India defeated Afghanistan by six wickets in the first T20I encounter in Mohali on Thursday but it was not without controversies as skipper Rohit Sharma was left frustrated after he was dismissed for a duck following a mix-up with opening partner Shubman Gill. Rohit played a delivery from Fazalhaq Farooqi to mid-off and called for a single. However, Gill was watching the ball and did not move resulting in Rohit getting run-out without scoring a single run. The veteran batter was clearly livid at the situation and he was even seen gesturing his frustration to Gill. Former India wicket-keeper batter Parthiv Patel supported Rohit and said that Gill should have trusted his skipper’s call and gone for the single.
“Shubman Gill should have just trusted Rohit Sharma. I know that they are playing for the first time in T20 Internationals but they both have played a lot of cricket together as ODI openers and Test openers. I think there was a clear misunderstanding here as Shubman Gill was watching the ball but he should have just run at Rohit Sharma’s call,” Parthiv said during the post-match analysis on Star Sports.
All-rounder Shivam Dube defied bitterly cold weather to hit an unbeaten half-century and take one wicket as India eased to a comfortable win over Afghanistan in the first T20 international on Thursday.
Dube, a left-handed batsman, made 60 off 40 balls for his second T20 fifty as India chased down their victory target of 159 with 15 balls and six wickets to spare at Mohali.
India lead the three-match series 1-0 as they prepare for the T20 World Cup in June.
India’s bowlers led by spinner Axar Patel restricted Afghanistan to 158-5 despite an attacking 42 by Mohammad Nabi on a chilly winter evening.
(With AFP inputs)
