India outplay Afghanistan by 153 runs in final World Cup warm-up

Electing to bat, India did not have the best of starts as they lost opener Shikhar Dhawan (4) and Virat Kohli (5) early but Rohit's knock helped the Men in Blue post 364 for five.

India outplay Afghanistan by 153 runs in final World Cup warm-up
Riding on Rohit Sharma's strokeful 150, an under-fire India finally registered a win after a long time as they crushed minnows Afghanistan by 153 runs in their second and final World Cup warm-up match on Tuesday.

Electing to bat, India did not have the best of starts as they lost opener Shikhar Dhawan (4) and Virat Kohli (5) early but Rohit's knock helped the Men in Blue post 364 for five.

Chasing a mammot h score, Afghanistan, who are making their first 50-over World Cup appearance, played cautious cricket but could only manage to score 211 for eight in 50 overs.

The Indian bowling though fared a touch better with Mohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja sharing two wickets each but Mohammed Shami went wicketless.

But the day belonged to Rohit, whose dominating innings laid the foundation of a strong batting show. He stitched a 158-run third wicket partnership with Suresh Raina (75) to help India gain ground.

The left-handed Raina was unlucky to be run out after hitting 5 fours and 3 sixes in his 71-ball stay but Rohit carried on the good work with Ajinkya Rahane (88 not out).
ADVERTISEMENT

The duo stitched a 95-run fourth wicket partnership to def late the Afghan hopes.

Rohit was finally picked up by offspinner Mohammad Nabi but not after he had hit 12 fours and 7 sixes in his 122-ball knock.
Download
The Economic Times Business News App
for the Latest News in Business, Sensex, Stock Market Updates & More.
Download
The Economic Times News App
for Quarterly Results, Latest News in ITR, Business, Share Market, Live Sensex News & More.
ICC World Cup 2015: Men who will make a difference
1/9
Text: ET Bureau

Stephen Fleming was one of the most thinking captains of world cricket.

Let's see who the former New Zealand skipper picks as he chooses the men who will make the difference during the World Cup...
Text: ET Bureau

Stephen Fleming was one of the most thinking captains of world cricket.

Let's see who the former New Zealand skipper picks as he chooses the men who will make ..
Read More
Knowing him as I do from our time together at the Chennai Super Kings I just have a feeling he could do something special.

It is true he has nothing to prove - he won the tournament on home soil as captain with a six, for goodness sake - but he thrives on the big stage in the biggest matches.

He loves being part of and winning battles and as he showed in the 2011 final, when he pushed himself up the order, he can be a catalyst for his team.
Knowing him as I do from our time together at the Chennai Super Kings I just have a feeling he could do something special.

It is true he has nothing to prove - he won the tournament on home s..
Read More
Everyone is raving about AB de Villiers after his world record hundred from just 31 balls - and rightly so - but Faf du Plessis can be just as effective and destructive.

I know his ability having coached him at Chennai Super Kings. He is unorthodox but very driven and he has taken his game forward with huge strides in the past 12 to 18 months.

He is capable of digging in or blitzing the opposition and he will be a wicket every opposition side will be desperate to get and get early.
Everyone is raving about AB de Villiers after his world record hundred from just 31 balls - and rightly so - but Faf du Plessis can be just as effective and destructive.

I know his ability ha..
Read More
Everyone knows that with Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Angelo Mathews and Tillakaratne Dilshan, Sri Lanka has a batting lineup to rank with every other side.

But without the retired Muttiah Muralitharan it is their bowling that will come under the microscope and so Malinga really must deliver.

He has lost some pace and comes into the tournament recovering from injury but if he can rise to the challenge then he can lift those around him; if not, it could get ugly for an attack that otherwise lacks that X-factor.
Everyone knows that with Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Angelo Mathews and Tillakaratne Dilshan, Sri Lanka has a batting lineup to rank with every other side.

But without the retired M..
Read More
Eoin can be a match-winner in two ways: as captain and batsman.

The team needed a breath of fresh air and someone to lead by example and his hundred in the opening match of the pre-ICC Cricket World Cup tri-series against Australia will give him confidence.

If he gets runs then others can feed off that and although it is too early to know what sort of captain he is, if he can encourage some positivity and belief then England could, just could, be contenders.
Eoin can be a match-winner in two ways: as captain and batsman.

The team needed a breath of fresh air and someone to lead by example and his hundred in the opening match of the pre-ICC Cricke..
Read More
When Afridi is on his game he can drag the team along almost singlehandedly.

His bowling has been consistently excellent and against New Zealand late last year he also added surprising maturity to his long-forgotten batting while still retaining his devastating ability to hit hard and long.

If he shines he will also take the pressure off others and as it is his last ICC Cricket World Cup, he will want to go out with a bang.
When Afridi is on his game he can drag the team along almost singlehandedly.

His bowling has been consistently excellent and against New Zealand late last year he also added surprising maturi..
Read More
There is lots of focus, and rightly so, on Brendon McCullum and Kane Williamson, but if Taylor can complement those two at No. 4 then that really will take New Zealand to a new level.

His form at the start of last year against India hinted at what he can do, as did his barnstorming innings against Pakistan in Pallekele four years ago, and he offers skills as either a stabiliser or a devastating finisher.

He will also feed off his mentor Martin Crowe's inspiration given Crowe's role as a Kiwi talisman 23 years ago.
There is lots of focus, and rightly so, on Brendon McCullum and Kane Williamson, but if Taylor can complement those two at No. 4 then that really will take New Zealand to a new level.

His for..
Read More
There is lots of attention on David Warner and Aaron Finch at the top of the order but Maxwell is the man who, if he is hot, is capable of winning matches on his own.

I saw that first-hand in last year's Pepsi Indian Premier League when, for Kings XI Punjab, he destroyed Chennai Super Kings single-handedly.

He is unorthodox and I would use him as a floater in the order, give him license to go for his shots and fill him full of positive thoughts.

He is not a player you should count on every time but in tournaments like this, where you need big performances in big matches, he can be the difference between winning and losing.
There is lots of attention on David Warner and Aaron Finch at the top of the order but Maxwell is the man who, if he is hot, is capable of winning matches on his own.

I saw that first-hand in..
Read More
The new, young captain holds the fortunes of the side in his hands.

The team has the potential to be a fractured environment after the omissions of Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo and his ability to pull the players together and get them fighting for the cause will be fundamental.

He can do that through leadership and also through performances with bat and ball.

If he cannot lift the team through action and deed then the wheels could easily fall off.
The new, young captain holds the fortunes of the side in his hands.

The team has the potential to be a fractured environment after the omissions of Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo and his abi..
Read More
READ MORE
ADVERTISEMENT

READ MORE:

LOGIN & CLAIM

50 TIMESPOINTS

More from our Partners

Loading next story
Business News › News › Sports › India outplay Afghanistan by 153 runs in final World Cup warm-up
Text Size:AAA
Success
This article has been saved

*

+