Indian Men's Cricket Team Wins Gold At Asian Games

The Indian men's cricket team clinched the gold medal on its Asian Games debut after their final against Afghanistan was called off due to rain

The Indian men's cricket team clinched the gold medal on its Asian Games debut after their final against Afghanistan was called off due to rain, and the Ruturaj Gaikwad-led side was adjudged winners by virtue of being seeded higher in the continental showpiece on Saturday. Put in to bat, Afghanistan were 112 for 5 in 18.2 overs when persistent rain halted the proceedings at the Zhejiang University of Technology Cricket Field, and the match never restarted from that point. The Afghans had a jittery start and were reduced to 12/3 inside four overs after their top-three -- Zubaid Akbari (5), Mohammad Shahzad (4) and Noor Ali Zadran (1) -- fell cheaply.

Shivam Dube (1-0-4-1) got the first breakthrough when he had Akbari in his first over. Akbari perished going for a hook shot to a rising delivery by the Indian pacer.

In the next over, wicketkeeper-batter Shahzad was caught behind off a delivery from left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh (3-0-17-1).

The Afghans committed a harakiri when Zadran was run out after a Ravi Bishnoi throw from deep square-leg helped Jitesh Sharma uproot the stumps.

Shahidullah then revived their innings scoring an unbeaten 43-ball 49 (3x4, 2x6) in a partnership with Afsar Zazai (15).