Gurbaz’s Century Blitwzk Sets Up Tense Chase for India in Rain-Shortened Dharamshala ODI
A breathtaking, counter-attacking century from opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz powered Afghanistan to a highly competitive total of 194 before they were bowled out in 24.5 overs against India at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) Stadium in Dharamsala.
Following a major weather delay that kept the teams off the field for over four hours, the opening match of the three-game series was truncated into a rapid 25-overs-a-side contest. India’s captain, Shubman Gill, won the toss and elected to field first under heavy, overcast conditions.
Gurbaz’s Fireworks vs. India’s Debutants
The first innings was a dramatic tug-of-war between Gurbaz’s sheer brilliance and a highly impactful performance from India’s debutants:
- Early Afghan Stumble: Left-arm seamer Arshdeep Singh and debutant pacer Gurnoor Brar gave India a dream start. Brar dismissed Ibrahim Zadran (1) in his very first over, while Arshdeep quickly removed Sediqullah Atal (0) and Rahmat Shah (3), leaving Afghanistan reeling at a precarious 26/3.
- The Gurbaz Masterclass: Unfazed by the crumbling top order, Rahmanullah Gurbaz launched a spectacular assault on the Indian bowling attack. He smashed the fastest ODI century by an Afghan batter, reaching the milestone in just 48 balls. Gurbaz’s final score of 102 off 51 balls was laced with 8 boundaries and 8 massive sixes. Alongside skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi (27), he stitched together a blistering 116-run partnership for the fourth wicket.
- The Lower-Order Collapse: The game shifted dramatically when Nitish Kumar Reddy clean-bowled Gurbaz in the 16th over. From a comfortable 142/3, Afghanistan’s lower order crumbled entirely against the turning ball, losing their final seven wickets for just 52 runs.
- Dream Debuts: Spinner Harsh Dubey turned the game on its head in the middle overs, picking up 3 wickets for 47 runs, including the key scalps of Shahidi and Azmatullah Omarzai (26). Gurnoor Brar then returned in the final over to clean up the tail, dismissing Rashid Khan (9) and Ziaur Rahman (4) to wrap up the innings with figures of 3/27.
The Indian Run Chase Blueprint
With Afghanistan bowled out for 194 with one ball left in their designated allotment, the target for India remains a straightforward mathematical calculation. Because Afghanistan batted out their overs, India does not require an adjusted DLS target.
The Equation: India requires exactly 195 runs to win from their 25 overs at a required run-rate of 7.80 runs per over to secure a 1-0 lead in the bilateral series.
The chase began with veteran opener Rohit Sharma—making history as the oldest male cricketer to play an ODI for India—opening the innings alongside skipper Shubman Gill. Following an early breakthrough by the Afghan bowlers to dismiss Rohit, India sits at 50/1, requiring another 145 runs with 9 wickets in hand to complete the high-octane chase under the lights.
