How did the 1st ODI go between India and Afghanistan? — Review, Turning Points & more

Despite the threat of rain, India delighted the Dharamshala crowd by beating Afghanistan by seven wickets in the first ODI, in a game reduced to 25 overs per side. The Men in Blue have taken a 1-0 lead in this three-match series. 

After being put into bat by the hosts, Afghanistan went on to score 194, with Rahmanullah Gurbaz being the star of the show with the bat. The wicketkeeper-batter scored an outstanding century to take his side to the lofty total. The opener, however, lacked much support from the other end, with the visitors losing their way a little once Nitish Kumar Reddy got the better of Gurbaz. 

In reply, India chased down the total with more than two overs to spare, mainly thanks to captain Shubman Gill. The right-hander returned to his captaincy duties by scoring an unbeaten 84 off 66 deliveries, scoring at a strike-rate of 127.27. He was partnered brilliantly towards the end by KL Rahul, who applied the finishing touch, hitting 39 not out at a strike-rate of 205.26. 

Top batting performance of the match: Rahmanullah Gurbaz

Rahmanullah Gurbaz was the best batter on display during the ODI in Dharamshala despite Afghanistan ending up on the losing side. The right-handed batter was the main reason behind his side posting a respectable total in a rain-curtailed game. Gurbaz scored 102 off just 51 balls, an innings comprising eight fours and as many sixes to strike at exactly 200.

Top bowling performance of the match: Gurnoor Brar

Gurnoor Brar had a few voices before the series, but has silenced them in the best possible manner. The debutant was India’s best bowler in the first innings, ending with figures of 3 for 27 from 4.5 overs. He took crucial wickets of Ibrahim Zadran and the dangerous Rashid Khan towards the backend of Afghanistan’s innings. It is also worth mentioning that another debutant, Harsh Dubey, also ended up with three wickets of his own. 

Records Broken and Major Milestones Achieved:

• Rohit Sharma became the oldest cricketer to represent India in international cricket. (39 years, 44 days).
• Rohit Sharma: Surpassed 16,000 runs as an opener in international cricket. 
• Shubman Gill: Fastest Indian to 3,000 runs in ODI (62 innings). 
• Harsh Dubey and Gurnoor Brar made their international debuts for India.
• Gurnoor Brar: Third-best bowling returns for India on ODI debut (3/27).
• Rahmanullah Gurbaz: Scored his ninth ODI century for Afghanistan. 

Who won the Player of the Match?

Shubman Gill was declared Player of the Match in the first ODI in Dharamshala. The Indian captain scored an unbeaten 84 off just 66 balls to help his side cross the finishing line. 

When is the next match?

The second ODI in this three-match series takes place on Wednesday, June 17, at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow. 

England Test captain Ben Stokes was seen training with his county Durham after not getting picked in the squad for their second Test match against New Zealand, which begins on Wednesday, June 17. This comes after the all-rounder, along with Gus Atkinson, was involved in a nightclub brawl following the Three Lions’ victory in the first Test at Lord’s.

The pair broke a midnight curfew and were involved in a brawl with a rugby player in the early hours of Monday morning, and are currently under investigation from the England and Wales Cricket Board, which will see them miss the second Test. 

Due to the suspension, the 35-year-old was present at Chester-le-Street on Saturday for Durham’s County Championship Division Two game against Derbyshire. According to BBC Sport, Stokes bowled before the start of the day’s play and was also seen batting with batting coach Dale Benkenstein, along with his fellow England teammate Emilio Gay. 

Despite the ongoing investigation, there are no restrictions on Stokes and Atkinson playing domestic cricket, making them eligible for selection for Durham and Surrey, respectively, for the next round of County Championship games, which commence on Friday, June 19. 

In the aftermath of the incident, there were reports surrounding Stokes’ international future. However, those suggestions seemed to have cooled, with his involvement in training with Durham on Saturday, June 13. However, there is still no guarantee whether the talismanic all-rounder will return as captain of England’s Test side, with the ECB keeping all options open. In his absence, Joe Root has been given the captaincy on an interim basis for the second Test at the Oval.

