AFG vs IND Ball by Ball Commentary

OUT! IN THE AIR...GONE! Ravi Bishnoi wraps things up here with a three-fer. INDIA WIN BY 127 RUNS AND TAKE THE SERIES 3-0! This is tossed up, full and around middle. Abdollah Ahmadzai tries to slog it over mid-wicket but gets no timing at all. It goes high in the air towards deep mid-wicket, where Axar Patel circles under the high ball and pouches it safely. All smiles in the Indian camp, while a bit of a reality check for Afghanistan.

Another fine yorker, on off, Fazalhaq Farooqi keeps it out to the off side.

Right in the blockhole, on middle, Abdollah Ahmadzai digs it out off the inner half of the bat through square leg for a run.

Swing and a miss! A slower one, full and on leg, Abdollah Ahmadzai goes through the slog across the line early and misses. Sanju Samson fails to collect it cleanly but it does not cost anything.

FOUR! Connects well this time! Fuller delivery, on off, Abdollah Ahmadzai stays deep inside the crease and pumps it down the ground to the right of long off for a boundary.

A low full toss, on off, Abdollah Ahmadzai jams it out towards long off and once again does not take the run.

Hard length and around off, Abdollah Ahmadzai swats it off the bottom half of the bat towards long on. Surprisingly, he denies the single.

Nearly another one! Wrong'un, full and on off, turns in a bit. Fazalhaq Farooqi has a big slog across the line but misses as the ball misses the off pole by a whisker.

OUT! OUTFOXED! Wicket number two for Bishnoi as Rashid falls. Pushed through, drifting in full and around off. Rashid gets low, opens his stance, and goes for a full-blooded slog sweep, but reads the turn wrong. He anticipates it to be a googly but it is a leg break that spins away from him. His bat comes down at an angle, letting the ball sneak underneath and crash into middle stump. Afghanistan are 89/9, staring at an enormous defeat.

A slip in place now. Googly at 91 kph, full and around off, Abdollah Ahmadzai goes deep inside the crease and taps it wide of backward point for a single.

An in-drifter, on a good length, Khan is rushed n the back foot and cuts it to deep point for a single.

WIDE! Miles outside off, on a length. Let through by Rashid.

FOUR! Gets it through. A bit of a misfield there. Quicker and shorter, outside off, Khan cuts it off the back foot and Nitish is a touch late to dive to his right at backward point. The ball seeps through for a boundary.

Full, flat, outside off, Khan drills it down to long off and denies the run.

Gets the yorker in, on middle, Abdollah manages to somehow drop the bat down and squeeze it out on the pitch. What an over from Nitish. Three wickets and just a run from it.

OUT! KNOCKED HIM OVER! A triple whammy for Reddy. He is absolutely delighted and why not! A pinpoint yorker, at the base of the middle and leg stumps. Mujeeb Ur Rahman tries to jam the bat down and shovel it out, but in the process, his bat gets stuck on his back pad and the ball crashes into the stumps behind. Mujeeb cannot believe it and trudges off. Afghanistan slip further down to 82/8. India need just 2 wickets to win.

Fuller and on the pads, Mujeeb closes the bat face early to flick and gets a leading edge to backward point.

OUT! CAUGHT! There goes another and Reddy has his second wicket. Bowls it slightly fuller than a length, outside the off stump. Azmatullah Omarzai looks to carve it over deep cover, but the ball gets spooned off the toe end and Ravi Bishnoi makes no mistake with a simple catch at deep point. Afghanistan spiral down to 82/7 now.

Hits the length hard, outside off, Rashid stays leg side and flays it to deep point for a single.

OUT! BOWLED! You miss, I hit, says Nitish. He keeps it plain and simple. Bowls it in line with the stumps and on a good length. Mohammad Nabi looks to pull by swinging hard across the line, but the ball stays a touch low on the bounce and zips below his angled bat to clatter the stumps behind. Nabi is fuming at himself as he trudges off. Afghanistan are 81/6, in the chase of 222 runs.

Pulls the length a bit, outside off, Omarzai creates room to cut it away but gets a bit of an outside edge and the ball rolls to short third.

Around leg, on a fuller length, this is steered off the front foot to widish mid-wicket for a single.

Length ball, sliding in and around leg. Azmatullah Omarzai backs away and steers it to deep square leg for a single.

A slight appeal for LBW, but it is going down leg. Turned down by the umpire too. Sliding into the batter, full on leg, Omarzai looks to work it across into the leg side but gets an inside edge onto the front pad.

Slows it up, full and outside off, spinning away. Nabi drags it off the inner half of the bat towards mid-wicket for a single.

Nice and full, around off, Nabi leans on and pushes it back to the bowler.

On a length and on middle, Mohammad Nabi knocks it towards mid on for one more.

Full again and on off, Mohammad Nabi pushes it away and finds short cover again.

Fuller and on off, Mohammad Nabi drives it to the left of short cover.

Back of a length and around off, Azmatullah Omarzai punches it towards long off for another run.

