2111dThe Report by Deivarayan Muthu

Rashid Khan, Mohammad Shahzad star in epic tie

Ravindra Jadeja just could not get India across the line after shepherding the tail in a tense finish

Match Centre

Statistics

Best performances - Batsmen

Mohammad Shahzad
Mohammad Shahzad
124(116) 11x4 - 7x6
Control %79%
  • Productive Shot
  • slog shot
  • 32 runs
  • 0x4 - 5x6
8 5 9 10 17 10 21 44
Mohammad Nabi
Mohammad Nabi
64(56) 3x4 - 4x6
Control %89%
  • Productive Shot
  • sweep shot
  • 13 runs
  • 1x4 - 0x6
1 5 12 8 4 6 8 20

Best performances - Bowlers

RA Jadeja
RA Jadeja
O10
M1
R46
W3
Eco4.60
RHB
OFFLEG
2W
  • FTFULL TOSS
  • YYORKER
  • FFULL LENGTH
  • GGOOD LENGTH
  • SGSHORT OF GOOD LENGTH
  • SSHORT LENGTH
LHB
LEGOFF
1W
Kuldeep Yadav
Kuldeep Yadav
O10
M0
R38
W2
Eco3.80
RHB
OFFLEG
1W
  • FTFULL TOSS
  • YYORKER
  • FFULL LENGTH
  • GGOOD LENGTH
  • SGSHORT OF GOOD LENGTH
  • SSHORT LENGTH
LHB
LEGOFF
1W

Scorer: Chandan Duorah | Commentator: Sreshth Shah

11.57pm That's all from us at ESPNcricinfo. Don't forget to catch our LIVE SHOW on the ESPNcricinfo homepage with Ajit Agarkar and Sanjay Manjrekar. We'll see you tomorrow for the virtual semi-final between Pakistan and Bangladesh, but till then, on behalf of everyone else here, it's goodbye and goodnight.

11.51pm Time for the presentation. Here are both captains Asghar Afghan and MS Dhoni.

Asghar Afghan: Today's wicket was good for us because it was a spinning wicket, especially for Shahzad. Our spinners were good. Yeah when you tie with a team like India, it's like winning. They usually chase easily. It is good for the fans as well. On this type of track, Shahzad played very positive cricket. What we saw today was the real Shahzad, unfortunately it came in the last match.

MS Dhoni: I think their cricket has gone up a lot. If you see how they've continued playing right from the start of the Cup, it's been commendable. They're the one country that has risen through the ranks. Good batting by them - how they fielded, how they bowled was impressive. I wouldn't say we went wrong. It was like a game of golf because we started with a handicap, we rested our main players. It was very important for the fast bowlers to fall back to the back of a length area when there was no swing full. We lost 5-6 overs there. Shot selection is also something we could have done better at as well. And there were a couple of run-out and there are a couple of things I don't want to talk about because I don't want to get fined. A tie isn't bad for is, we could have been on the losing side.

Mohammad Shahzad is the Man of the Match. He says, "Actually I'm not happy with the result: hot weather, playing in the ground for six hours, it's not fair. I had planned to hit every ball today because we are leaving tomorrow. So I saw the ball, and hit it today. Feeling proud to have played against some good teams of Asia, so happy with my innings. The main game for me is to perform well with the bat. Cheers."

11.41pm The teams shake hands after an excellent game of ODI cricket. The Afghanistan fans celebrate in the stands as the Indian fans look downtrodden. Rashid Khan the hero of the 50th over, but the game was set up by Mohammad Shahzad's 124 and then Mohammad Nabi's all-round show. The second innings was started off by some great batting by the Indian top three, but at the end, it was the middle-order wobble from India that allowed Afghanistan to come back. Afghanistan will leave this tournament with a smile on their faces, and boy, haven't they shown that they belong right among the best ODI teams. We'll be back with the presentation. What a contest we've witnessed.

Rohit: "Congratulations to Afghanistan, by far the second best team in this series. They missed out on crunch moments due to sheer lack of experience. With more matches under their belt they will soon turn out to be formidable opponents. Quite a meteoric rise!"

