In their second match of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, India inflicted a comprehensive 8-wicket defeat to Afghanistan in Delhi on Wednesday.
It was a comfortable eight-wicket win for India with all of 15 overs to spare. Rohit Sharma's came back in form Jasprit Bumrah llooked great. Things are now coming together for the hosts.
Afghanistan pushed their way to get a decent score but Rohit's powerplay bash left them high and dry. The pulls were effortless, the swats nonchalant and the drives powerful. Farooqi bowling straight lines and trying to bring the ball back in backfired bigtime, as did Rashid being held back till the 15th over.
Chasing 273 for victory, Rohit tore into the opposition attack at New Delhi's Arun Jaitley Stadium.
He brought the crowd to its feet with his century off 63 balls to go past Tendulkar's record of six tons in World Cups. He played a gem of an innings of 131 runs from just 84 balls.
Rohit's century was also the fastest by an Indian in a World Cup, quicker than Kapil Dev's hundred in 72 balls against Zimbabwe in 1983. Afghanistan posted 272-8 after electing to bat at the ground which witnessed a World Cup record 754 runs scored in the previous match when South Africa posted 428 and defeated Sri Lanka.
Pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah stood out for the home side with his best World Cup bowling figures of 4-39.
Afghanistan slipped to 63-3 before skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi (80) and Azmatullah Omarzai (62) put on 121 runs to help Afghanistan recover.
Bumrah got Ibrahim Zadran caught behind for 22 and celebrated by pointing to his temple.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz, on 21, and Rahmat Shah, on 16, fell in the space of four balls with Hardik Pandya and Shardul Thakur taking the wickets.
Shahidi, a left-hand batsman, and Omarzai then rebuilt the innings in a century stand, prompting skipper Rohit Sharma to rotate his bowlers.
Omarzai reached his second ODI fifty and soon Shahidi smashed Pandya for four to bring up his half-century and followed it up with a six.
Omarzai, who hit two fours and four sixes in his 69-ball knock, also attacked but was bowled by Pandya.
Shahidi kept up the attack with regular boundaries but fell lbw to Kuldeep Yadav in his attempt to reverse sweep the left-arm wrist spinner.
Bumrah struck twice including Rashid Khan to dent Afghanistan further on a batting-friendly pitch.