Short of a length and on off, takes pace off. Mohammad Nabi hops up to pull it away but gets a bottom edge as the ball drops on the off side just beside the cut-strip on off. The batters sneak in a run.

Good length and around off, Azmatullah Omarzai opens the bat face and pushes it through cover-point for a single.

FOUR! Gets off the mark in fine fashion! Quicker delivery, short and outside off. Mohammad Nabi gets the chance to free his arms and crunches it through point for a boundary.

OUT! STRAIGHT TO THE FIELDER! Ravi Bishnoi strikes. He tosses it up, full and just outside off. Noor ul Rahman tries to go big down the ground but fails to get fully underneath it and his bat turns in his hands as well. He does not get the elevation and hits it much flatter. It flies straight to long off, where Nitish Kumar Reddy does not have to move an inch and takes a good catch. Afghanistan lose half their side now with 70 runs on the board.

Flatter, short and on middle, Azmatullah Omarzai stays back and swats it down to long on for another run.

Googly, on a length, on middle, Noor ul Rahman drags it off the inner half of the bat through mid-wicket and square leg for a single.

Drags the length back a bit, outside off, Omarzai steers it to deep cover-point for a single.

SIX! Goes all the way! Drops a full ball, does Ravi. On a lower trajectory, on the stumps. Azmatullah Omarzai gets low on his knee and smokes it gun-barrel straight down the ground for a massive six.

Arm ball, shortish and on off, Noor ul Rahman backs away and steers it to point.

Flighted, full and on middle, Noor ul Rahman blocks it out.

FOUR! Nicely done! Dragged back, outside off, Noor ul Rahman uses the width on offer and cuts it through point for a boundary.

MISSED STUMPING! Noor ul Rahman is living a charmed life here. Axar Patel slows it up, full and on off. Noor skips down the track to go big over covers but gets beaten on the flight. However, Sanju Samson fails to collect the ball and breaks the stumps with his gloves after the ball pops out and drops down. Noor once again starts to walk back, but he has been asked to wait. The third umpire checks the replay and sees that it is not a clean stumping.

Short and on middle, Noor ul Rahman pats it back to the bowler.

DROPPED! That should have been taken Tossed up, full and on off, Noor ul Rahman goes for the lofted shot but mistimes it high in the air. It goes towards long off, where Tilak Varma comes forward, settles under it and tries to take it too close to his chest and spills it. Noor already started walking back and the batters don't get any run.

Goes back to the shorter length, on off, Noor ul Rahman backs away and cuts it wide of backward point. Jasprit Bumrah dives to his left to make the stop. They cross.

Slows it up, full and on middle, Noor ul Rahman strides out to block but the ball hits him high on the bat and pops out to the right of the bowler.

WIDE! Wrong'un, short and turning down the leg side. Noor ul Rahman tries to clip it to the leg side but misses. Sanju Samson grabs it by moving to his left and appeals for caught behind. Gets nothing from the umpire, who signals a wide.

Drops it short, just outside off, Azmatullah Omarzai stabs it out towards extra cover for another run.

A googly, full and on middle, turns in, Azmatullah Omarzai misses his flick and gets hit on the pads.

Floated, full and on off, Noor ul Rahman taps it towards cover for a single.

WIDE! Quicker, short but down the leg side, Noor ul Rahman fails to glance it away. Wided.

Flatter, short and around leg, Azmatullah Omarzai swings it away towards deep square leg for a single.

FOUR! Gets it away! Hits the deck hard, on middle, takes pace off again. Noor ul Rahman stays back and flicks it, using his wrists past mid-wicket as the ball races to the fence for a boundary. Afghanistan finish the Powerplay on 51/4.

Pace off, hard length and on middle, Noor ul Rahman pats it down the pitch.

Pitched up, on middle, Noor ul Rahman knocks it towards mid on.

Good length and on off, Noor ul Rahman takes a couple of steps out and blocks it out to short cover.

OUT! TAKEN IN THE DEEP! Yash Thakur gets among the wickets. He goes much fuller and on the pads. Ibrahim Zadran picks it off and whips it away, timing it well but he hits it towards the longer side. It flies towards deep square leg, where Ishan Kishan moves a bit to his left and takes a good catch. Zadran was looking good, but also has to depart after getting to a good start.

FOUR! Put away! Short of a length and just outside off. Ibrahim Zadran picks up the length early, gets on top of the bounce and pulls it away to the deep mid-wicket fence for a boundary.

FOUR! Off the mark with a glorious boundary. Good-length delivery, on top of off, Azmatullah Omarzai plays it on the up and marvellously drives it through the cover and mid off gap for a boundary.

OUT! KNOCKED HIM OVER! A Jasprit Bumrah special. A sizzling yorker that consumes Rasooli. Bumrah lasers in a pinpoint yorker at the base of the middle and leg stumps. Rasooli is a fraction late to bring his bat down to squeeze it out, and that is enough for the ball to sneak below his willow and make an absolute mess of the stumps behind. A golden duck for Darwish Rasooli. Afghanistan are falling apart here as they slip down to 39/3, chasing 222 runs.

