IND vs AFG, 2nd T20I: India vs Afghanistan, Second Match – Who Said What?

Axar Patel. (Photo Source: BCCI)

India beat Afghanistan by six wickets in the second T20I of the three-match series on Sunday, January 11 at Holkar Cricket Stadium, Indore to take an unassailable 2-0 lead. After being put in to bat first, Afghanistan got all out for 172 in their allotted 20 overs with Gulbadin Naib top-scoring with 57 off 35 balls. Arsdhdeep Singh (3/32) and Axar Patel (2/17) were the pick of the bowlers for the Men in Blue

In reply, India chased down the target in just 15.4 overs with Yashasvi Jaiswal (68 off 34) and Shivam Dube (63* off 32) unleashing their wrath on the Afghan bowlers. Karim Janat starred with the ball for Afghanistan picking up 2/13 in two overs.

Here are the talking points of the match:

1. Rohit Sharma gets out for a duck for the second consecutive time

India captain Rohit Sharma got dismissed for a golden duck as he lost his stumps against Fazalhaq Farooqui on the fifth ball of the first over. Notably, it was the 12th duck for Rohit Sharma in T20Is making him the batter with the most ducks in the format among full-member sides.

Also Read: Twitter Reactions: Dube-Jaiswal make mockery of Afghanistan’s 172 in Indore as India go 2-0 up

2. Shivam Dube scores second consecutive fifty

Dube walked to the crease with India on 62/2 after 5.3 overs and joined Yashasvi Jaiswal. The all-rounder whacked an unbeaten 63* off 32 balls adding 92 runs for the third wicket with Jaiswal and sucked the juice out of the Afghanistan bowling attack. He clobbered five fours and four sixes on his way to his third T20I fifty.

3. Axar Patel continues to shine with the ball

The left-arm spinner bowled his second consecutive economical spell of the series finishing with figures of 2/17 in four overs. Patel dismissed captain Ibrahim Zadran (8 off 10) and a well-set Gulbadin Naib (57 off 35) to top the run flow in Afghanistan’s innings.

Also Read: Suryakumar Yadav congratulates Rohit Sharma on becoming first player to contest in 150 T20Is

Losing Captain, Ibrahim Zadran, Afghanistan said:

 We were quite short. We had a good start but not very good after that. Sometimes we play well in the powerplay, sometimes in the middle and sometimes at the death. We need to build the momentum throughout and not repeat mistakes to have a good T20 World Cup. (On Gulbadin Naib) He’s the most senior guy, we trust him and when he played a few shots in the powerplay, we wanted him to take that momentum throughout the innings.

Winning Captain, Rohit Sharma, India said:

It is a great feeling, it has been a long journey starting way back in 2007. I’ve cherished every moment I have spent here. We have been clear with what we wanted to do, very clear message to everyone and when you see a performance like that, you can be really proud. One thing is talking about it, but to actually go there and play that way is a proud feeling. The last two games, we’ve ticked a lot of boxes. They’ve had a great couple of years, Jaiswal has played Test cricket now and even T20I. 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.

Player of the Match, Axar Patel (2/17, 4 overs), India said:

Feels good, I just realised that I have got 200 T20 wickets. But what is important to keep doing well for India, honestly a few years later I won’t remember how many wickets I took. I have been trying to bowl a bit slower, vary my lengths and now I have been to gauge these things better. Now I have the confidence to bowl at all times, even in the powerplay. You need to be mentally prepared as a bowler in T20 cricket. Ready to concede a six because that same ball could get you a wicket on another day. Earlier, I used to vary my plans if a batter was hitting me, but now I stick to my plans and make the batters take the chance against me.