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India-A each but sealed a spot successful the tri-nation series last with a commanding 101-run triumph implicit Afghanistan-A astatine the Rangiri International Stadium connected Wednesday, acknowledgment to a composed sound from Kumar Kushagra and a disciplined bowling effort.
Asked to bat, India-A recovered from a wobble to station 319 for nine. Half-centuries from Priyansh Arya (58, 42b, 9x4, 1x6), skipper Tilak Varma (59, 75b, 5x4) and Kushagra (58, 67b, 5x4) formed the backbone of the innings, with the 104-run fourth-wicket basal between Tilak and Kushagra proving decisive.
The changes to the XI paid disconnected immediately. Priyansh, drafted successful for Prabhsimran Singh, continued his awesome tally astatine the top, while Kushagra justified his inclusion up of Ayush Badoni.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi once again got a commencement but failed to person it contempt surviving a mates of chances. Ruturaj Gaikwad looked fluent earlier edging Abdollah Ahmadzai behind.
When wickets fell successful speedy succession, Kushagra remained calm and assured, rebuilding the innings alongside Tilak. The brace wrestled backmost power before Vipraj Nigam added precocious impetus with a brisk 30 disconnected 20 balls to instrumentality India-A past 300.
Tilak Varma. | Photo Credit: SLC
The tally pursuit began brightly. Hassan Eisakhil attacked Anshul Kamboj and Yash Thakur before mistiming a propulsion to Ruturaj at abbreviated mid-wicket. Khalid Taniwal and Imran Mir besides got starts but failed to capitalise.
The pursuit remained live done an 87-run fourth-wicket concern between Bahir Shah and Faisal Shinozada. Just erstwhile Afghanistan-A threatened to equine a challenge, India-A struck back.
Anukul Roy tightened the screws successful the mediate overs, while Vipraj delivered cardinal breakthroughs. The turning constituent came when Bahir departed soon aft reaching a hard-fought fifty.
From there, Afghanistan-A unravelled arsenic left-arm spinner Nishant Sindhu cleaned up the process with 4 wickets, bowling retired the broadside for 218.
The emphatic triumph lifted India-A to the apical of the points table, up of Sri Lanka-A and Afghanistan-A connected Net Run Rate, leaving it connected the verge of a spot successful the final.
The scores: India-A 319/9 successful 50 overs (Priyansh 58, Tilak 59, Kushagra 58) bt Afghanistan-A 218 successful 36.5 overs (Shinozada 46, Bahir 57, Sindhu 4/31).
Toss: Afghanistan-A; PoM: Nishant Sindhu.
