The 2023 Asian Games men’s cricket final between India vs Afghanistan was a highly anticipated match, with both teams in good form. India had won all of their matches in the tournament, while Afghanistan had lost just one.
India won the toss and elected to bowl first. They made a good start, taking three early wickets. However, Afghanistan recovered well, thanks to a partnership between Shahidullah Kamal and Gulbadin Naib. The pair put on 50 runs for the sixth wicket before Naib was dismissed for 27.
Kamal remained unbeaten on 49* when the rain came down in the 19th over. The match was eventually called off, with India declared the winners as they were the higher-ranked team.
India’s bowling performance in the India vs Afghanistan match
India’s bowlers were excellent in the early stages of the match, taking three wickets in the first five overs. Arshdeep Singh dismissed Mohammad Shahzad for 4, while Ravi Bishnoi took the wickets of Noor Ali Zadran and Rahmat Shah.
However, Afghanistan recovered well in the middle overs, thanks to a partnership between Shahidullah Kamal and Gulbadin Naib. The pair put on 50 runs for the sixth wicket before Naib was dismissed for 27.
Kamal remained unbeaten on 49* when the rain came down in the 19th over. He was the pick of the Afghanistan batsmen, hitting six fours and a six.
India’s batting performance in India vs Afghanistan
India did not have a chance to bat in the final, as the match was called off due to rain. However, they had been in excellent form with the bat throughout the tournament.
In the semi-final against Bangladesh, India scored 200/5 in their 20 overs. Prithvi Shaw scored a century, while Shreyas Iyer scored a half-century.
In the group stage, India scored 180/5 against Sri Lanka, 190/4 against Pakistan, and 210/3 against Nepal.
Afghanistan’s batting performance
Afghanistan’s batting performance in the final was disappointing in India vs Afghanistan match, as they were bowled out for 112 in 18.2 overs. However, they had shown some good batting form earlier in the tournament.
In the semi-final against Bangladesh, Afghanistan scored 160/7 in their 20 overs. Rahmanullah Gurbaz scored a half-century.
In the group stage, Afghanistan scored 170/6 against Sri Lanka, 180/5 against Pakistan, and 190/4 against Nepal.
India’s overall performance in the tournament
India was the most impressive team in the 2023 Asian Games men’s cricket tournament. They won all of their matches, and they were never really challenged.
Their batting was excellent, with Prithvi Shaw scoring a century in the semi-final and Shreyas Iyer scoring a half-century in the final match of India vs Afghanistan. Their bowling was also good, with Arshdeep Singh and Ravi Bishnoi taking wickets regularly.
Afghanistan’s overall performance in the tournament
Afghanistan had a good tournament overall, reaching the final despite losing one match in the group stage. They showed some good batting form, with Rahmanullah Gurbaz scoring a half-century in the semi-final.
However, their bowling was not as good as India’s, and they were often expensive. They also made some mistakes in the field, which cost them dearly.
Conclusion
In the India vs Afghanistan match – India was the worthy winner of the 2023 Asian Games men’s cricket tournament. They were the most consistent team in the tournament, and they played their best cricket in the final.
Afghanistan also played well, but they were not able to match India’s quality. They will be hoping to come back stronger in the next Asian Games.