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Samson fires India to T20 series win over Afghanistan / Photo: © AFP
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Samson fires India to T20 series win over Afghanistan
Wicketkeeper-batsman Sanju Samson struck 57 off 22 balls to lead India to a dominant seven-wicket win over Afghanistan in the second T20 international and clinch the series on Tuesday.
India chased down a victory target of 160 with 5.1 overs to spare to take an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the three-match series at New Delhi's Arun Jaitley Stadium.
Abhishek Sharma, who hit 39 off 19 balls, and fellow opener Samson put on 88 runs to put the team on course.
Abhishek started briskly and Samson soon took over to hit the ball to all parts of the ground as he struck sixes and fours including in a 27-run sixth over by Mohammad Nabi.
Leg-spinner Rashid Khan cut short Abhishek's knock a ball after being hit for a six by the swashbuckling left-hander, who hit 82 in India's opening win also by seven wickets.
Samson reached his fifty in 20 balls to raise the noise of the home crowd but departed two balls later off Nabi. He hit seven fours and four sixes.
Skipper Shreyas Iyer fell on 11 before Ishan Kishan, who made 38, and Tilak Varma (15) guided the team home in an unbeaten stand of 40.
Earlier, Iyer won his 11th toss, the most by a captain in his first 12 T20 matches, surpassing 10 each by Qatar's Mirza Baig and Henry Tyler of Philippines.
Bowlers backed the decision and kept Afghanistan down to 159-8 with seam bowler Nitish Kumar Reddy returning figures of 3-24.
Pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah started with a maiden over and fellow quick Arshdeep Singh reaped the benefit as he sent back Rahmanullah Gurabaz, caught behind for a duck.
Skipper Ibrahim Zadran attempted to hit back with his brisk 37 as he struck six fours in a 51-run partnership with Sediqullah Atal, who made 12.
Reddy broke the stand on his first ball as he got the batsman caught at deep mid-wicket.
Reddy got one more after leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi, who came in place of injured Varun Chakravarthy, sent back Atal and Afghanistan slipped to 67-4 in 10.1 overs.
Indian bowlers struck regular blows to rattle the opposition batting despite some lower-order resistence by Nabi (20) and Rashid, who made 28.
Reddy dismissed Rashid for his third strike as Afghanistan, who made 156-8 in the opener, once again finished on a below-par total on the batting-friendly pitch.
The third match is on Thursday at the same venue.
O. Henrique--JDB
