An eventful third T20I between India and Afghanistan finally concluded with the hosts emerging victorious after going through a full 20-over per side game and not one but two Super Overs.
The third T20I between India and Afghanistan which was more of a dead-rubber had very low expectations from the viewers and maybe the spectators that turned out in large numbers at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Wednesday. The crowd surely ended up making the most of their tickets as they witnessed a nail-biting finish to the match which included a full 20-over game per side and not one but two superovers that followed.
India whitewashed neighbours Afghanistan in the three-match home T20I series clinching it 3-0 but the efforts that the visitors put in the last game will go down as one of their greatests in cricket history. The so-called minnows fought till the last breath but the second Super Over finally delivered the actual winner of the game which was Team India as Ravi Bishnoi struck twice to finally put an end to what looked like a never-ending drama.
The Chinnaswamy crowd and the television viewers might have run short of their nails and were on the edge of their seats as they kept on waiting for the game to end in their team’s favor. The match which started with the highlights of a superb ton from India skipper Rohit Sharma, took away all the limelight from him as the Afghan batters levelled the score put by India on board i.e. 212 runs in full 20 overs.
What went into the two Super Overs?
The match progressed towards a Super Over which brought back chase hero Gulbadin Naib (55* off 23) and veteran Mohammad Nabi. Nain was run out in the first delivery of the Super Over by Mukesh Kumar who bowled the final over as well. Naib completed a run and went back as Rahmanullah Gurbaz came into bat. The second delivery brought a single by Nabi followed by a four from Gurbaz and again a single in the next. The fifth delivery was smashed for a six by Nabi and he ran for a triple as byes extras in the final delivery which made Rohit livid.
The target for India was 17 runs as Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal came in to bat and Azmatullah Omarzai was handed the over. The first delivery to Rohit was a leg-bye giving a single. Jaiswal ran for a single in the second delivery which gave Rohit the opportunity to blast two consecutive sixes next. The next delivery was a single by Rohit who then came off the field retiring himself out and asked Rinku Singh to come in as he could run faster because two runs were needed off the last delivery. The umpires allowed as Afghan players questioned the move. The last delivery brought in a single which tied the super over as well.
Second Super Over
Without the controversial rule of a boundary count that was once followed post if first super ended in a tie. The rule was scrapped for good as the Super Over was asked to be continued and similar happened in the game as well. Fareed Ahmad was handed the over this time as Rohit reluctantly came in to bat again with Rinku Singh this time and flattened the bowler for a first-ball six followed by a four. A single came in the third delivery and Rinku was sent back in the fourth delivery on a duck as he was caught behind by Gurbaz. Sanju Samson was the new batter as both the batters tried to steal a bye but Rohit was run out by Gurbaz in the process. The target set for Afghanistan was 12.
In what can be said as a masterclass captaincy from Rohit, he handed the over to leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi as Gurbaz and Nabi came in to bat again. Bishnoi sent back Nabi first ball as he was caught by Rinku Singh at the ropes which brought in Karim Janat who ran for a single next. The third delivery by Bishnoi sent Gurbaz back (duck) as well, again caught by Rinku Singh and India finally put an end to this game and bagged it in their kitty in the second super over bowled by a brilliant Bishnoi.
