The third and final ODI contest was comprehensively won by the West Indies by five wickets, giving the visitors the clear upper hand over a team whose bowling attack is perhaps not the easiest to dominate. The third consecutive loss for Afghanistan meant that they have now lost 11 of the last ODI encounters while the West Indies became the first-ever team in one-day international history to whitewash Afghanistan in a bilateral series.
But it wasn’t that Afghanistan’s batting was dismal. It was in fact, among the key talking points from the Third ODI between the West Indies and Afghanistan.
Their batsmen did well enough to compile to 249 runs on the board. There were some useful contributions from the middle and the lower middle order and Windies bowlers Often found it difficult to contain the big hits especially towards the final 10 overs of the innings. But that Said what were the five talking points from the game
Zazai’s fiery batting right at the start
After Afghanistan lost two of the crucial batsmen top of the order it was down to their burly left-hander to take the attack to the opposition and Zazai didn’t disappoint. His muscular flicks and powerful shots through the offside gave West Indies pacers some thinking to do.
For a batsman of his burlesque built, if the ball is delivered in his zone, then Zazai, more often than not deposits it into the stand. Among the key talking points from the Third ODI between the West Indies and Afghanistan was how the tall leftie held the innings together for Afganistan, repairing the early jolts through powerful strikes.
He also struck two powerful sixes before being held in the outfield in a flawed attempt to send Keemo Paul over the ropes.
Asghar Afghan top scoring for his team
In a series where the experienced right-hander from Afghanistan feel to collect meaningful scores the final contest unveiled A different and more purposeful batsmen in Asgar. Compiling a gritty and valuable 86 runs the right-hander took only 85 balls to launch his personal best score against West Indies an inning that included six sixes.
Roston Chase removing the dangerous Najib
Over the course of the past quarter of a year, Roston Chase has emerged as a highly valuable and resourceful all-rounder for the West Indies, even in white-ball cricket.
Someone who can compile runs when they are most needed and bowl economical spells by putting the brakes on the batsmen, Chase has become a critical force in action for the West Indies.
today he proved his worth yet again by removing the dangerous and well set Najeeb Just when his partnership with Afghan was blossoming. Later on, he came out and supported Hope to take the West Indies over the line. In so doing, he compiled a valuable 42 runs including a brilliant square cut off the right-handed pacer, one of the shots of the day in the death overs.
Lewis and Shimron have their task cut out against Spin
Big hits against speedsters and medium pacers aren’t going to give you all the success as a batsman; today, success in international cricket is determined by how well can a batsman hold onto his own against the challenges posed by spin. Some of the big talking points from the Third ODI between the West Indies and Afghanistan was the Caribbean top order’s failure to read spin.
By the time the West Indian scorecard could touch barely four runs they had already lost two wickets. And these weren’t just any wickets; These were big wickets of the dashing Lewis and the dangerous Hetmyer.
But a common thread that bound both the dismissals what is their week surrender again spin.
They just weren’t able to read the talismanic Mujeeb. Instead of leaning forward and reading the line of the ball they went on the back foot without any success and both batsmen were caught plumb in front of the stumps. That both the left-handers went without troubling the scorers highlighted their plight against reading Afghani spin.
Maybe this is the clear area they need to work on if they are to contribute handsomely in the upcoming T20s.
Shai Hope shines bright
If patience is a virtue then Shai Hope is a living example of that for his team.
As long as there is Shai for West Indies, there’ll always be ‘Hope,’ a man whose batting was clearly among the big talking points from the Third ODI between the West Indies and Afghanistan.
After he got off to a flying start in the series courtesy a crafty 77 in the First ODI, following it up with another watchful effort of 43, Shai Hope reserved his best for the final ODI.
Despite being pushed to the back foot as he saw wickets tumbling regularly from the other end, Shai Hope looked determined to repair his team’s woeful scoring early on, a predicament highlighted by the fact that by the time the 22nd over of the Windies inning can be completed, their batsmen already conceded 86 dot balls.
But Hope was undeterred and all focus. He swiftly negotiated the tall challenge imposed by the spinners, often rotating the strike when the big shots were hard to come by. And when the opportunity came, he danced down the track handsomely to loft a few mighty sixes as well, two in an over from Nabi after he went past his fifty.
But what made the crafty right-hander a threat for Afghanistan was that he successfully safeguarded his wicket and scored runs on all sides of the ground, playing a vital and inimitable hand in being part of three fifty-run partnerships.
The Bajan craftily negotiated the likes of Rashid and Mujeeb, using the depth of the crease well, perhaps also demonstrating his teammates on how to handle a fierce spin attack. The Barbadian not only scored a sparkling seventh ODI hundred but carried his bat through to the end.