Kiwis Hold Nerve To Silence Afghans
Having beaten the Kiwis on their memorable run to the semifinals in the previous edition, Afghanistan had fuelled expectations of another thriller
CHENNAI: Afghanistan threatened to reprise their giant-killing reputation, but New Zealand held their nerve to seal a five-wicket victory in their Group D opener of the T20 World Cup at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium on Sunday morning.
Having beaten the Kiwis on their memorable run to the semifinals in the previous edition, Afghanistan had fuelled expectations of another thriller. They did their part with the bat, recovering from a quiet start to post a competitive 182 for six. New Zealand, though shaken early in the chase, regrouped in time to begin their Cup campaign on a winning note, with 13 balls to spare.
Introducing spin as early as the second over, Mujeeb Ur Rahman made an instant impact by rattling Finn Allen’s stumps. He followed it up with a peach of a delivery to dismiss Rachin Ravindra on the very next delivery, leaving New Zealand reeling at 14 for two. But Tim Seifert weathered the storm, stitching together a vital partnership with Glenn Phillips to revive the chase. The Kiwis reached 52 for two at the end of the powerplay.
Seifert anchored the innings with a fluent 65 off 42 balls, striking three towering sixes, while Phillips chipped in with a brisk 42 off 25. Afghan skipper Rashid Khan eventually broke their 74-run stand, bowling Phillips to make it 92 for three, but by then the momentum had firmly shifted. New Zealand needed 91 off the final 10 overs, but they cruised home without further hiccups.
Earlier, Afghanistan had clawed their way back after a sedate beginning, thanks largely to Gulbadin Nabi’s aggressive half-century. Gulbadin smashed 63 off 35 balls, unleashing a range of strokes to lift the scoring rate through the middle overs. Gulbadin went on the attack, slog-sweeping, muscling and slapping the bowlers to all parts.
The 79-run third-wicket stand between Gulbadin and Sediqullah Atal steadied the innings and set a platform, taking Afghanistan to 72 for two at the halfway mark.
Late cameos from Darwish Rasooli (20 off 13), Azmatullah Omarzai and Mohammad Nabi ensured Afghanistan finished strongly.