ICC World Cup 2019: Match 28, India vs Afghanistan – India’s milestone win, Dhoni’s record and more stats

India held their nerves to beat Afghanistan in a game that went down till the last over only to edge out the winless team by 11 runs. On a slow surface, the Indian batsmen struggled to score runs quickly barring Virat Kohli. The Indian skipper scored 67 from only 63 balls while Kedar Jadhav also scored a useful 52 to help India finish with 224/8. Afghanistan ensured they didn’t lose wickets in a heap despite scoring slowly. Former captain Mohammad Nabi kept his team’s fight intact until the end, but Jasprit Bumrah with a match-winning spell and Mohammed Shami’s hat-trick sealed the game for India.

All the statistical highlights from India’s close win against Afghanistan in Southampton:

India’s closest win:

11 – India’s 11-run win in this game is their narrowest win in terms of runs in the World Cup. They won the 1987 CWC game against New Zealand in Bangalore by 16 runs.

A milestone win for India:

50 – This was India’s 50th win in a World Cup game; the 3rd team to win 50 matches in the CWC. Only Australia (67) and New Zealand (52) have won 50 CWC games before India.

Shami seals with a hat-trick:

2 – Mohammed Shami became only the 2nd Indian and overall the 10th player to bag a hat-trick in the World Cup. Chetan Sharma was the first bowler in CWC history to claim a hat-trick which he did in 1987 edition against New Zealand.

4 – Shami is only the 4th Indian to take a hat-trick in ODIs but the first to do so outside home. Chetan Sharma’s CWC hat-trick was recorded in Nagpur while Kapil Dev against Sri Lanka in 1991 and Kuldeep Yadav against Australia in 2017 took hat-tricks at the Eden Gardens.

Kohli’s hat-trick:

2 – Virat Kohli became only the 2nd Indian captain to score a hat-trick of fifties in an edition of the World Cup. Mohammad Azharuddin did the same in the 1992 edition hosted by Australia and New Zealand.

A low score from India:

224/8 – India’s total of 224/8 is their lowest total in a 50-overs World Cup game (Since 1987) where they played full 50 overs. Their previous lowest was 227/6 against Pakistan in the 1999 CWC game hosted by Manchester. The last time India scored less than 224 in any CWC game after playing at least 50 overs was way back in 1983. India were bowled out for 183 during the final against Windies in 54.4 overs.

India struggles to spin:

5 – Each of India’s top five batsmen were dismissed by a spinner in this game. In the first three games of this tournament, no Indian got out while facing spin.

5 – The five dismissals to spin in this game are the most for India in an ODI outside Asia since 2013. The last time they lost as many as five wickets in an ODI outside Asia was against Sri Lanka in the 2013 Kingston ODI. These five wickets are also the most India lost to spin in an ODI hosted in England.

Dhoni goes past Moin:

140 – Number of stumpings MS Dhoni has affected in List A cricket; the most by any wicketkeeper. Dhoni went past Moin Khan’s tally of 140 stumpings during this game.

The former Pakistan keeper affected 138 stumpings while playing as a designated keeper and one when he had to take up the gloves in the regular keeper’s absence.

A rare dismissal for Dhoni:

2 – Rashid Khan is only the 2nd bowler to dismiss MS Dhoni stumped in an ODI. The first one was Devendra Bishoo of Windies also during a World Cup game in 2011.