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:
Wicket! Hashmatullah Shahidi lbw Kuldeep Yadav 80 (88), Afghanistan 225-5 (42.4)
Gone! Kuldeep Yadav gets the big one!
Trying to force the issue, Hashmatullah Shahidi reverse sweeps at a straight one from Kuldeep. He misses the ball and is trapped bang in front of the stumps.
It’s plum.
Afghanistan 225-4 (42.3), Shahidi 80, Nabi 13, Kuldeep 0-40 (9.3)
Eight overs to go in the innings, what can Afghanistan finish on?
Kuldeep Yadav is going to bowl out his allotment with Nabi content to turn over the strike to his captain. Shahidi is trying to get Kuldeep away to the boundary but a couple of dot balls follow...
Afghanistan 224-4 (42), Shahidi 80, Nabi 12, Siraj 0-56 (7)
Here comes Siraj. He’s still searching for his first wicket of the match and has four men on the legside boundary for Mohammad Nabi who smokes the ball out to the man at deep midwicket for one.
Afghanistan are looking to score off every ball. Four singles and a two come from the over before Shahidi rolls on top of a slower ball and guides the ball to the boundary for four!
Big over for Afghanistan.
Afghanistan 214-4 (41), Shahidi 72, Nabi 10, Kuldeep 0-39 (9)
Kuldeep will bowl his ninth over. This has been a decent day for the leg-spinner so far and he’ll want to close it out well.
Shahidi drops low to reverse sweep the spinner and gets one before Nabi picks up a run of his own. India now have five fielders on the boundary meaning things will be difficult for Afghanistan, especially if they want to go big.
Hashmatullah Shahidi sweeps Kuldeep away and hobbles to the other end of the pitch. It looks as though he’s picked up a bit of cramp.
The Afghanistan captain is okay to play on.
Afghanistan 211-4 (40), Shahidi 70, Nabi 9, Thakur 1-31 (6)
Short from Thakur, four for Shahidi! That’s just how Afghanistan wanted to start this over.
Thakur the goes full and Shahidi drills him into the cover only for Ishan Kishan to deny him a boundary with a wonderful diving stop. Shahidi turns the next ball into the legside and takes one.
Some poor fielding from India allows the batters to scramble through for a couple more runs. Seven come from the over with 10 left in the innings.
Afghanistan 204-4 (39), Shahidi 65, Nabi 7, Kuldeep 0-36 (8)
Kuldeep Yadav is brought back into the attack and Shahidi immediately comes down the pitch to meet the ball just as it pitches. Kuldeep is up to the task though and varies his pace, sending down three dot balls in a row.
A wild swipe from Shahidi brings him one and leaves Nabi with a couple of deliveries to try and up the score. He can’t, Afghanistan are becalmed at the minute.
Afghanistan 203-4 (38), Shahidi 64, Nabi 7, Thakur 1-24 (5)
Shardul Thakur has a few overs left up his sleeve and is brought back on by India captain, Rohit Sharma. Nabi flicks him away for a single to bring his captain back on strike.
There’s still plenty of time in this innings and if Afghanistan can bat all of their overs they will have a decent total to defend.
Good over from Thakur, just two runs from it.
Afghanistan 201-4 (37), Shahidi 63, Nabi 6, Hardik 2-43 (7)
Mohammad Nabi is taking on the role of accummulator. He’s nudging the ball around and taking ones and twos when they’re on offer.
The bulk of the scoring will need to come from Shahidi while Nabi settles. He’s playing more aggressively but not taking unecessary risks to find the boundary.
Running through for one off a wide brings up Afghanistan’s 200. From here, every run is a bonus for the batting side. Can they work their way up to 300?
Afghanistan 194-4 (36), Shahidi 62, Nabi 4, Kuldeep 0-35 (7)
Five runs come from Kuldeep’s latest over. Afghanistan need to time it right for their next assault on the India bowlers. They don’t have many good batters left in the hutch so these two will need to score the bulk of the remaining runs.
270 plus should be the total in mind.
Afghanistan 189-4 (35), Shahidi 60, Nabi 1, Hardik 2-37 (6)
Mohammad Nabi comes to the crease for Afghanistan at the young age of 38-years-old. Despite the wicket, Afghanistan take nine runs from the over.
Shahidi needs to continue attacking while, Nabi gets himself set at the crease.
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