Shami shines with the first hat-trick of World Cup 2019; India beat Afghanistan by 11 runs

India beat Afghanistan by 11 runs to win their fifth match of the tournament. India showed a clinical bowling performance to defend a low total against some power-packed batting line-up.

Indian skipper Virat Kohli won the toss and elected to bat first against Afghanistan. Afghanistan's bowling attack started with a bang as they dismissed India’s star opener Rohit Sharma for just 1 run. KL Rahul was the next batsman to go but only after making 30 off 53 balls.

Indian skipper Virat Kohli was the only batsman who scored fluently without struggling. Kohli scored 67 off 63 before he was dismissed by Mohammad Nabi. MS Dhoni and Kedar Jadhav notched up a 60-run partnership before ‘captain cool’ was stumped for the second time in ODI cricket. The first time he was stumped was in 2011 World Cup against West Indies.

India put up 224 runs on board in 50 overs. In reply, Afghanistan was bundled out for 213 runs but after giving a tough fight to the world number two team India. Afghanistan’s Nabi was looking good to finish the game before he was dismissed by Mohammed Shami. Shami then took two more wickets in the next two balls to take the first hat-trick of World Cup 2019. Shami’s bowling figure at the end read, 4-40 from 9.5 overs.

Mohammed Shami became the second bowler for India to take a hat-trick in a World Cup match after Chetan Sharma in 1987.

India now has 9 points from the five matches they played and are one of the two teams in this World Cup with a 100 percent win ratio. India will now play against West Indies on June 27 at Old Trafford, Manchester.

Also read: Afghanistan fans prove why cricket is a gentleman sport; see pics