India vs Afghanistan, ICC World Cup 2019: Afghanistan captain Naib rues missed chance to beat giants India | Cricket - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

India vs Afghanistan, ICC World Cup 2019: Afghanistan captain Naib rues missed chance to beat giants India

Southampton | ByReuters
Jun 23, 2019 09:57 AM IST

Despite having now recorded six straight losses and sitting bottom of the table, the tournament’s rank outsiders have been growing in confidence and holding their own, particularly with their batting.

Afghanistan captain Gulbadin Naib said he was disappointed but not too downhearted after his team, the minnows of the World Cup, lost narrowly to cricket giants India in the final over of their group stage match on Saturday.

Afghanistan's captain Gulbadin Naib walks back to the pavilion after his dismissal during the 2019 Cricket World Cup group stage match between India and Afghanistan at the Rose Bowl in Southampton, southern England, on June 22, 2019(AFP)
Afghanistan's captain Gulbadin Naib walks back to the pavilion after his dismissal during the 2019 Cricket World Cup group stage match between India and Afghanistan at the Rose Bowl in Southampton, southern England, on June 22, 2019(AFP)

“We are sad because we have a chance to beat this kind of team. In the World Cup, it’s a big achievement for any team. But the big teams, they don’t give you a single chance. Today we missed an opportunity to win, to beat India, one of the best sides,” Naib told reporters.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

ALSO READ: When things don’t go as planned, one needs to show character and bounce back - Virat Kohli

Despite having now recorded six straight losses and sitting bottom of the table, the tournament’s rank outsiders have been growing in confidence and holding their own, particularly with their batting.

One key player on Saturday was all-rounder Mohammad Nabi, who took two wickets and was his side’s highest scorer with 52 runs before falling in the last over of the day as India’s Mohammed Shami claimed a hat-trick to win the match.

“Today Nabi showed the skills, how he’s one of the best players of Afghanistan and also in the world,” Naib said.

“Actually, we planned that we’re going to take the match at the end to the (last) five overs. So Nabi played really well according to the plan,” he said.

“When we played (our) first four games, we lost really badly, and then we played against England and now India - strong sides and also they are the favourites of the tournament. So I think we’re now getting better and better day by day,” Naib said.

ALSO READ: Mohammed Shami becomes 2nd Indian to take World Cup hat-trick

Naib said his only regret was that despite restricting India to a low total, his batsmen weren’t able to rack up quite enough runs to claim what would have been the biggest upset of the tournament by far.

“When we chase this kind of total like 220, 250, (our) one or two of our middle order should go to 50 or 80. Thirty, 20 runs is not enough,” he said.

“The score is chaseable, but I think we didn’t take our responsibilities, especially on the batting side.”

Nevertheless, he said his team were learning a lot from taking on the best teams in the world.

“We’re taking a lot of positives from here, so when you’re playing this kind of team, you learn a lot of things. We learn it with our mistakes,” he said.

He also admitted to being a little star-struck by the opposition.

“It’s my favourite team, and I support India when I’m watching. My favourite is also (India’s captain) Virat Kohli, and I played against him,” he said, smiling.

Stay updated with the latest Cricket News, IPL Live Scores, and get exclusive insights with the RR vs DC Live Score, IPL 2024 Schedule, match highlights, and more. Explore a comprehensive Cricket Schedule, track the race for the Purple Cap and Orange Cap in IPL 2024, check Virat Kohli performance and stay ahead with all the cricket-related updates on the Hindustan Times website and app.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Friday, March 29, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On