A brilliant unbeaten century from Yashasvi Jaiswal, a fiery knock from captain Rohit Sharma and a five-wicket haul by Prasidh Krishna powered India to a commanding nine-wicket victory over Afghanistan in the third and final ODI in Chennai on Saturday, sealing a 3-0 series whitewash.
After restricting Afghanistan to 218 despite a fighting century from skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi, India chased down the target in just 28.4 overs, with more than 21 overs to spare.
The match was trending on Google with over 1 million searches around the match and 1,000% spike in search volume.
Prasidh Krishna starred with the ball, returning figures of 5/23 as India’s pacers ripped through the Afghanistan batting line-up. However, Shahidi stood firm with a composed 102 off 131 balls, striking 13 fours and a six. All-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai also chipped in with a valuable 50 off 56 deliveries, featuring five boundaries and two sixes, helping Afghanistan recover from early setbacks and post 218.
India’s reply got an unexpected boost even before the first ball was bowled, with Afghanistan conceding five penalty runs after Shahidi ran in the danger area. Openers Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal then made full use of the momentum, launching a brutal assault on the Afghan attack.
Jaiswal was particularly severe on Azmatullah Omarzai and Fareed Ahmed, peppering the boundaries with ease. The duo raced to a 50-run partnership in just 6.1 overs and reached 86 without loss after the first 10 overs.
The left-hander brought up his maiden ODI fifty in only 38 balls, while Rohit soon followed with a much-needed half-century off 47 deliveries. Afghanistan’s famed spin duo of Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi also found little respite as the Indian openers continued their dominance.
India crossed the 150-run mark in the 21st over before Nabi finally broke the 170-run opening stand, dismissing Rohit for a sparkling 79 off 69 balls. The Indian skipper struck nine fours and three sixes in an innings that marked a return to form.
Jaiswal, however, continued to dictate proceedings. Alongside Shreyas Iyer, who remained unbeaten on 20, the youngster ensured there were no further hiccups.
The southpaw completed his second ODI century in style with a six, reaching the milestone in just 83 deliveries. He eventually remained unbeaten on 110 off 86 balls, smashing 14 fours and three sixes in a breathtaking display of strokeplay.
Earlier, Afghanistan’s innings had revolved around Shahidi’s gritty century. Despite wickets falling around him, the captain anchored the innings before becoming one of Prasidh Krishna’s five victims.