Bowled slightly fuller and on the leg stump. Ibrahim flicks it through mid-wicket for a single.

Good length, around off, Zadran stands tall and punches it to cover.

WIDE! Banged short but down leg. Ibrahim misses the tickle, and Samson does well to dive to his left and make a half-stop with his left glove.

A bit of an appeal for LBW, but turned down. Bumrah turns back to his bowling mark and India do not review it. Good length, angling in, and it beats the inside edge to thud into Ibrahim's front pad before rolling away. Seems to be a bit of an inside edge on this one.

FOUR! Up and over! Full and on the pads, Ibrahim Zadran picks it up and lofts it over mid-wicket for a boundary.

OUT! TOP EDGE AND GONE! Axar with a double whammy and India are in ascendancy. Axar stays around the stumps and drifts the ball across the batter, on a fuller length. Sediqullah Atal goes for a pre-meditated slog sweep, across the line, but gets a massive top edge. The ball gets sliced up in the night sky and sails over deep mid-wicket. Abhishek Sharma runs in off the ropes, calls for the catch and takes it nicely. Afghanistan are 33/2, needing 189 runs from 96 balls.

Just in! Gives more flight and pitches it up on a length, Ibrahim goes for the sweep, gets a bit of an inside edge and is struck on the front pad, and the ball dribbles away towards cover. The batters shoot across for a single. But there's a direct hit at the bowler's end. However, the replay shows that Ibrahim just planted his bat in time before the stumps were hit.

Dropped a bit short, on off, this is hacked away to mid on.

Drag-downer, on middle and off, Sediqullah Atal miscues the pull shot off the back foot. Abhishek Sharma sprints to his right from deep square leg and collects it on a couple of bounces. One run taken.

Full on middle, Atal taps it to the left of the bowler.

OUT! BOWLED! Axar breaks the opening stand in style. He dishes out a full-length delivery by giving it a good bit of rip, on the leg stump line. Gurbaz gets low on his knee and has an ugly swipe across the line to sweep, but plays the wrong line. The ball sneaks past the bat and uproots the leg stump. Afghanistan are 31/1, chasing 222 runs.

Full toss outside off, Zadran drives it straight to Ishan Kishan at cover-point and seeing Gurbaz charge and retreat at the bowling end, he throws it but misses his shy by a long way. However, the ball is backed up by the fielder at mid on.

Pulls the length a little bit, 128 kph, outside off. Zadran stands tall and knocks it to Kishan at cover-point.

FOUR! Straight as an arrow! Thakur overcooks this one, full and around off, Ibrahim lets his hands flow through the line and cracks it over mid off for a boundary.

A smidge fuller than a length, outside off, Gurbaz flays it uppishly and on the bounce to deep backward point for a single.

Takes pace off, on a good length, jagging back in off the pitch. Zadran looks to whip it across to the leg side, but misses and the ball deflects away to cover-point. They cross for a leg bye.

FOUR! Picked up and over! Thakur starts with a length ball, on off. There is not much venom on it and Zadran stands tall and swings it over mid-wicket for a boundary.

Hits the deck hard, on off, Gurbaz knocks it to the backward point region and seeing Gurbaz taking a few steps out of the crease to sneak a run, Reddy has a shy at the batting end, but misses. Had the throw hit, that would definitely have been close.

FOUR! Excellent timing and placement! Short of a good length, wide on off. Gurbaz waits back and just guides it behind backward point as the ball rifles away to the fence.

Bends his back and bowls it short on top of middle, Zadran swivels and pulls it to long leg. Yash Thakur gets across to his right and collects it on the bounce. One run taken.

Cannons in a yorker, on middle, Rahmanullah Gurbaz backs away and has a wild swing at it, but gets a fat inside edge and the ball is squirted behind to short fine leg for a single.

Slants it into the batter by hammering it on a length. Rahmanullah Gurbaz looks to pull it uppishly, but gets beaten on the inside edge, getting hit around the midriff.

Bumrah begins with a good-length delivery that shapes away late. Gurbaz just about aborts to poke at it and withdraws his bat inside the line.

Full-ish, on off, Zadran strokes it to the left of mid off. An expensive start for NKR. He goes for 15 runs off the opening over.

SIX! Helped on its way really! Angled on the pads on a good length. Ibrahim Zadran uses his wrists and whips it aerially over deep backward square leg for a six.

Slightly fuller than the previous ball, outside off, Gurbaz plays off the back foot and knocks it wide of cover-point for a single.

FOUR! Finds the gap once again! Back of a length, outside the off stump. Gurbaz hangs back and cuts it between cover and point for a cracking boundary. Very good shot.

FOUR! Finally, after a couple of consecutive ducks, Gurbaz is off the mark in this series and so are Afghanistan, in a mammoth run chase. Reddy offers room outside off, on a length. Gurbaz lets the ball nip away and then cuts it behind backward point, finding the gap nicely for a boundary.

Bangs it short on top of off, Rahmanullah Gurbaz hops off the toes and taps it to cover-point. He is off for a single, but is immediately sent back by Ibrahim as the fielder is quick to attack the ball to his left.