India defeat Afghanistan by 47 runs in Super 8 clash

• Bumrah, Arshdeep share three wickets each.
• Naib and Omarzai build a 44-run partnership.
• Afghanistan all out for 134 runs in 20 overs.

Rohit Sharma-led India easily defeated Afghanistan by stopping their chase at 134 all out in the Super 8 match played at Bridgetown's Kensington Oval, Barbados on Thursday.

Jasprit Bumrah, once again, starred for Rohit Sharma’s side with the ball as he bowled an economical and crucial spell of 3-7 in four overs.

Bumrah gave India their first breakthrough in his first over by removing Afghanistan’s inform Rahmanullah Gurbaz after the wicketkeeper batter had just scored 11 runs.

Following Gurbaz’s wicket, Afghanistan lost two more quick wickets with Hazratullah Zazai (2) and Ibrahim Zadran (8) walking back to the pavilion.

Gulbadin Naib and Azmatullah Omarzai built a 44-run partnership in the middle overs but they couldn’t do much damage to the Indian side as both batters lost their wickets in the 11th and 12th overs respectively.

Afghanistan kept on losing wickets at intervals and they were all out for 134 runs in 20 overs.

For India, Arshdeep Singh took four, Bumrah bagged three, Kuldeep Yadav picked two while Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel took one wicket each.

Batting first, India struggled at the start as their captain Rohit Sharma was removed by inform Fazalhaq Farooqi after scoring just eight runs on 13 balls.

India didn’t succumb to the pressure after losing an early wicket as Rishabh Pant and Virat Kohli provided stability to their batting lineup before both were dismissed by Afghanistan’s captain Rashid Khan.

India lost wickets at intervals and were soon 90-4 in 10.5 overs. It was that 60-run partnership between Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya that accelerated their innings.

Yadav departed after playing a quick 28-ball 53-run innings while Pandya contributed 32 runs on 24 balls.

Down the order, Axar Patel scored 12 runs on six balls. Meanwhile, for Afghanistan, Farooqi and Rashid bagged three wickets each while Naveen-ul-Haq got one.

Earlier today, Rohit Sharma won the toss and decided to bat first.

Playing XIs

Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Hazratullah Zazai, Gulbadin Naib, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Najibullah Zadran, Rashid Khan (capt), Noor Ahmad, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi

India: Rohit Sharma (capt), Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh