Kohli and Raina revive Indian innings after early slump Yuvraj takes three wickets, giving away 24 runs
In displaying sparks of ingenuity and a will to fight it out, Afghanistan showed that raw talent is thriving in the foothills of the Hindukush mountains. Yet, Nawroz Mangal’s men failed to extend those fleeting seconds of rebellion as India won by 23 runs in an ICC World Twenty20 Group A match at the R. Premadasa Stadium here on Wednesday.
Chasing India’s 159 for five, Afghanistan made 136 in 19.3 overs. The pursuit was mounted on irreverent strokes and none was bigger than Mohammad Shahzad’s helicopter-shot against Zaheer Khan.
Yuvraj’s crucial role
Yuvraj Singh then played a crucial hand in the subsequent four dismissals as India stayed just ahead. The southpaw caught Shahzad off L. Balaji and then scalped Mangal, Karim Sadiq and Asghar Stanikzai. The Pashtuns, however, were in no mood to keel over and Mohammad Nabi’s (31, 17b, 2x4, 2x6) late assault briefly plastered worry-lines on Indian faces. Fittingly when he clouted Yuvraj over mid-wicket, the ‘Why this kolaveri?’ song blared from the loudspeakers.
R. Ashwin nipped Nabi’s challenge and though the tail wagged furiously, Balaji ended that resistance.
Earlier, the recurrent theme — of Virat Kohli (50, 39b, 4x4, 2x6) papering the cracks — played out all over again.
‘Man-of-the-match’ Kohli’s knock and Suresh Raina’s biff towards the end revived the Indian innings that had its phases of stupor. After feathering a deft four down fine-leg off Dawlat Zadran, Gambhir, feet static and bat-swing unabated, dragged left-arm seamer Shapoor Zadran onto his stumps.
Meanwhile, Virender Sehwag was drawn into following the course of a ball that swerved late and Shapoor was ecstatic. At 22 for two, Kohli, India’s effervescent anchor, joined forces with Yuvraj, whose rapier six off Shapoor, pepped up Dhoni’s men.
Valuable partnership
Kohli then essayed his inside-out drives, picking areas from cover to long-off and India gained impetus.
A 46-run third-wicket partnership wound to a close when Yuvraj fell in trying to guide spinner Karim Sadiq behind the wicket.
Kohli, however, continued unabated while butter-fingered Afghanistan fielders also helped India’s cause. Kohli (on 33), Raina (2 and 19) and even Yuvraj were the beneficiaries of the rival’s largesse.
Kohli and Raina added 46 for the fourth wicket before the Delhi youngster found the fielder at long-off.
A fuming Kohli walked away but Raina found the gaps and with Dhoni, helped India inch towards the 150-mark which eventually proved beyond Afghanistan’s reach.
Keywords: 2012 World Twenty20
India team bating order is good but what about bowling it is too weak.So it is better to give big targets to the against team if first innings is our's.By the way "all the best to team India".
Hearty congratulations to Man of the Match Virat Kohli. Well played.
Dhoni is right, bowling is a weak part of India's game. They are finding it difficult to defend decent totals. But he has said this before. So why has nothing been done about this? Where is Yadav and other talented bowlers? The selectors and trainers and coaches need to get this right.
A lot of dead wood in the Indian team needs to be shaken out.
Afghanistan needs to be praised for their spirited performance. It is
their inexperience that cost them the match; they deserved to win
yesterday.
The lowly rated Afgan team deserved all praises.They could have very well caused a great upset.It is a pity that Indian players time and again fail to show the element of confidence and this pathetic situation continues even when they play against weak teams.
In recent times the Indian batting and bowling is seeming like a junior level. Match against Newzeland, like against Pakistan practice match and against the Afganisthan in first encounter of India in T20 World cup is not up to the mark. All three matches performance of one or two was just upto the mark, remaining team members are just normal. Team like India first time winner of T20 World cup and expectations are very high, but it seems that last two encounters of T20 world cups Indian team performance is almost same present competition also. The matches against Pakistan and Afganisthan is an wake up call to the Indain team. So the team India, coach, management has to reassess the performance of players like Zaheer Khan, because his performance in recent matches is very normal. whether his inclusion in final eleven is acceptable. Some one young bowler may replace in palce of Zaheer khan, because he is a senior bowler, he has to perform upto the expectations.
yuvraj singh taken three wickets he is back...........
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