Afghanistan skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi reflected on his side's defeat against India in the first ODI of the three-match series, stating that the visitors were well placed for a strong total when Rahmanullah Gurbaz was at the crease, but a cluster of wickets derailed their innings. He felt the team lost momentum after a good start and ended up about 30 runs short of what could have been a competitive score.
Shahidi's assessment of the match
Speaking after the match, Shahidi said, "It was a tough game. I was feeling that when Gurbaz was playing, if we scored 220 or 230, that might be a good target, but we gave some back-to-back wickets, and after that, we were short of almost 30 runs." He added that his plan to attack the left-arm spinner didn't fully pay off, and repeated batting mistakes proved costly. "I think in my mind, I was trying to target the left-arm spinner because the boundary was also shorter on that side. But I think Gurbaz played really well, but after that, we made some mistakes. It started for me, and then other batsmen. That's why we were like 30 runs short," he explained.
Match summary
Shubman Gill's unbeaten 84, and three-wicket hauls by debutants Gurnoor Brar and Harsh Dubey helped India clinch a seven-wicket win over Afghanistan in the first ODI at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala on Saturday. After bowlers Brar and Dubey combined to bowl Afghanistan out for 194 in 24.5 overs in a rain-shortened 25-overs-per-side contest, India's batters responded with a blend of aggression and composure, chasing down the 195-run target with ease to seal a seven-wicket victory.
