Pacer Prasidh Krishna's maiden five-wicket haul and opener Yashasvi Jaiswal's fluent century propelled India to a nine-wicket victory over Afghanistan in Chennai on Saturday, completing a 3-0 whitewash in the ODI series. The performance served as a timely reminder for India's selectors, who are set to pick the ODI squad for the upcoming England series on Sunday.
Prasidh's Destructive Spell
Prasidh Krishna was unplayable in his first spell, claiming 4-6 to reduce Afghanistan to 36-4. He finished with career-best figures of 5-23, his maiden five-wicket haul in ODIs, exploiting the pace and bounce on offer at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. His very first delivery removed the in-form Rahmanullah Gurbaz, setting the tone for a dominant Indian bowling display.
Shahidi's Gritty Century
Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi stood tall amid the ruins, battling cramps and a top-order collapse to score a gritty 102 off 131 balls, laced with 13 fours and a six. He dragged his side from 36-4 to a respectable total of 218, sharing a key partnership with Azmatullah Omarzai (50). However, the total proved insufficient against India's formidable batting lineup.
Dominant Opening Stand
Chasing 219, India's openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rohit Sharma put on a dominant 156-run stand in just 22.3 overs. Rohit Sharma answered questions about his recent form with a brisk 79 off 69 balls, hitting nine fours and three sixes. Jaiswal, still on the fringes of India's ODI setup, strengthened his case with a commanding second ODI century in just his sixth appearance, remaining unbeaten on 110 off 86 balls, featuring 14 fours and three sixes.
Clinical Chase
India reached the target in just 28.4 overs, losing only one wicket. The win ensured a clean sweep for the hosts, who had already secured the series with victories in the first two ODIs. The performance highlighted India's depth in both pace bowling and batting, with Prasidh and Jaiswal making strong statements ahead of the England series.
Brief Scores
Afghanistan 218 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 9 wickets.
