Asia Cup 2018: India-Afghanistan match ends in tie

DUBAI: Afghanistan bowled out India for 252 to seal out an epic tie in their Super Four game of Asia Cup  in Dubai on Tuesday.

Rashid Khan defended seven runs in  the final over in the hard-fought thriller against India to seal tie, India scored six off first four balls to level the score. But on the fifth ball, Rashid Khan got the better of Ravindr Jadeja and bowled out India for 252.

Afghanistan captain Asghar Afghan won the toss and opted to bat first. Opener Mohammad Shahzad knocked a fighting hundred to lift Afghanistan to 252-8.

The 31-year-old smashed seven sixes and 11 fours in his 116-ball 124 -- his fifth one-day century but first against a top nation -- to help Afghanistan post a challenging total.

Mohammad Shahzad's 124 and Mohammad Nabi's 64 have been the driving factors to set Afghanistan a good total.

While chasing a decent target of 253, India got off to a great start as Ambati Rayudu and KL Rahul put on a 110-run partnership to take their team off to a flier of a start. However, both the openers were sent back after they notched up their respective fifties. Following that, India kept losing wickets in regular intervals but were still in top due to their strong start.

It peaked into an epic thriller when India's middle order unravelled, leaving them seven to get off the final over, Rashid Khan defended seven runs in the final over in the hard-fought thriller to seal tie.

With India already in Friday´s final and Afghanistan out of contention, Shahzad´s knock spiced up the inconsequential match.

So dominant was Shahzad that fellow opener Javed Ahmadi was only five in a stand of 65, before India struck four times within the space of 17 runs.

Left-arm spinners Ravindra Jadeja (3-46) and Kuldeep Yadav (2-38) derailed the innings but Shahzad held one end, adding 50 for the fifth wicket with Gulbadin Naib who made 15 and another 48 for the sixth with Mohammad Nabi.