India dominate Afghanistan, Rohit Sharma scores fastest World Cup century by an Indian
India Captain Rohit Sharma Celebrating After Completing His 7th Century In World Cup
Skipper Rohit Sharma‘s astounding performance, scoring a record-breaking 131 runs, led India to a resounding victory over Afghanistan by 8 wickets during their 2023 World Cup encounter in Delhi on Wednesday, October 11th. Rohit Sharma displayed his dominance from the very start of the match, taking control during the PowerPlay and effortlessly chasing down Afghanistan’s score of 272/8. This triumph propelled India to the second position in the points table, with a comfortable 15 overs to spare.
The ideal cricket conditions, characterized by short boundaries, a swift outfield, a flat wicket, a manageable target, and the presence of dew, all converged to create the perfect stage for Rohit Sharma. He not only unleashed a blistering assault on Afghanistan’s bowling attack but also etched his name into the annals of cricket history by breaking multiple records. During his scintillating 84-ball innings, Rohit Sharma claimed the title of the highest six-hitter in international cricket, surpassing Chris Gayle’s previous record of 553. Additionally, he achieved the milestone of India’s fastest World Cup century in just 63 deliveries and eclipsed Sachin Tendulkar’s record for the most centuries in global cricket events, securing his sixth century.
The beginning of India’s chase wasn’t particularly brisk, with only 13 runs on the board after the first three overs. However, Rohit Sharma then took it upon himself to launch a one-man assault on the opposition. Fazalhaq Farooqi bore the brunt of his aggression, conceding 31 runs, which included four boundaries and two sixes, in just 10 balls, leading to his immediate removal from the bowling attack. Subsequently, Naveen-ul-Haq and Azmatullah Omarzai suffered a similar fate, as they were each hit for a six and a four. Meanwhile, it took Ishan Kishan nine deliveries to open his World Cup account, while Captain Rohit Sharma shouldered the bulk of the scoring responsibilities throughout his innings. During the Powerplay, India amassed 94 runs, with Rohit contributing a significant 76 of those on his own.
Amid all the batting fireworks, Afghanistan curiously kept Rashid Khan on the sidelines until the 15th over, despite his impressive track record against Rohit Sharma in other white-ball formats, having dismissed him four times. By the time Rashid was introduced, the Indian captain had already raced to a stunning 88 runs off 52 balls, and India’s required run rate had dropped to a very comfortable 4.08. However, Rashid lived up to his reputation, preventing Ishan Kishan from reaching a half-century by just three runs. He eventually outfoxed Rohit with a well-executed googly, but not before Rohit also put him in the firing line. Such was the relentlessness of Rohit’s assault that he, in fact, lofted one with impeccable timing over midwicket for a maximum.
When Rohit Sharma departed, India had already surpassed the 200-run mark in the 25th over. Virat Kohli, remaining unbeaten with 55, and Shreyas Iyer, contributing 25, capitalized on this strong foundation, forging an unbroken 72-run partnership that guided India to victory without any further setbacks. Despite a night filled with Rohit’s relentless sixes, it was Iyer’s colossal 101-meter hit off Mujeeb – the largest of the tournament thus far – that captured the spotlight. Shortly after, Kohli sealed the deal with consecutive half-centuries, marking the beginning of his World Cup campaign in style.
Earlier in the day, Afghanistan found themselves in a precarious position at 63/3, but a resilient 121-run partnership between Hashmatullah Shahidi (80) and Omarzai (62) helped them recover. However, Jasprit Bumrah’s exceptional performance resulted in his best World Cup figures of 4-39, restricting Afghanistan to a total of 272/8 after they chose to bat. While the two batsmen who scored half-centuries successfully held off the Indian bowling attack for most of the middle overs, Bumrah made a crucial impact in the late stages of the innings, preventing them from making a substantial recovery.
During his four-over spell in the powerplay, Jasprit Bumrah effectively thwarted a potentially dangerous partnership, registering an impressive 19 dot balls. He claimed the wicket of Ibrahim Zadran, who had initially survived a close LBW review, thanks to some fluid drives, but was eventually dismissed after edging behind. Rahmanullah Gurbaz reached the team’s fifty in the 11th over but soon fell to a well-directed bouncer from Hardik Pandya, disrupting yet another budding partnership. In a matter of two deliveries, Shardul Thakur trapped Rahmat Shah leg-before-wicket, pushing Afghanistan to a precarious 63/3 just after the drinks break.
The partnership between the captain and the promoted Omarzai played a pivotal role in Afghanistan’s recovery during the fourth-wicket stand. They did take their time to settle in before picking up the pace. Notably, Hashmatullah Shahidi took a well-calculated risk by employing a slog-sweep against Ravindra Jadeja, recognizing that India had one fielder less within the inner ring. Before this, Afghanistan had endured 11 consecutive overs without a boundary. It was Omarzai who finally broke the shackles in the 25th over, taking on Kuldeep Yadav with two lofted shots down the ground in just three balls. Over the next 10 overs, Afghanistan significantly increased their run rate, accumulating 89 runs. This dynamic duo won the battle during the middle overs, both reaching their respective half-centuries, contributing to Afghanistan’s second-best partnership in World Cup history.
Hashmatullah Shahidi efficiently dispatched the two short deliveries from Hardik Pandya to reach his half-century, but the Indian vice-captain bounced back strongly in his next over, dismantling Omarzai’s stumps and ending the resilient partnership. Following this breakthrough, Afghanistan struggled to regain its momentum, especially with Kuldeep Yadav returning to the attack and applying the brakes. After creating several difficulties for the Afghanistan captain, the spinner ultimately trapped him leg-before-wicket for 80 runs, concluding a commendable spell of 10 overs, 40 runs, and one wicket.
Jasprit Bumrah’s return during the death overs intensified Afghanistan’s woes. After reaching 184 for 3 in the 35th over, Afghanistan stumbled to 235/7 as India’s premier pacer dismissed both of Afghanistan’s power hitters – Najibullah Zadran and Mohammad Nabi – in the same over. While Mujeeb ur Rahman and Rashid Khan briefly posed a threat, Bumrah put an end to Rashid’s entertaining cameo when he was 16, limiting Afghanistan to a modest total of 272/8.
Brief scores
Afghanistan 272/8 in 50 overs (Hashmatullah Shahidi 80, Azmatullah Omarzai 62; Jasprit Bumrah 4-39, Hardik Pandya 2-43)
India 273/2 in 35 overs (Rohit Sharma 131, Virat Kohli 55*; Rashid Khan 2-57)
