Afghanistan ‘A’ stun India ‘A’ with DLS win

Player of the Match Afghanistan ‘A’ Captain Imran Mir receives his award from match referee Manoj Mendis

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Prabhsimran Singh gave India

‘A’ a brisk start posting 74 off 43 balls

Abdollah Ahmadzai took five India ‘A’ wickets for 68 

• ‘A’ team One-day Tri-series in Dambulla

India ‘A's total of 349-9 in 49 overs turned out to be insufficient as Afghanistan ‘A’ pulled off a stunning DLS win by four runs in a rain-affected ‘A’ team One-day Tri-series match played at the Rangiri Dambulla Cricket Stadium yesterday.

Afghanistan ‘A’ rode on a blazing opening stand and authoritative knocks from Captain Imran Mir and Bahir Shah to register an unlikely victory.

Asked to bat first on a surface expected to assist seamers early on, India ‘A’ shrugged off the conditions through an aggressive start from Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. The youngster hammered 44 off just 22 balls (9 fours) to set the tone after Afghanistan chose to field. Prabhsimran Singh then kept the scoreboard moving at a brisk pace scoring 84 off 69 balls (14 fours) before falling short of a century, leaving India strongly placed despite Priyansh Arya's early departure.

The innings was then anchored by Ruturaj Gaikwad and Tilak Varma. The pair added 78 runs off 94 balls through largely risk-free cricket, hitting only eight fours between them and ensuring India never lost momentum. Gaikwad, fresh off a hundred, compiled a fluent 66 off 80 (3 fours) while Varma, the Captain, struck 66 from 73 balls (5 fours).

India ‘A’ found another gear in the closing overs thanks to Suryansh Shedge's 40 off 27 balls (2 fours, 2 sixes). Supported by useful cameos from Anukul Roy and Vipraj Nigam, India surged past the 300-mark and eventually posted a formidable 349-9 in their revised 49-over innings. Abdullah Ahmadzai was the standout bowler with a five-wicket haul, striking repeatedly at the death to prevent an even bigger total.

Chasing a revised target of 294 from 38 overs after further rain interruptions, Afghanistan came out with intent. Hassan Eisakhil struck 34 off 29 (6 fours) and shared a rapid 63-run opening stand, off 48 balls with Imran Mir as the chase raced along at nearly eight runs an over during the Powerplay. Although Arshad Khan and Anukul Roy removed Eisakhil and Khalid Taniwal respectively, India were unable to build sustained pressure.

Imran Mir took charge of the chase with a composed yet proactive innings, reaching 75 off 70 balls (6 fours, 2 sixes). He found an able partner in Bahir Shah, who counterattacked impressively to move to a half-century (51* off 52 balls, 5 fours). The pair added a century stand (108* off 99 balls) for the third wicket and steadily pushed Afghanistan ahead of the DLS par score. India created a few opportunities, including a close lbw appeal against Bahir and a tight run-out check involving Mir, but neither went their way.

Afghanistan reached 173-2 in 25.5 overs when heavy rain forced the players off the field. At that stage, they were three runs ahead of the DLS target, and with conditions preventing any further play, Afghanistan were declared winners by the DLS method. Afghanistan ‘A’ play host nation Sri Lanka ‘A’ on Saturday. – [ST]

Scores:

 India ‘A’ 349-9 (49) (Prabhsimran Singh 84, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi 44, Ruturaj Gaikwad 66, Tilak Varma 66, Suryansh Shedge 40, Abdollah Ahmadzai 5/68, Farnmanullah 3/85)

Afghanistan ‘A’ 177-2 (25.5) (Imran Mir 75*, Hassan Eisakhil 34, Bahir Shah 51*)