India Seal 1-0 Lead Thanks to Gill, Rahul After Gurbaz 100

India beat Afghanistan by 7 wickets in Dharamsala, taking a 1-0 lead in the 3-match ODI series. Match was reduced to 25 overs per side due to rain.

Scheduled to begin at 1.30pm local time, the match was delayed by more than four hours due to persistent drizzle and reduced to 25 overs a side. Once the weather cleared, Rahmanullah Gurbaz dazzled with a sublime 51-ball 102, the fastest century by an Afghanistan batter and his ninth in ODIs. But the rest of the batters failed to create much impact as Afghanistan folded for 194 in 24.5 overs. Arshdeep Singh and Nitish Kumar Reddy also picked up two wickets apiece.

Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz 102 off 51 – fastest ODI ton for Afghanistan, 8 fours, 8 sixes. But no support; AFG all out for 194 in 24.5 overs. India bowling: Debutants Gurnoor Brar 3/27 and Harsh Dubey 3/47 ripped through the middle order. Arshdeep and Nitish Reddy took 2 each.India chase: Shubman Gill 84_ off 66, KL Rahul 39_ off 19. Added 55* for the 4th wicket to finish with 13 balls to spare. Gill also became 2nd-fastest to 3000 ODI runs.

The first innings revolved around Gurbaz. He had his moments - he should have been lbw on 14, but India failed to review, and also run out on 30 - but kept the Afghanistan innings ticking after India had the visitors in early trouble. Gurbaz waltzed down the track first ball of the shortened innings and missed, and then crashed Arshdeep for four and six to collect 11 off the first over.

At 26 for 3 inside five overs, Afghanistan were in danger of collapsing in a heap but Gurbaz arrested the slide. He dominated the 116-run fourth-wicket stand in 11 overs, scoring 82 in the partnerships with Hashmatullah Shahidi. He struck Prasidh Krishna for two fours in the seventh over and then took on Dubey, smashing him for a four and six before reaching his fifty off 25 balls by depositing him over deep midwicket.

Rohit Sharma run out for 16 after a 46-run opening stand with Gill. Gurbaz got a reprieve on 14 when India didn’t review LBW, and punished them with his blitz. Rahul’s assault on Zia – 2 sixes, 2 fours in one over – killed the chase.

Kishan was undone by a Rashid googly as he charged down the track and lost his off stump after missing the line. Shreyas Iyer looked rusty during his 12 off 15 balls but Rahul immediately injected momentum into the chase. He started with a ramp over deep third and with India needing 33 off 24, smashed Ziaur for 6, 4, 4 and then ended the 22nd over with an effortless six over deep extra cover.

Bottom line: Gurbaz’s record century gave Afghanistan hope, but India’s debut bowlers and a composed Gill + explosive Rahul chase sealed a 7-wicket win and 1-0 series lead.