Harpreet: "I feel majority of Indians are happy with a tie rather than a win for the first time ever!"

Mustafa Moudi: "Big Thanks to both the sides to turn this Dead-rubber into an exciting game !!"

Umair Accenture: "Can we raise a request for a super over please" -- wouldn't that be lovely. But that's only for the final. Apologies for the wrong information earlier.

Bharath Seervi: Jadeja was the main player when India tied their last ODI too - against New Zealand in January 2014. He's played the 50th over while chasing only twice, and both times he's been involved in a tie.

Giriraj: "I feel proud of this Afghanistan team , Pure dedication & sportsmanship, finally cricket wins ... "

sravan: "Dhoni's captaincy and a tie! We all know what that means, the cup is India's."

Sriram: "Match tied, cricket won !! Its no longer a game of super powers vs minnows "

49.5
W
Rashid Khan to Jadeja, OUT, back of a length outside off, and this spins into Jadeja. He mistimes a pull, and the ball goes straight in the air! Taken at midwicket, and the game is tied! The Indians are disappointed as Afghanistan celebrate. There's no Super Over folks. That's only for the final. Rashid takes a wicket off his worst delivery of the match, but Jadeja was cramped, and therefore paid the price. The Afghans celebrate as if they've won. The Indians are shell-shocked in the pavillion.

RA Jadeja c Najibullah Zadran b Rashid Khan 25 (34b 1x4 0x6) SR: 73.52

The Afghan shoulders have dropped.

India need 1 off 2.

49.4
1
Rashid Khan to Ahmed, 1 run, full outside off, and the googly has been inside-edged to short fine leg! Khaleel went for the drive, and he had no clue what Rashid had bowled. Chance of a direct-hit at the bowler's end too, but Khaleel survives. Scores are tied

Rashid v Khaleel. Surely the bowler has the upper hand? Big conference going on.

Dharma: "whatever happens, well played Afghanistan. you ran all 3 teams close in the super 4."

Raj: "As a hardcore Indian fan, this may be the first and only time in my life that I won't be feeling sad even if India loses today! Hats off to AFGHANISTAN!!! I hope they become a stronger force to reckon with in the future. "

49.3
1
Rashid Khan to Jadeja, 1 run, full on eg stump, and Jadeja flicks this to square leg for a single. Was that smart? Khaleel on strike. Two to win, one to tie

Rohit Sharma is shocked

49.2
4
Rashid Khan to Jadeja, FOUR, full on middle stump, and Jadeja slog-sweeps this into the boundary! Picks the legbreak well and smashes this towards the leg side. The ball hits the skirting right on the full and therefore the umpire needs to check. Will it be a four or a six? That's the million-dollar question. Given as a four
49.1
0
Rashid Khan to Jadeja, no run, half-tracker outside off, and spinning further away. Jadeja drags a slog towards the leg side, and the ball goes to deep midwicket. But Jadeja refuses the single

The crowd's on its feet. Jadeja asks for a change in gloves.

END OF OVER:
49 | 6 Runs 2 Wkts | IND: 246/9 (7 runs required from 6 balls, RR: 5.02, RRR: 7.00)

  • Ravindra Jadeja20 (30b)
  • Khaleel Ahmed0 (0b)
  • Aftab Alam10-0-53-2
  • Rashid Khan9-0-35-1
48.6
1
Aftab Alam to Jadeja, 1 run, full on leg stump, and he flicks this to fine leg for a single. India need seven runs, Afghanistan need one wicket

Rohit Sharma has come to have a chat with Jadeja.

India 2nd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st110AT RayuduKL Rahul
2nd17KD KarthikKL Rahul
3rd15MS DhoniKD Karthik
4th24KD KarthikMK Pandey
5th38KD KarthikKM Jadhav
6th1KD KarthikRA Jadeja
7th21RA JadejaDL Chahar
8th16RA JadejaKuldeep Yadav
9th3RA JadejaS Kaul
10th7RA JadejaKK Ahmed