‘Ticked boxes’ as India crush Afghanistan to clinch T20 series

INDORE: Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shivam Dube smashed half-centuries as India thrashed Afghanistan by six wickets in the second Twenty20 international in Indore on Sunday to clinch the three-match series.

Jaiswal, who hit 68 off 34 balls, returned to the team along with star batsman Virat Kohli after the two missed the opening win. Jaiswal put on key partnerships including a 92-run stand with left-handed partner Dube, who hit an unbeaten 63, as India chased down their victory target with 26 balls to spare and take an unbeatable 2-0 lead.

Top-ranked India have been unbeaten at home for 15 consecutive T20 series. Their bowlers set up victory with left-arm spinner Axar Patel leading the charge with figures of 2-17 to help dismiss Afghanistan for 172 despite Gulbadin Naib´s 57.

“The last two games, we´ve ticked a lot of boxes,” India skipper Rohit Sharma said after the win. Rohit praised Jaiswal and Dube. “They´ve had a great couple of years. Jaiswal has played Test cricket now and even T20. He has shown what he is capable of. He has the talent and has a great range of shots. “Dube is a big guy, very powerful and can take on the spinners. That is his role and he has come out and played two crucial innings for us.”

Kohli, who played his first T20 for India since November 2022, made 29 in a partnership of 57 with Jaiswal after Rohit fell for a second successive duck. Jaiswal took apart the opposition bowling after left-arm quick Fazalhaq Farooqi bowled Rohit and fellow fast bowler Naveen-ul-Haq took down Kohli.

Jaiswal reached his fourth T20 half-ton for India and Dube, who starred in the team´s opening win, joined the charge to hit his second successive fifty. Jaiswal hit five fours and six sixes before he fell to Karim who struck twice in an over but Dube stood firm to steer the team home and gi past his previous T20 best of 60 not out.

India won the toss

Afghanistan Innings

Gurbaz c Dube b Bishnoi 14

Zadran (c) b Patel 8

Naib c RG Sharma b Patel 57

Omarzai b Dube 2

Nabi c Singh b Bishnoi 14

Zadran b Arshdeep Singh 23

Janat c Patel b Arshdeep Singh 20

Rahman run out (Sharma/Arshdeep) 21

Ahmad c Kohli b Singh 1

Naveen-ul-Haq not out 1

Farooqi run out (Sharma/Jaiswal) 0

Extras: (lb 4, w 7) 11

Total: 20 Ov (RR: 8.60) 172

Fall of wickets: 1-20, 2-53, 3-60, 4-91, 5-104, 6-134, 7-164, 8-170, 9-171, 10-172

Bowling: Arshdeep Singh 4-0-32-3, Mukesh Kumar 2-0-21-0, Ravi Bishnoi 4-0-39-2, Axar Patel 4-0-17-2, Shivam Dube 3-0-36-1, Washington Sundar 3-0-23-0

India Innings

Jaiswal c Gurbaz b Karim 68

Sharma (c) b Fazalhaq Farooqi 0

Kohli c Zadran b Naveen 29

Dube not out 63

Sharma c Nabi b Karim 0

Singh not out 9

Extras: (lb 2, w 2) 4

Total: 15.4 Ov (RR: 11.04) 173/4

Fall of wickets: 1-5, 2-62, 3-154, 4-156

Bowling: Fazalhaq Farooqi 3.4-0-28-1, Mujeeb Ur Rahman 2-0-32-0, Naveen-ul-Haq 3-0-33-1, Noor Ahmad 3-0-35-0, Mohammad Nabi 2-0-30-0, Karim Janat 2-0-13-2

Result: India won by 6 wickets

Player of the match: Axar Patel

Umpires: Rohan Pandit, Virender Sharma