Prasidh Krishna produced a sensational spell with the ball on Saturday to put Afghanistan under huge pressure in the third and final ODI against India in Chennai. The pacer took a career-best 5 for 23, becoming the first Indian bowler to record a five-wicket haul in an ODI on the ground. His figures are also the best by any bowler in ODIs in Chennai, surpassing West Indies’ Ravi Rampaul’s 5 for 51 against India in 2011.Afghanistan opted to bat first but were rattled early as Prasidh removed four batsmen within the first 10 overs. Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran and Rahmat Shah all fell while trying to drive outside the off-stump, while Darwish Rasooli was caught after trying to pull the Karnataka pacer. At 36 for four, Afghanistan seemed headed for total collapse.Captain Hashmatullah Shahidi then settled the innings with a determined knock. The left-hander put together a 105-run partnership with Azmatullah Omarzai, who scored a brilliant 50, before adding another crucial stand with Mohammad Nabi.Shahidi played the role of the host perfectly and brought up his maiden ODI century off 128 balls. Despite cramping after crossing 80, he continued to battle and eventually finished with 102 from 131 deliveries. Omarzai’s attacking approach also helped Afghanistan recover from a disastrous start.
India restrict Afghanistan to 218
After Nabi’s dismissal, wickets began to fall regularly and Afghanistan were eventually bowled out for 218. Shahidi’s effort helped the visitors cross the 200-run mark, but they were also handed a five-run penalty after the skipper entered a dangerous area of ​​the field late in the innings.Despite Afghanistan’s spirited fightback, the day belonged to Prasid, whose memorable performance earned him a place alongside India’s pace giants such as Jasprit Bumrah, Javagal Srinath and Mohammed Siraj.
