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! Azmatullah Omarzai b Hardik Pandya 62 (69), Afghanistan 184-4 (34.2)
The partnership is broken! Hardik Pandya does the trick. He’s smoked away for four runs before slowing down the pace of the next delivery.
Azmat looks to guide the ball away, misses it and sees his off stump knocked back.
Afghanistan 180-3 (34), Shahidi 56, Azmat 58, Kuldeep 0-31 (6)
Six more! Kuldeep Yadav comes back into the attack and Azmat goes after him. He steps down the pitch and whacks the leg-spinner into the stands for a maximum.
Seven runs come from Kuldeep’s return as Afghanistan look to up the tempo.
Afghanistan 173-3 (33), Shahidi 56, Azmat 51, Hardik 1-28 (5)
These two batters have slowly built their innings and are now in a position to kick on for Afghanistan. The quicker they can get the team over 200 the better off they’ll be for the back end of the innings.
Hardik Pandya is brought back on and two singles bring up the 100 partnership from 119 deliveries.
A short ball is spanked away by Hashmatuallah Shahidi who cuts the ball to the boundary and brings up his own half-century!
What a shot! Shahidi ramps Hardik over the wicketkeeper and sends the ball away for six runs. 12 from the over.
Afghanistan 161-3 (32), Shahidi 45, Azmat 50, Siraj 0-46 (6)
Azmat inches his way towards a well deserved half-century with a single before Shahidi dinks the ball down to fine leg for four more runs!
The batters are set now and things could start to slip away from India if these two bat to the end of the innings.
Azmatullah Omarzai goes to 50! He pushes the ball into the legside and takes two. Well batted.
Afghanistan 153-3 (31), Shahidi 40, Azmat 47, Bumrah 1-21 (7)
The last 10 overs has seen Afghanistan score at a run-rate of 6.4rpo. If they keep it up over the next 20 overs they’ll have a total that can be defended.
Bumrah continues and is milked for a couple of singles.
Four runs! A great end to the over sees Shahidi drill Bumrah through the offside for a boundary. Six from the over. The 150 comes up for Afghanistan.
Afghanistan 147-3 (30), Shahidi 35, Azmat 46, Siraj 0-38 (5)
Mohammed Siraj comes back into the attack and is met with a welcome from Azmatullah Omarzai who smokes him away for four runs before taking a single to get off strike.
Not to be undone Shahidi dispatches Siraj to the boundary and ends the over with a single. 10 runs come from it in total.
Afghanistan 137-3 (29), Shahidi 30, Azmat 41, Bumrah 1-15 (6)
The annoying thing for Afghanistan is that they haven’t been able to properly push up the run-rate. With two batters now set they need to look to be pushing it above sixes or sevens an over to really set a challenging target.
At the minute it is still under fives. Bumrah is starting to mix things up with slower balls and yorkers but India still can’t break this partnership.
Afghanistan 133-3 (28), Shahidi 29, Azmat 40, Jadeja 0-31 (6)
The pace at which Jadeja bowls has brought India back under the time threshold for the overs bowled. Sharma asks him to continue but Azmat whacks the left-armer into the stands for six!
Four singles and a two also come from the over which goes for 12. Another good one for Afghanistan.
Afghanistan 121-3 (27), Shahidi 27, Azmat 30, Bumrah 1-12 (5)
Rohit Sharma has seen enough. He brings Jasprit Bumrah back on to break this partnership which has the potential to hurt India.
Shahidi works the ball through square leg and takes a single. Azmat meanwhile pulls Bumrah into the deep midwicket boundary and calls his captain through for a couple of runs.
Three from the over.
Afghanistan 118-3 (26), Shahidi 26, Azmat 28, Jadeja 0-19 (5)
Rohit Sharma calls the batters’ bluff and keeps the same field for India asking the Afghan batters to take on the left-arm spinner.
Shahidi works him away for a couple of runs before the batters rotate the strike for two more. Only four runs come from the over but the batters look more determined to score now.
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