According to the aforementioned source, the outcome of the investigation is not expected to come out before the start of the second Test. However, with there being just a three-day gap between the second and third Test, one can expect the findings to become public from June 21 onwards. 

India returned to white-ball cricket with an emphatic seven-wicket victory over Afghanistan in a rain-affected game in Dharamshala in the first ODI on Saturday, June 13. The Men in Blue have taken a 1-0 lead in this three-match series and can seal the trophy when they play the second match in Lucknow on Wednesday, June 17. 

Talking Points: 

1. Rahmanullah Gurbaz shows his white-ball prowess in Dharamshala

Despite his struggles in the only Test match, Rahmanullah Gurbaz showed why he is one of Afghanistan‘s best batters in white-ball cricket. In a game that was virtually a T20, Gurbaz scored an excellent 102 off just 51 deliveries, striking at 200. The right-handed batter scored eight fours and the same number of sixes in his amazing innings. 

2. Indian debutants bring sunshine on a damp day

India gave caps to two bowlers in Gurnoor Brar and Harsh Dubey, and both had an excellent day out on an overcast day in Himachal Pradesh. Both Brar and Dubey ended the game with three wickets each, with the former ending with much better figures of 3 for 27. 

3. Shubman Gill brings his IPL form to Indian colours 

Shubman Gill had an excellent IPL season with the Gujarat Titans, scoring upwards of 700 runs. The right-handed batter brought that outstanding form to international cricket, ending up as the Men in Blue’s best performer. The skipper scored an unbeaten 84 at a strike-rate of 127.27 to see his side through. 

Who said what?

Hashmatullah Shahidi – Afghanistan Captain:

“Yeah, it was a tough game. I think back-to-back wickets was the reason. I was feeling that when Gurbaz was playing, I was feeling that if we scored 220, 230, that might be a good target, but we gave some back-to-back wickets and after that, we were short of almost 30 runs, I think. (What was the thinking when you were batting?) I think in my mind, I was trying to target the left-arm spinner because the boundary was also shorter that side. But I think Gurbaz played really well, but after that, we did some mistakes. It started for me and then other batsmen. That’s why we were like 30 runs short. (Anything with the ball you could have done differently?) Well, the wicket was also, to be honest, a little bit flatter, but we were not that much disciplined in our bowling as well. So hopefully we learn from this and we come back stronger into the next match.”

Shubman Gill – India Captain and Player of the Match:

“I mean, it was kind of a T20 game, I think the way we started and then they pulled the game away from us. Gurbaz batted brilliantly, the way he got his century was brilliant. But I think the way we pulled back in the middle overs and the death overs was brilliant. Honestly, I think it was a brilliant wicket to bat on. It was, as the match went on, even when we were bowling, there was a little bit of grip for the spinners. When they were bowling, the ball was coming on pretty nicely. (Talks about the slip catch) No, I definitely caught the ball, practicing a lot, taking a lot of slip catches and even, you know, before the match, I was talking to a friend, he was that I haven’t really taken like a really brilliant catch in my international career so far, one-handed and very happy to get that catch. (Talking about the run-out) He saw the replay, he said it’s fine. Even in the last match that we played against Afghanistan, T20s, he got run out there as well. (What do you think about the debutants today) Very impressive, upfront, how Gurnoor bowled, brilliant pace and the way he was swinging the ball, the kind of length he bowled consistently and even Harsh as well, after I think in the first over, he went for 16-17 runs and the way he pulled the game back, trusted himself and kept tossing the ball up. It was very impressive. I think the middle overs in one-day games is very crucial, if you can keep, as a bowling group, if we can keep building pressure in the middle overs and keep creating opportunities and same when we are batting, if we can keep rotating the strike, keep batting at a healthy run rate, 6-6.5, without losing too many wickets, then you can really set up the game in the death. So these are the key points that we discuss in team meetings, how can we keep creating opportunities in the middle overs as a bowling group and when we are batting, how can we, keep really pumping on the runs.”