Afghanistan upsets West Indies
Lucknow, India - Afghanistan rode on a remarkable performance by Karim Janat to surge to a series-levelling 41-run win against West Indies in the second T20I on Saturday.
The 21-year-old Janat, brother of Asghar Afghan, came into the XI for his first match on tour. Sent in at No.3, he hit a freewheeling 26 off 18, his highest T20I score. But it was with the ball that he really tore through, taking Afghanistan's second-best ever T20I figures with five for 11 in four overs.
Afghanistan had got what seemed to be a below par 147 for seven, but thanks to Janat, all West Indies could limp to was 106 for eight, leaving everything to play for in the series decider on Sunday.
Hazratullah Zazai starting things off with a first-ball six flicked disdainfully over square leg. Zazai looted 16 runs off the opening over bowled by Jason Holder. Both openers fell to Kesryck Williams in the fifth over, robbing Afghanistan of the momentum built up. But Janat, batting at No.3 for the first time in T20Is, kept the run-rate going with some bold strokeplay.
Afghanistan was 41 without loss in four overs. In the next 16 overs, it could get only 106 for seven.
Led by Williams, ably supported by Holder (who gave up only seven runs in his last three overs), Keemo Paul and Kieron Pollard, it strangled Afghanistan in the middle.
Gulbadin Naib's enterprising 24 off 18 from No 8 gave it some impetus at the very end.
West Indies had begun the chase playing cautiously. Janat began the slide by trapping Shimron Hetmyer lbw.
Evin Lewis, the game-changer in the first T20I, was undone when he swatted Janat a topedge to long-on. Two balls later, Janat got one go across Sherfane Rutherford, who was caught behind.
It was his next strike that really broke West Indies back, and hopes, getting one to jag wickedly into Pollard and catching him on the crease, pad very much in line with the stumps.
Janat completed his five-for when he came back in the 18th over with the match all but in the bag, but it was his three-over spell in the middle that dismantled West Indies.