Dube fifty guides India to 6-wicket win

India started their first T20I against Afghanistan at the PCA Stadium in Mohali with a comfortable 6-wicket win. Shivam Dube‘s excellent all-round performance earned him the Player of the Match award.

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Dube displayed great composure while batting at number 4 and smashed a brilliant half-century. He mentioned that his captain, Rohit Sharma, backed him well, which helped him perform well in the game.

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Afghanistan won the toss and chose to bat first. Although they had a 50-run opening partnership, they struggled to maintain their momentum and ended up being 30-40 runs short of a competitive total. The Indian spinners, especially Axar Patel, bowled exceptionally well. The pacers also contributed and picked up crucial wickets, ensuring Afghanistan fell short of the 160-run mark.

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The Indian innings began with the quick dismissals of Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma. However, Gill made up for it with some impressive shots before getting out. Tilak Varma and Shivam Dube then contributed with a 44-run partnership, putting India in a commanding position. Jitesh Sharma played a quick cameo, adding to the team’s total. Dube remained unfazed and kept getting boundaries, eventually scoring a well-deserved fifty and hitting the winning runs with a maximum.

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Afghanistan’s bowlers were unable to build on an early breakthrough and struggled to contain the Indian batters. Although they had some good spells, they couldn’t make an impact with wickets. In the end, India comfortably chased down the target and secured a 1-0 lead in the three-match T20I series.

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The next match will be held at the Holkar Stadium in Indore on Sunday, 14 January. The Indian team looks forward to continuing their winning momentum, while Afghanistan will aim to bounce back and improve their performance in the remaining matches.