India vs Afghanistan LIVE: Cricket World Cup 2023 result and reaction as Virat Kohli 50 leads hosts to victory
The hosts aim to win consecutive matches after defeating Australia in their opening game
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Your support makes all the difference.India cruised to victory in their second Cricket World Cup match thanks to a stomping innings for captain Rohit Sharma. Chasing 273 to secure a second successive victory of the tournament, Sharma got the hosts off to a flying start, dispatching the ball to all parts as India scored at 9.4 runs per over for the first 10.
He was ably backed up by Ishan Kishan (47) but Sharma stole the show, breaking Chris Gayle’s record for most international sixes hit and becoming the first batter in Cricket World Cup history to record seven centuries in the competition. Kishan’s dismissal brought Virat Kohli to the crease and he received a warm welcome from the crowd.
Kohli, playing second fiddle to Sharma who was eventually bowled for 131, settled quickly and looked determined to lead India over the line having failed to do so against Australia last time out. He notched up a calm and composed 55*, his second half-century of the tournament as India won with 15 overs to spare.
Earlier in the day a total in the vicinity of 300 looked well within Afghanistan’s but a clutch of wickets fell towards the end to leave them short on a batting friendly track. Jasprit Bumrah was pick of the Indian bowlers claiming 4-39.
Relive the action from India vs Afghanistan below plus get all the latest odds and tips for the <strong><em>Cricket World Cup</em></strong> right here:
Afghanistan 37-1 (8), Gurbaz 10, Rahmat 4, Siraj 0-28 (4)
That wicket means Rohit Sharma gives Mohammed Siraj another over in the hopes of nipping another Afghanistan batter out. Siraj drags one down and allows Rahmanullah Gurbaz to pulls him away for a single.
Rahmat Shah comes on strike and will look to play himself in. Four dot balls are sent down by Siraj as Rahmat defends to push them all back at the bowler.
The final delivery of the over sees Rahmat lean into a cover drive and the batter finds the gap,,, four runs!
Afghanistan 32-1 (7), Gurbaz 9, Rahmat 0, Bumrah 1-9 (4)
Rahamt Shah is the new batter and sees out the rest of the over. Bumrah has the breakthrough for India who will feel a lot better now that Ibrahim Zadran is back in the pavilion.
Wicket! Ibrahim Zadran ct KL Rahul b Jasprit Bumrah 22 (28), Afghanistan 32-1 (6.4)
Got him! Smart bowling from Jasprit Bumrah. He worked Ibrahim Zadran over with a couple of balls that nipped back before getting one to move away from the right-hander.
Zadran went searching and feathered an edge through to KL Rahul who clings onto the catch. India have their first wicket.
Afghanistan 32-0 (6.3), Gurbaz 9, Zadran 22, Bumrah 0-9 (3.3)
Four more! Ibrahim Zadran swipes at a loose one from Jasprit Bumrah and gets a thick outside edge on the ball. It races away to fine third man and the fielder can’t cut it off before it crosses the ropes.
Bumrah’s response is good. Two deliveries nipping back into the right hander and just missing the edge...
Afghanistan 28-0 (6), Gurbaz 9, Zadran 18, Siraj 0-23 (3)
That’s a nice shot. Zadran stands up tall and punches a back foot drive through cover. He should get more than one but Hardik Pandya’s fielding is on point again and he cuts out the boundary.
Even better! Gurbaz has been starved of the strike a bit but he shuffles across his stumps here and drills a drive square of the wicket for his first boundary.
Afghanistan are going well now, it seems unlikely that Siraj will get another over.
Less so now. Gurbaz stands his ground, hardly moves his feet and spanks a full ball through the offside for a second four in the over. Great batting.
Afghanistan 19-0 (5), Gurbaz 1, Zadran 17, Bumrah 0-5 (3)
Rohit Sharma removes a slip fielder to try and reduce the gaps for the Afghanistan batters. Bumrah continues for his third over and sends down a shorter length delivery.
There’s a nip off the seam and Ibrahim Zadran fends at the wide delivery, missing it by a couple of inches. Zadran then pushes the ball into the legside for one but then turns down a run as Gurbaz tries to steal a single with a forward defence push towards cover.
Afghanistan 18-0 (4), Gurbaz 1, Zadran 16, Siraj 0-14 (2)
Ibrahim Zadran survives! He’s pinned on the pads right in front of the stumps and hasn’t hit it. The umpire turns down the loud, loud lbw appeal from the Indians and Rohit Sharma decides to review.
DRS shows that there is no bat on the ball but ball-tracking then has it flying over the top of the stumps. India lose a review and Afghanistan’s young opener gets to continue his innings.
He takes one of the last ball.
Afghanistan 17-0 (3.3), Gurbaz 1, Zadran 15, Siraj 0-13 (1.3)
Four runs! Siraj switches things up and looks for an inswinger but Zadran is ready for it. He turns his wrists as he meets the ball and whips it through midwicket for a boundary.
The 21-year-old is looking comfortable at the crease now.
Another push through the legside beats the fielder and brings Zadran four more. The outfield is quick today so the batters just need to beat the inner ring and the runs will flow...
Afghanistan 9-0 (3), Gurbaz 1, Zadran 7, Bumrah 0-4 (2)
Bumrah has pulled his length back to Zadran who takes on a couple of cut shots but can’t beat the infield. He steps forward to take on a cover drive but Hardik Pandya leaps across the turf and keeps it to one run with some great fielding.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz turns his next ball into the legside and scrambles through for one to get off the mark before Zadran repeats the shot, playing with the inswing, for another run of his own.
Three from the over.
Afghanistan 6-0 (2), Gurbaz 0, Zadran 5, Siraj 0-5 (1)
Mohammed Siraj is going to open up from the other end for India. Unlike Bumrah, Siraj angles the ball towards the slip cordon and gets a bit of away swing with the new ball.
Ibrahim Zadran pushes at a couple and keeps the Indian fielders interested by playing and missing.
Oh lovely! Searching for swing Siraj goes full and Zadran leans into a nice drive down the ground. The ball races away across the outfield and brings up Afghanistan’s first boundary of the innings.
Zadran takes a single off the final ball with a nice glance down to third man. He’ll now face up against Jasprit Bumrah.
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