Yashasvi Jaiswal turned a dead rubber into a declaration of intent as India hammered Afghanistan by nine wickets in the third ODI at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Saturday.
Chasing 219, India barely gave Afghanistan a chance to believe. They finished at 224/1 in just 28.4 overs, sealing a 3-0 series sweep and giving Shubman Gill his first series win as India’s ODI captain. But the night belonged to Jaiswal, who stayed unbeaten on 110 off 86 balls and made a powerful case in a format where India’s top-order competition remains brutally tight.
Jaiswal turns opportunity into statement
Jaiswal’s innings was not just about the hundred. It was about how complete the knock looked.
He started quickly, used the fielding restrictions smartly and punished Afghanistan whenever they missed their lengths. There was very little panic in the chase, but there was plenty of authority. Jaiswal reached his half-century in the powerplay phase of India’s innings and then shifted gears with the maturity of a batter who understood that the chase did not need recklessness once the early damage had been done.
That was the most impressive part of the knock. Jaiswal did not play like someone trying to force a statement. He played like someone who knew the statement would arrive if he batted long enough.
The left-hander mixed his natural aggression with smart strike rotation after the field spread. Afghanistan tried to pull the game back through spin and changes of pace, but Jaiswal kept finding gaps, kept collecting boundaries and never allowed the chase to drift. By the time Rohit Sharma departed for 79, India were already in full control at 170/1.
Yashasvi Jaiswal then ensured there would be no late slowdown. He moved into the 90s, reached his second ODI hundred with a six off Mohammad Nabi, and later finished the chase with another maximum. It was a stylish end to a ruthless innings.
Rohit Sharma’s 79 off 69 balls gave India the perfect platform, but Jaiswal was the more significant story. In a side where Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan all occupy major ODI conversations, Jaiswal used this chance to remind the selectors that he is not just a Test and T20I force. He can be a serious 50-over option too.
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Earlier, Afghanistan had been bowled out for 218 in 44.2 overs after choosing to bat first. Prasidh Krishna wrecked the top order and finished with 5/23, while Hashmatullah Shahidi fought almost alone with a fine 102. Azmatullah Omarzai’s 50 helped Afghanistan recover from early trouble, but the total never looked enough once India’s openers began the chase.
Afghanistan also hurt themselves with poor discipline, conceding five penalty runs before India’s innings began. That meant India started the chase at 5/0 without a legal delivery being bowled. From there, Jaiswal and Rohit made sure the visitors never recovered.
For India, the result completed a clean sweep. For Jaiswal, it may mean much more. Coming into the series as an injury replacement, he walked out of Chennai with an unbeaten hundred, a chase finished in style, and a fresh reminder that India’s ODI future has another left-handed monster knocking loudly at the door.