Yashasvi Jaiswal's ton, Prasidh Krishna’s 5-23 help India sweep Afghans

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Prasidh Krishna (5-23) needed just 28 deliveries to reduce the final One-Day International to a no-contest on Saturday as he ripped the heart out of Afghanistan’s batting at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. Yashasvi Jaiswal then breezed to a second 50-over ton, sealing India’s 3-0 sweep through a comprehensive nine-wicket victory, achieved with a staggering 128 balls to spare.

Prasidh, the strapping 30-year-old, made the most of the extra bounce by bowling a fuller length during a sensational opening spell that netted him with scalps of openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah and Darwish Rasooli.

At 36-4, Hashmatullah Shahidi had work ahead of him to justify his decision to bat first. The Afghan captain put his head down to grind out an excellent maiden century in his 96th game, steadying the ship in the company of Azmatullah Omarzai, the world’s No. 1 ODI all-rounder, through a fifth-wicket stand of 105.

Shahidi and Mohammad Nabi added a further 57 when Gurnoor Brar cleaned up the former, triggering a second collapse that saw the last five wickets tumble for just 20. As if being bowled out for 218 wasn’t bad enough, Afghanistan were penalised five runs for a third ‘running on the pitch’ offence.

The first three of Prasidh’s five wickets had come through catches at first slip by Rohit Sharma, who then extended his good day with a fluent 79 during a Chepauk opening-stand record of 170 with Jaiswal that knocked the stuffing out of the visitors. Fortuitous as a top-edge off a Zia ur Rahman pull flew over the wicketkeeper and again when Abdul Fareed at third-man lost sight of an aerial upper cut, Rohit put the iffy start behind him to regale a 20,000-strong crowd with a series of breathtaking strokes.

As Jaiswal dialled down after a frenetic beginning, Rohit took on Rashid Khan, the leg-spinner who had dismissed him with a googly on Wednesday, despatching him for five fours and two sixes before tonking Mohammad Nabi down deep mid-wicket’s throat.

New T20I captain Shreyas Iyer walked out at No. 3 to get some batting time ahead of the tours of Ireland and England later this month. While Shreyas did unfurl two sixes, it was Mumbai colleague Jaiswal who applied the finishing touches, driving Nabi over wide long-off for six to become the evening’s second left-handed centurion and facilitate an early end to the entertainment.

One
This is Shubman Gill’s first ODI series win as captain

Brief scores
Afghanistan 218 all out in 44.2 overs (H Shahidi 102, A Omarzai 50; P Krishna 5-23) lost to India 224-1 in 28.4 overs (Y Jaiswal 110*, R Sharma 79) by nine wickets

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