In a closely contested game, Afghanistan A produced an upset win over India A in the Sri Lanka A Team Tri-Series — rain handed Afghanistan just their second official One-Day victory ever as they won by four runs (DLS method) during Dambulla. Faced with a mammoth total and in command during much of the match, even India A was unable to keep Afghanistan A from remaining ahead on run rate before inclement weather brought an early conclusion to proceedings.
Batting first after being invited to bat first, cricket India A capitalised on the batting conditions early and made good use of a solid platform set up by their top-order. The start was a good one with the opening batters starting positively and applying pressure on the Afghanistan A bowlers early on. CONFIDENT PLAY: Prabhsimran Singh took it to the bowlershit with attacking intent, striking sensible loose deliveries as India A got off a rollicking start. Jansen set a marker and it enabled the middle order to go about their business freely without any concern for run rate.
Once again, Ruturaj Gaikwad proved why he is one of the most reliable batters in Indian domestic cricket. His innings was a perfect mix of elegance and smart selection. Gaikwad easing into his innings, rotating strike and making the most of anything too short or overpitched. His 50 off just 60 balls ensured at that time India A were on course during the middle overs with a good run-rate.
In addition, Captain Tilak Varma too provided an important service. He arrived at a decisive point in the innings to help see India A never lose control. Tilak showed caution, but was not afraid to mix aggression in there too with a couple of important partnerships that frustrated the Afghanistan A bowlers. His innings, along with India A’s lower order helped add crucial runs to a daunting total late on.
India A scored 349 for 9 (49 overs, rain-soaked game) On a surface that in phases had offered something for the bowlers, he looked as though he would take more than enough care of the total. India A had a very strong bowling attack and thus started the second innings with their chances up.
But Afghanistan thought otherwise. Started their chase in good confidence as Openers were not shy of a massive run-chase. They prioritized accessing the liquidity needed to maintain partnership intakes at controlled levels instead of taking unnecessary risks. The Indian pacers struggled to get early wickets, as the intent put pressure back on them.
It was only in the 40s when Afghanistan A captain Imran Mir survived some sort of interview and Bahir Shah began building a partnership through the middle. Both showed incredible composure and maturity while chasing a daunting target. They swapped the strike frequently, smacked boundaries whenever possible and kept nudging their side closer to the DLS threshold that would soon become very relevant as rain clouds wafted over ground.
Imran Mir made an excellent 75 not out in only his 70 balls. He showed awareness of the game and was their best player when they needed a leader. On the other end, Bahir Shah found perfect company with his not out half-century. However, together they formed a partnership that ensured Afghanistan A remained ahead of the required rate for almost all times despite recurring stoppages due to weather.
The bowlers of India A had been hunting down wickets futilely but were unable to cut the partnership. Afghanistan A stayed well in the game by not making regular breakthroughs. Confidence grew with every over that passed as their hopes of a heist looked ever more achievable.
The rain returned when Afghanistan A were 177 for 2 in the first of their allotted 25.5 overs At that point, they were at a DLS par score and looked well poised if play couldn’t be resumed. However, the weather played spoilsport for India A. Heavy rains kept away the resumption of play and officials had no option but to abandon the match.
The victory saw Afghanistan A win by four runs on the DLS method. The win was a great effort for the Afghan side which is scaling new heights in developmental level cricket and not too far from achieving success at international venues as displayed by them vs 2018 edition reigns. This defeat reminded India A that even large totals aren’t safe from the vagaries of weather and DLS. It also added a new dimension to the tri-series, with both teams still gunning for a spot in the final.
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