IND vs AFG 3rd ODI: Prasidh Krishna’s five-for trumps Shahidi century as Afghanistan bowled out for 218

Prasidh Krishna produced a devastating spell of fast bowling to claim a five-wicket haul as India bundled out Afghanistan for 218 in the third and final ODI in Chennai on Saturday, despite a fighting century from captain Hashmatullah Shahidi.

Shahidi struck a valiant 102 off 131 deliveries, registering his maiden ODI hundred, while Azmatullah Omarzai contributed a fluent 50. The duo rescued Afghanistan from a disastrous start with a crucial 105-run partnership after the visitors had slumped to 36/4 inside the first 10 overs.

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After electing to bat, Afghanistan’s top order had no answer to Krishna’s accuracy and movement. The pacer struck early to remove Rahmanullah Gurbaz before dismissing Rahmat Shah, Ibrahim Zadran and Darwish Rasooli in a fiery opening spell that left the visitors reeling.

India captain Rohit Sharma played a key role in the collapse, taking multiple catches in the slip cordon as Afghanistan’s batters repeatedly edged deliveries from Krishna.

With the innings in danger of falling apart, Shahidi and Omarzai rebuilt patiently, combining caution with calculated aggression to steady Afghanistan’s innings. The pair brought up a century stand and guided the visitors past the 100-run mark, with both batters reaching well-crafted half-centuries.

Prince Yadav eventually broke the partnership by dismissing Omarzai for 50, but Shahidi continued to anchor the innings. The left-hander mixed composure with attacking intent, finding regular boundaries and bringing up his maiden ODI century in 128 balls.

Mohammad Nabi chipped in with a useful 23 during a 57-run stand with Shahidi, helping Afghanistan approach the 200-run mark before India’s bowlers regained control in the closing stages.

Gurnoor Brar removed Nabi, while Harsh Dubey and the fielders chipped in with wickets as Afghanistan lost their final five wickets for just 20 runs. Shahidi’s dismissal for 102 also handed Krishna his fifth wicket of the innings and brought Afghanistan’s innings to an end at 218 in 44.2 overs.

Krishna finished with outstanding figures of 5/23, emerging as India’s standout performer with the ball. Prince Yadav, Harsh Dubey and Gurnoor Brar claimed a wicket each as India produced a disciplined bowling display to seize control of the contest.

Captains’ take at toss

“We’ve decided to bat first today. The conditions are typically hot in India at this time of year, and the wicket looks promising, dry and hard, ideal for batting. Hopefully, we can get off to a strong start,” Shahidi said at the toss.

The Afghanistan skipper also confirmed four changes to the playing XI, with experienced all-rounder Mohammad Nabi and Azmatullah Omarzai returning to the side.

India captain Shubman Gill admitted he would have preferred to bat first as well but remained confident about his team’s ability to chase under challenging conditions.

“The wicket looks excellent, and we would have chosen to bat first as well. The conditions remain hot, just like in the previous match. For us, the key is to maintain consistency in the areas we’re targeting. Chasing is still something we haven’t fully mastered,” Gill said.

IND vs AFG 3rd ODI: Playing XIs

Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Darwish Abdul Rasool, Mohammad Nabi, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, AM Ghazanfar, Ziaur Rahman, Fareed Ahmad.

India: Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill (c), Ishan Kishan (wk), Shreyas Iyer, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Harsh Dubey, Gurnoor Singh Brar, Prasidh Krishna, Prince Yadav.