Dharamshala, June 13 (IANS) Debutants Gurnoor Brar and Harsh Dubey claimed three wickets apiece as India bowled out Afghanistan for 194 in the rain‑hit opening ODI at the HPCA Stadium on Saturday, despite a blistering century coming from Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s willow.

Gurbaz had luck on his side — India didn’t review an lbw appeal when he was on 14, and he made them pay. After taking time to get going and understanding the pitch, he launched into the Indian back-up bowlers with some outrageous clean hitting in a 25-overs-a-side contest.

In an outstanding knock studded with eight fours and as many sixes, Gurbaz brought up his hundred off 48 balls, the fastest by an Afghan batter in the 50-over format and the second fastest by any batter against India in ODIs.

At one point, Afghanistan looked set to get beyond 220, but Gurbaz’s dismissal helped India claw back. Barring Hashmatullah Shahidi and Azmatullah Omarzai making 20s, none of the other batters got past single digits. For India, Gurnoor and Harsh maintained their composure and bowling smarts to pick three-fors while Arshdeep Singh and Nitish Kumar Reddy chipped in with two scalps each.

Afghanistan’s innings began shakily as Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, and Rahmat Shah fell inside the powerplay. Gurbaz, however, counter‑attacked spectacularly as Washington Sundar, Dubey, and Prasidh Krishna bore the brunt of his big-hitting. With 78 percent of his runs coming in boundaries, Gurbaz put on a treat for fans who braved four hours and 15 minutes of rain delay and left them enthralled.

Shahidi offered support with a fluent 27, while adding a 116-run stand with Gurbaz at a run‑rate of over ten. Azmatullah Omarzai chipped in with a brisk 26, but once Nitish Kumar Reddy dismissed Gurbaz with a pinpoint slower yorker for 102, Afghanistan’s momentum stalled.

Left-arm spinner Dubey recovered from an expensive start to strike thrice – removing Shahidi, Omarzai, and AM Ghazanfar, while lanky right-arm pacer Brar capped his debut by castling Rashid Khan with pace and later had Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi caught at long‑on to finish with 3-27, as India’s bowlers, rattled initially, pulled things back smartly in the final overs.

Brief scores:

Afghanistan 194 all out in 24.5 overs (Rahmanullah Gurbaz 102, Hashmatullah Shahidi 27; Gurnoor Brar 3-27, Harsh Dubey 3-47) against India

–IANS

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