Indian Pacer Prasidh Krishna took a career-best 5/23 to restrict Afghanistan to 218 in the third ODI, despite a valiant maiden century from skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi.
IMAGE: Yashasvi Jaiswal raises his bat after scoring a hundred against Afghanistan in the 3rd ODI in Chennai on Saturday.
Photograph: BCCIKey Points Prasidh Krishna took 5 wickets as Afghanistan were dismissed for 218.
Photograph: BCCIBut Shahidi, who took 131 balls for his maiden ODI hundred, marshalled the remaining resources well to save Afghanistan some blushes.
Krishna-Rohit combine to rock Afghan top orderIMAGE: Prasidh Krishna celebrates the wicket of Rahmat Shah.
Indian Pacer Prasidh Krishna took a career-best 5/23 to restrict Afghanistan to 218 in the third ODI, despite a valiant maiden century from skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi.
IMAGE: Yashasvi Jaiswal raises his bat after scoring a hundred against Afghanistan in the 3rd ODI in Chennai on Saturday. Photograph: BCCI
Rohit needed a substantial innings to keep the swelling competition for his place at bay for the time being, and Jaiswal needed a big score to keep himself in contention for India's thickly populated top-order.
They merged their personal goals in a stunning exhibition of one-day batting for the team's cause on this night.
Rohit was a tad slow to begin his innings, but soon discovered the kind of shots that earned him the sobriquet- Hitman.
The Mumbai batter took a liking for Afghanistan's premier spinner Rashid Khan, clobbering him for flicked four and a swept six in succession.
The enviable timing of Rohit was on full view when he smashed Rashid inside out over the covers for a six, eliciting a wistful smile from the bowler.
Jaiswal, on the other hand, was at ease from ball one, careening pacer Azmatullah Omarzai for three boundaries, as a 9-ball first over produced 23 runs, including five penalty runs which India acquired after Shahidi was found guilty of repeatedly running on the danger area.
IMAGE: Rohit Sharma of India raises his bat after scoring his fifty. Photograph: BCCI
There was a pulled six off pacer Fareed Ahmed and some velvety drives off spinner AM Ghazanfar as he reached his fifty in 38 balls, and his partner went past the milestone in 47 balls.
Together, they amassed 170 runs in just 22.5 overs for the first wicket as India cruised past the target without batting an eyelid.
A minor aberration was the departure of Rohit, who could not impart distance to his pet pull shot off Mohammad Nabi and was caught at deep mid-wicket by substitute Sediqullah Atal.
But that did not stop Jaiswal, as the left-hander fetched a composed hundred in 83 balls, with a six off Nabi, and celebrated the moment with a signature raising of the bat and soon, fittingly, fetched the winnings runs through a six off Nabi
IMAGE: Mohammad Nabi of Afghanistan celebrates the wicket of Rohit Sharma. Photograph: BCCI
Earlier, pacer Prasidh Krishna ripped through Afghanistan's top order, claiming four early wickets to finish with outstanding figures of 5/23 as the visitors were bowled out for 218 in 44.2 overs.
However, despite Krishna's destructive spell, Afghanistan skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi stood firm with his maiden ODI century, leading a remarkable recovery after the visitors were reduced to 36 for 4 in the 10th over.
Shahidi, who had endured a quiet series until then, struck 13 boundaries and a six in his 131-ball 102, while Azmatullah Omarzai provided valuable support with a brisk 56-ball 50.
IMAGE: Prasidh Krishna celebrates the wicket of Rahmat Shah. Photograph: BCCI
Key Points Prasidh Krishna took 5 wickets as Afghanistan were dismissed for 218.
Afghanistan captain Hashmtullah Shahidi hit 102 off 131 balls.
Afghanistan were handed a five-run penalty after Shahidi ran on the pitch's danger zone.
Pacer Prasidh Krishna tore apart Afghanistan's top-order with a career-best 5 for 23 but skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi' valiant 102 carried his side to 218 all out against India in the third and final ODI in Chennai on Saturday.
Opting to bat first, Afghanistan were in all sorts of trouble at 36 for four after Prasidh discovered the perfect length at the Chepauk pitch with a four-wicket burst during his opening spell.
Captain Shahidi's fighting century
IMAGE: A relieved Hashmatullah Shahidi raises his bat after scoring a hundred. Photograph: BCCI
But Shahidi, who took 131 balls for his maiden ODI hundred, marshalled the remaining resources well to save Afghanistan some blushes.
The left-hander first milked 105 runs off 117 balls for the fifth wicket with Azmatullah Omarzai (50, 56b) and then a 57 runs off 53 balls for the sixth wicket with Mohammad Nabi.
Krishna-Rohit combine to rock Afghan top order
IMAGE: Prasidh Krishna celebrates the wicket of Rahmat Shah. Photograph: BCCI
Before the Afghans mounted a rescue act, Prasidh hogged the limelight with a very fine spell marked by hitting the fuller length that tempted the batters to drive.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran and Rahmat Shah, all attempted to drive outside the off-stump off Prasidh, giving regulation catches to Rohit Sharma at first slip.
IMAGE: Prasidh Krishna celebrates the wicket of Darwish Rasooli. Photograph: BCCI
Darwish Rasooli tried to pull the pacer, but Shreyas Iyer ran from mid-off to take a fine catch that gave Prasidh his fourth wicket inside the first 10 overs.
The Karnataka man also joined an elite list of pacers like Jasprit Bumrah, Javagal Srinath and Mohammed Siraj, among others, to have achieved that feat.
Omarzai hits quick half ton
IMAGE: Azmatullah Omarzai plays a shot. Photograph: BCCI
At 36 for four, a capitulation seemed imminent. But Shahidi and Omarzai resisted the Indian bowlers bravely, and often managed to score at over five runs an over.
Shahidi played the anchor role to perfection, and often used late cuts and little dabs to the gaps to collect runs and raised his fifty in 64 balls.
In contrast, Omarzai was more aggressive and brought up his half-century in 55 balls which contained sixes off left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey and off-spinner Washington Sundar.
IMAGE: Prince Yadav celebrates the wicket of Azmatullah Omarzai. Photograph: BCCI
But a feeble pull off Prince Yadav ended in the hands of Prasidh at long leg.
However, Shahidi, who battled cramps after reaching 80, continued unfazed and scored his first one-day international century off 128 balls fittingly with a late cut four off Washington.
IMAGE: Hashmatullah Shahidi bats en route his century. Photograph: BCCI
But once Nabi departed, wickets began to fall quickly around Shahidi, who had to conjure his last ounce of energy to bat through pain to take Afghanistan past the 200-run mark.
The tourists were handed a five-run penalty after Shahidi ran on the pitch's danger zone in the last ball of the 39th over.
