India A beat Afghanistan A by 101 runs to qualify for Tri-Series Final: An exciting tri-series featuring the ‘A’ teams of India, Sri Lanka, and Afghanistan is currently underway in Sri Lanka. As part of this tournament, the fifth match took place today (Wednesday, June 17) between India A and Afghanistan A at the Rangiri International Stadium in Dambulla. In this match, the young Indian brigade wreaked havoc with both bat and ball, completely overwhelming the Afghanistan team. India secured victory by a massive margin of 101 runs.
With this magnificent win, India A has proudly booked its spot in the tri-series final. Let us take you through the thrilling action of this blockbuster match.
India A Bat First After Losing the Toss; 319 Runs
At the start of the match, the Afghanistan A captain won the toss and, assessing the nature of the pitch, decided to bowl first.
Their decision worked well initially, but the Indian batsmen soon took control of the match.
The Indian team posted a strong total of 319 runs for the loss of 9 wickets in the allotted 50 overs, setting a daunting target of 320 runs for Afghanistan.
Three ‘Half-Century’ Heroes of the Indian Innings:
Three batsmen played a pivotal role in taking India to this massive total, effectively taking the Afghan bowlers to the cleaners:
- Priyansh Arya: 58 runs
- Captain Tilak Varma: 59 runs (A captain’s knock)
- Kumar Kushagra (Wicketkeeper): 58 runs
Afghanistan’s Bowling: For Afghanistan, Faridoon D, Abdullah Ahmadzai, and Farmanullah Safi claimed 2 wickets each, while ‘Chinaman’ bowler Zahir Khan picked up 1 wicket.
Afghanistan’s Innings Collapses While Chasing 320 Runs
Afghanistan ‘A’ got off to a poor start in their pursuit of the massive target. The ‘Men in Blue’—the Indian bowlers—kept the opposition batsmen in check with tight line and length, claiming wickets at regular intervals.
The entire Afghan team was bowled out for just 218 runs in 36.5 overs. Bahir Shah was the team’s top scorer with 57 runs, while Faisal Shinozada contributed 46 runs. Apart from these two, no other batsman could withstand the Indian bowling attack.
Nishant Sindhu’s Magical Bowling: Claimed 4 Wickets
The standout hero of India’s one-sided victory was young spinner Nishant Sindhu. Nishant ensnared the Afghan batsmen in his web of spin so effectively that they struggled to score runs. He claimed four crucial wickets while conceding just 31 runs in 6.5 overs. For this magnificent performance, he was awarded the ‘Player of the Match’ title.
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