IND vs AFG 1st ODI: Skipper Shubman Gill scored a stylish unbeaten 84 as India registered a commanding seven-wicket victory over Afghanistan in a rain-truncated first ODI at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamshala. The one-sided win gave the hosts a 1-0 lead in the three-match series on a blockbuster day that included historic individual milestones, a blistering century and a dramatic batting collapse.
Afternoon rain, which came in heavy showers, held up the toss and forced officials to reduce the match to a frenetic 25-over clash. India won the toss and elected to bat first on a belter. They handed ODI debuts to spinner Harsh Dubey and pacer Gurnoor Brar. The bowling attack hit early and had Afghanistan in trouble at 26/3 in the first five overs.
However, opener Gurbaz launched a spectacular counter-attack. But Gurbaz made the most of an early life to smash a stunning 48-ball century, the fastest ODI tonne in Afghanistan’s cricket history. He scored a breathtaking 102 with eight fours and eight monstrous sixes, stitching a crucial 116-run stand with captain Hashmatullah Shahidi (27).
But after Gurbaz got out, the Afghan middle and lower order collapsed like a pack of cards. Afghanistan lost their last seven wickets for 52 runs and were bowled out for 194 with one ball to spare. Debutants Dubey and Brar ripped through the tail finishing with identical impressive figures of 3-47 and 3-27 respectively.
India started their innings in dramatic fashion chasing a tricky 195. Rohit Sharma, the opening batsman, achieved a monumental career milestone when he launched Azmatullah Omarzai for a signature six to become the fastest opening batter in cricket history to reach 16,000 international runs in just 384 innings. But his stay was cut short on the 15th after a disastrous run-out mix-up with Gill.
Gill took absolute control of the chase, unmoved by the departure of his senior partner. The young captain anchored the innings beautifully with 11 boundaries and two big sixes in his unbeaten 84 off 66 balls. Gill also became the second-fastest batsman to cross 3000 runs in ODIs during his masterclass, crossing the mark in his 62nd innings.
While Ishan Kishan (34) and Shreyas Iyer (12) contributed brief cameos, it was vice-captain KL Rahul who emphatically finished the game. Rahul walked out at 142/3 and tore the Afghan attack to shreds, slamming a blistering 39* off only 19 balls to seal the chase with 13 balls to spare.
Debayan Bhattacharyya is a seasoned sports journalist and digital media professional, currently serving as the Chief Sub Editor at ITV Digital (NewsX). A true Football-Fanatic Bong, his professional journey began at Zee Media, where he kicked off his career as a Sub-Editor for the sports team at India.com and CricketCountry. His ability to blend insightful analysis with rapid-fire news delivery soon led him to Times Network, where he served as a Senior Copy Editor for Times Now. Before his current role at NewsX, Debayan spent a significant tenure at OneIndia’s MyKhel as a Senior Sub Editor.
