India completed a commanding 3-0 series whitewash against Afghanistan on Wednesday, crushing the visitors by nine wickets in the third and final ODI at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. Chasing a modest 219, openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rohit Sharma made short work of the target, wrapping up the chase in just 28.4 overs to cap a dominant series performance that never really allowed Afghanistan a foothold across any of the three matches.
The result extends India's remarkable record in bilateral ODI series, marking their 18th series clean sweep in the format - a statistic that underlines just how far the gap has grown between the top-ranked sides and the emerging nations when conditions and preparation align so heavily in the hosts' favour. Cricket may not attract the volume of netball bet online interest that some other disciplines generate globally, but on the subcontinent this series delivered the kind of clinical home dominance that Indian fans have come to expect and opponents have come to dread.
Earlier in the day, Afghanistan had found themselves in deep trouble almost immediately after being put in to bat. India's pace attack was relentless in the powerplay, reducing the visitors to a parlous 36 for 4 before Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi steadied the ship with a resolute and composed century. His knock of 102 from 131 balls was the kind of captain's innings that earns respect even in defeat - measured in the crisis, assertive in the middle overs, and technically disciplined throughout. Azmatullah Omarzai's half-century partnership alongside Shahidi gave the innings some structural integrity, and Mohammad Nabi chipped in lower down before India's bowlers closed out the tail to dismiss Afghanistan for 218 in 44.2 overs.
Prasidh Krishna Rewrites the Record Books at Chepauk
The standout performer with the ball was Prasidh Krishna, who stepped up as the attack's spearhead in the absence of the rested Arshdeep Singh and delivered one of the finest individual bowling performances seen at this venue in recent memory. The tall Karnataka pacer finished with figures of 5 for 23 from 8.2 overs - the best ODI bowling figures ever recorded at the Chennai ground - and did so with an authority that belied his relatively modest international cap count.
What made Prasidh's spell historically significant was not merely the wicket tally, but the manner in which he claimed them. He dismissed each of Afghanistan's top five batters, becoming only the third Indian bowler in ODI history to achieve that feat in a single innings. His fifth wicket, the prized scalp of centurion Shahidi, brought the crowd to their feet and completed a spell that will be replayed on highlight reels for years. It was his second career ODI five-wicket haul, and on this evidence, it is unlikely to be his last.
Jaiswal Unbeaten, Rohit Explosive - the Chase Was Never in Doubt
If Afghanistan had any hope that 218 would prove competitive, it was extinguished inside the first three overs. Yashasvi Jaiswal came out swinging, striking three boundaries in the opening over of the chase and setting an aggressive tempo that never relented. The 22-year-old reached his half-century off just 39 deliveries, and by the time the team crossed 100 runs inside 13 overs, the result felt academic.
Rohit Sharma took a slightly more deliberate approach in the early exchanges before finding his stride emphatically. After a quiet start, the Indian captain shifted gears against Zia Ur Rahman and then took the attack to Rashid Khan - one of the most respected spin bowlers in world cricket - sweeping and driving the leg-spinner for boundaries and a towering six on his way to a 47-ball fifty. He ultimately fell for 79 off 69 balls, caught at deep mid-wicket attempting an aggressive shot off Mohammad Nabi, but the damage was long since done.
Jaiswal carried on to finish unbeaten on 110, his strokeplay fluid and assured throughout. India reached their target in 28.4 overs, completing the chase with nine wickets in hand and confirming a series result that, in truth, had felt inevitable from the moment the tourists struggled so dramatically in the powerplay of each game. For Afghanistan, Shahidi's century offers a genuine positive to build on - his leadership under pressure was admirable - but the gulf in depth and experience across both departments remains considerable. India, meanwhile, head into their next challenge in the kind of form that will concern opponents considerably more formidable than this Afghan side.
