14.5 overs (2 Runs) Pitched up on middle stump, Hashmatullah Shahidi with a nice, gentle punch off the front foot and gets it past the bowler. The fielders from mid off and mid on give chase as the batters come back for the second run.
14.4 overs (0 Run) Another one that is fuller on off, Hashmatullah Shahidi gets forward to defend.
14.3 overs (0 Run) Nicely bowled! Fullish length in the channel and angling across. Hashmatullah Shahidi looks to cut close to the body but the ball goes past the outside edge.
14.2 overs (1 Run) Pitched up outside off, Azmatullah Omarzai gets on the front foot and drives it square in front of sweeper cover for a single.
14.1 overs (0 Run) Stump-to-stump bowling, Azmatullah Omarzai blocks it out from his crease.
13.6 overs (2 Runs) Takes pace off and bowls it very full around off. Hashmatullah Shahidi looks for the cover drive but gets an inside edge past the stumps that runs down to fine leg. Shahidi picks up a brace to get off the mark.
13.5 overs (0 Run) A bumper now, over leg stump and not rising much. Hashmatullah Shahidi ducks under it well.
13.4 overs (0 Run) Back of a length again around off, Hashmatullah Shahidi stays on the back foot and defends it out.
13.3 overs (1 Run) Back of a length and outside off, Azmatullah Omarzai hangs back and dabs it down toward third man for a single.
13.2 overs (0 Run) Full and outside off, driven firmly but straight to the man at short extra cover.
Azmatullah Omarzai is the new man in.
13.1 overs (0 Run) OUT! LBW! Shardul Thakur pitches this one up around middle, angling it in. Rahmat Shah looks to drive it straight but plays all around it and gets rapped in front. Looks dead straight and the finger is raised! Rahmat Shah though concurs with his partner at the other end and has opted for the review. Clear gap between bat and pad and Ball Tracking shows the wickets as the umpire’s call and the onfield decision stands. Thakur gets the third breakthrough for India and Afghanistan in a slight spot of bother.
Drinks break! Just when it was turning out to be a good start for Afghanistan, Rahmanullah Gurbaz holed out. Rahmat Shah has spent some time out in the middle and will look to take the innings forward with Hashmatullah Shahidi on what looks like a tricky surface. Mohammed Siraj has been expensive by his standards but it has been made up by tight spells by Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya. With Indian spinners yet to bowl, it will be interesting to see how they fare on this surface.
12.6 overs (0 Run) Another short ball, this time around off and angling across. Hashmatullah Shahidi bends his back and sways away from the line.
12.5 overs (0 Run) Hard length over middle and off, Hashmatullah Shahidi hops and defends it out.
The Afghanistan skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi walks out to the middle.
12.4 overs (0 Run) OUT! TAKEN! Shardul Thakur has taken a fantastic catch on the ropes and the replays confirm the same. Hardik Pandya bends his back and bangs in a good short ball over middle and leg. Rahmanullah Gurbaz looks to take it on but gets hurried and gets a bit of a top edge that carries down to the backward square leg fence. Thakur runs around to his left and takes a good catch but has the presence of the mind to lob up the ball before stepping over the ropes. Thakur gets back in and takes it on the second attempt. The birthday boy gets his first wicket of the game as Gurbaz goes after being set.
12.3 overs (0 Run) Nicely bowled! It is the off cutter, a bit fuller and nipping back in a long way from off stump. Rahmanullah Gurbaz is taken aback as the ball goes between bat and pad, missing the top of the stumps by a whisker.
12.2 overs (1 Run) Banged in short and outside off, Rahmat Shah hops and dabs it down toward backward point for a run.
12.1 overs (4 Runs) FOUR! Deft touch! Good length on leg stump, Rahmat Shah stays back and just nudges it late ’round the corner. The ball runs away to the fine leg fence for four runs.
11.6 overs (0 Run) Back of a length and around off, Rahmanullah Gurbaz looks to step out but adjusts and blocks it onto the deck.
11.5 overs (1 Run) Attempted yorker around off, ends up being a very low full toss. Rahmat Shah drills it off the toe end of the bat to the bowler who gets a hand on it and the ball deflects away to the on side. The batters hesitate a bit but do get across for a single.
11.5 overs (1 Run) Wide! Full and wide, Rahmat Shah swings wildly but misses and the ball is just a bit too wide for the umpire’s liking as well. Free Hit continues…
11.5 overs (1 Run) No ball! Oh, that has slipped out of Thakur’s hand! This is a very high full toss, right around chest height and over the stumps. Rahmat Shah ducks under it well. Free Hit coming up…
11.4 overs (4 Runs) FOUR! That has been nailed! Banged in short over off stump, Rahmat Shah lays into the pull shot and muscles it flat in front of the man at deep square leg for a boundary.
11.3 overs (0 Run) Slower one, bowled fuller and wider of the off stump. Rahmat Shah looks to drive it away but is beaten by the lack of pace and bounce.
11.2 overs (0 Run) Good length around the top of off, Rahmat Shah looks to drive on the up but the ball stops a bit yet again and Shah ends up inner-halving it just to the left of the bowler.
11.1 overs (0 Run) Back of a length over middle, tucked away straight to mid-wicket and Rahmanullah Gurbaz at the bowler’s end looks for the single. Rahmat Shah sends him back early though.
10.6 overs (1 Run) Hard length outside off, eased away off the back foot in front of point for a single by Rahmat Shah.
10.5 overs (0 Run) Top of the off stump length and angling back in. Rahmat Shah stays solid in defense.
10.4 overs (0 Run) Goes fuller and angles it into middle and leg, Rahmat Shah looks to flick but ends up chipping it on the bounce to mid on.
10.3 overs (0 Run) Pitches this one right up on the off stump at almost 140 clicks but the ball stops on the batter. Rahmat Shah manages to block it out on the off side.
10.2 overs (1 Run) Good length outside off, played on the up to the right of point for one more by Rahmanullah Gurbaz.
10.1 overs (1 Run) On a hard length over middle and angling in a touch. Rahmat Shah just nudges it away in front of square leg for a single.
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14.6 overs (1 Run) Good length on the pads, flicked away past square leg for a single.