India produced a dominant bowling display led by Prasidh Krishna’s sensational figures of 5/23 as Afghanistan were bowled out for 218 in 44.2 overs in the third and final ODI at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. India now need 219 to complete a 3-0 series whitewash.
Afghanistan won the toss and elected to bat first on a surface that offered early assistance to the pacers. Krishna made an immediate impact, striking with the very first ball of his spell to dismiss Rahmanullah Gurbaz, caught by Rohit Sharma at slip. He followed it up by removing Ibrahim Zadran and Rahmat Shah in similar fashion, with Rohit taking sharp catches to complete a hat-trick of dismissals for the pacer in the powerplay.
Afghanistan slumped to 36/4 inside 10 overs, but captain Hashmatullah Shahidi anchored the innings with a gritty century — his 102 off 131 balls. He found some support from Azmatullah Omarzai, who contributed a half-century, helping the visitors recover partially through the middle overs. However, Krishna returned to shatter the lower order, finishing with a maiden ODI five-wicket haul by dismissing Shahidi in the 44th over, caught by Shreyas Iyer at deep mid-wicket.
Key Performances
• Prasidh Krishna (India): 8.2-2-23-5 — Early breakthroughs and a clinical finish.
• Hashmatullah Shahidi (Afghanistan): 102 off 131 — A valiant captain’s knock in a losing cause.
India’s bowling attack was well-supported by spinners like Washington Sundar, who kept things tight in the middle phase. The home side will now look to chase down the target with their strong batting lineup, featuring the likes of Shubman Gill (captain), Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Ishan Kishan.
With the series already in the bag after convincing wins in the first two ODIs, India are on course for a clean sweep. Afghanistan showed fight through their captain but ultimately paid the price for a top-order collapse against Krishna’s pace and swing.
Stay tuned for the chase updates. India are favorites, but a cautious approach will be needed on what remains a good batting track.
