Ekana Cricket Stadium: Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi refused to use conditions or the toss as an excuse after his side suffered a crushing 170-run defeat to India in the second ODI here at the Ekana Cricket Stadium, instead pinpointing shortcomings with the ball as the key reason behind the loss that handed the hosts an unassailable 2-0 lead.India piled up 402 before bowling Afghanistan out for 232 to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. While the visitors faced a daunting challenge after Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan’s record-breaking partnership, Shahidi believed Afghanistan’s bowlers allowed India to seize control far too easily.
“You cannot put all things on toss. I think we were not good enough at bowling. So many easy options in the bowling for them. We gave them momentum, I think that’s why we didn’t bowl well in the first 20 overs,” Shahidi said after the match.
Afghanistan struggled to contain India’s batting line-up once Gill and Kishan settled in. The pair added 224 runs for the third wicket, transforming a solid platform into a mammoth total. Although Afghanistan fought back in the closing overs through Nangeyalia Kharoti and Rashid Khan, the damage had already been done.
Shahidi acknowledged the challenging conditions but stressed that his team’s execution with the ball fell below expectations. “Yeah, it was hot, but at the same time, you cannot put everything on toss. You have to bowl well in the right areas. We didn’t do that well today, so hopefully we will learn from this,” he added.
The Afghanistan skipper also shed light on the decision to promote Darwish Rasooli ahead of him during the chase. Chasing more than 400, Afghanistan needed quick runs, but the move was complicated by Rasooli’s physical condition.
“I think he was cramping. I asked him, the coach asked him if he was okay, he said, ‘I am okay, I want to bat.’ So that’s why I told him to go before me because he is a good striker of the ball and we needed someone to hit big for us, but unfortunately, he got cramps again, and hopefully he recovers soon,” he stated.
Rasooli’s brief appearance ultimately failed to change the course of the contest as India’s bowlers maintained complete control. Afghanistan’s most significant resistance came through Rahmat Shah, whose fighting 79 helped prevent an even heavier defeat. The experienced batter once again demonstrated his value in the middle order, battling through a difficult chase while wickets continued to fall around him.
Despite the disappointing result and the loss of the series, Shahidi insisted there were still positives for Afghanistan to carry into the final ODI in Chennai. He pointed to individual performances, particularly from Rahmat Shah and Rahmanullah Gurbaz, as signs that the batting group continues to make progress against high-quality opposition.
“I think a lot of learning because it was a tough series for us, and hopefully in the Chennai game, we do well, and I think we had positives also in this series. The way Rahmat played today and the way Gurbaz is playing, we have all these positive things with us,” Shahidi noted.
However, Shahidi made it clear that Afghanistan’s bowling unit must improve significantly if they are to avoid another difficult outing in the series finale.
With the series already decided, Afghanistan will head to Chennai in search of both a consolation victory and answers with the ball, while India will look to complete a clean sweep after another dominant all-round performance.
Article Source: IANS
