jadhav was batting on nine.

Two hundred and eighteen balls into the match, Afghanistan sought a bowling review. Jadhav was the batsman, scored 60. It was struck down by Rahman.

India scored 200 off 36.2 overs (219 balls). Afghanistan had conceded eight extras at that point.

The fifth-wicket pair put on 38. Jadhav, whose 26-ball innings included a couple of boundaries, eventually scored 19. Fifty balls after Pandey’s dismissal, Mujeeb ran him out.

Karthik, whose 66-ball innings included four boundaries, scored 44. Five balls later, he was trapped leg before wicket by Nabi, who broke the one-run stand.

The third Powerplay of Afghanistan’s innings – which was the mandatory Powerplay – was between the 41^st and the 50^th over. They scored 45, and lost four wickets.

Chahar, whose 14-ball innings included a boundary, scored a dozen. Thirty-one balls after Karthik’s dismissal, Alam broke the 21-run stand.

The eighth-wicket pair put on 16. Yadav, who faced 11 balls, scored nine. Twenty balls later, Naib and Alam ran him out.

The ninth-wicket pair put on three. Kaul, who faced a ball, didn’t get off the mark. Four balls later, Shahidi ran him out.

Jadeja, whose 34-ball innings included a boundary, scored 25. Half-a-dozen balls later, he was caught by Najibullah. Needless to say, Khan was in seventh heaven.

Ahmed, who faced a ball, scored a run.

Afghanistan eventually conceded nine extras. The match ended in a tie, because India were dismissed for 252 off 49.5 overs.

Shah bowled two wicketless overs, conceding 10.

Naib bowled four wicketless overs, conceding 41.

Mujeeb bowled 10 wicketless overs, including a maiden. He conceded 43.

Ahmadi bowled four overs, conceding 19. He picked up a wicket.

Khan bowled 9.5 overs, conceding 41. He picked up a couple of scalps, as did Alam and Nabi, who bowled 10 overs apiece. While the former conceded 53, the latter conceded 40.   

India advanced to the final.