1st ODI - West Indies v Afghanistan
Afghanistan 212 for 6 beat West Indies 149 by 63 runs
Afghanistan had won on four previous occasions when Rashid Khan had picked up four wickets or more. But Friday brought him one of his tougher challenges: he had only 212 to defend on a sluggish St Lucia surface but that only seemed to spur him on. The 18-year old legspinner finished with 7 for 18 - the fourth-best haul in ODI history - and West Indies were bowled out for 149.
The 63-run victory for Afghanistan, their first in this format over a Full Member other than Zimbabwe or Bangladesh, exposed the ineptness of a West Indies unit struggling in their quest to qualify directly for the 2019 World Cup.
Rashid, introduced in the 23rd over with West Indies seemingly steady at 68 for 2, broke open the game by picking up wickets off his first two deliveries. And if that isn't impressive enough, he struck on consecutive balls in the 25th as well to be on a hat-trick twice during the course of his first two overs, opening his spell with figures of 4 for 1. The lone run conceded came courtesy of a dubious wide call in which a googly spun in from outside leg stump to strike Jonathan Carter's back leg after a missed sweep before ricocheting to fine leg.
Jason Mohammed played for a straight ball when there was turn, debutant Roston Chase fell for a golden duck, completely deceived by a googly, Shai Hope was snaffled courtesy Mohammad Nabi's brilliance at slip and Jason Holder's defence was breached by a ripping wrong 'un. At 70 for 6, West Indies were railroaded, having to switch back to survival mode.
That didn't prevent Ashley Nurse from trying ungainly slogs and was quickly shown his place by a skiddy googly that gave Rashid his second five-for in ODIs. The upset was sealed in the 45th over, fittingly with another Rashid googly, as Afghanistan added to the shockwaves that rocked the cricket world this night. After all, it was only a few hours previously that another underdog, Bangladesh, had stunned New Zealand in the Champions Trophy.
While Rashid walked away with the plaudits - among bowlers with at least 50 wickets, he has the best bowling average (15.05) and strike-rate (22.3) - it was opener Javed Ahmadi quietly worked his way through to make 81, his highest ODI score, to set the game up. He showed the resolve to fight through testing spells from Shannon Gabriel and Miguel Cummins and, given he had to face a lot of short-pitched bowling, he also showed that he was particularly strong square of the wicket. Forty of his runs, including four fours and a six, came behind point.
Ahmadi built the platform in a slow, but assured, second-wicket stand of 55 with Rahmat Shah, before West Indies hit back with two quick strikes. They went into a shell against Nurse, who used the strong breeze to drift the ball away from the right-handers. He took out Asghar Stanikzai, who played for turn when there was none, and Samiullah Shenwari, who was unfortunately given out as the ball lobbed to slip off his forearm while trying to reverse sweep.
With Afghanistan at 131 for 5 in the 38th over, and Ahmadi back in the pavilion as well, West Indies had a firm grip over the contest. But Gulbadin Naib used his muscle to pepper the legside boundary and take apart Jason Holder, who conceded 36 off his last three overs. Naib would hammer three fours and two sixes in his unbeaten 28-ball 41. The 58-run stand for the eighth wicket with Mohammad Nabi, who quietly finished 27 not out, would signal the change in momentum for Afghanistan.
West Indies would have hoped for a brisk start from their batsmen but it was not to be and by being diffident and overcautious, they played themselves into a situation where one costly lapse could trigger an alarming slide. And slide they did.
2nd ODI - West Indies v Afghanistan
West Indies 138 for 6 beat Afghanistan 135 by four wickets
Stung by their 63-run defeat in the first ODI, West Indies hit back via their fast bowlers, who exposed Afghanistan's frailties against the short ball as they slid to 135 all out. West Indies' batting, though, isn't without frailties of its own, and Rashid Khan, responsible for bowling them out for 149 on Friday, caused yet another serious wobble with his zippy, stump-to-stump legbreaks and googlies. Afghanistan's total, though, proved a fair way short of matchwinning as Shai Hope held a shaky chase together and steered West Indies to a series-levelling four-wicket win.
Afghanistan could perhaps have pushed West Indies even closer with more aggressive tactics. Asghar Stanikzai, their captain, only brought Rashid on in the seventh over, by which time Evin Lewis and Kieran Powell had already knocked 37 off the target.
Rashid struck in his first over, getting Powell to nick a googly to slip, and went around the wicket in his third over to trap Lewis lbw with another perfectly pitched wrong 'un. This was high-quality bowling, and West Indies' batsmen, unsure of which way the ball would turn, were stabbing nervously at him with leaden feet. Stanikzai, though, took Rashid off the attack after only a five-over spell.
Gulbadin Naib, who had already made a sizeable contribution by scoring his third ODI fifty, then brought Afghanistan more cheer with his medium-pace, dismissing Jonathan Carter - who showed poor judgment while cutting - and Jason Mohammed - who failed to keep a cut down - in his first three overs.
With West Indies four down, Stanikzai brought Rashid back after only two overs from Amir Hamza. Hope and Roston Chase played out the legspinner's sixth and seventh overs, but he struck again with the last ball of his eighth, flighting it wide of off stump and inviting the drive. Dip deceived Chase into reaching for the ball, turn made him miss it, and all of that unbalanced him enough to drag him out of his crease. Afsar Zazai's lightning hands did the rest behind the stumps.
By then, though, West Indies only needed 38, and only needed one reasonable partnership. Hope and Rovman Powell provided that, and Jason Holder applied the necessary touch of urgency at the finish.
Apart from Naib's 51, there was little to cheer for Afghanistan when they batted, and their batsmen played no role in West Indies' only real moments of concern, with Shannon Gabriel and Alzarri Joseph spending brief spells off the field nursing injuries. Gabriel walked off four legal balls into his sixth over, clutching his left side, while Joseph hurt his ankle while stumbling over the advertising hoardings in a failed attempt to flick a hook from Rashid back into play.
Having chosen to bat once again, Afghanistan made a cautious start - Noor Ali Zadran shouldered arms to every ball of the sixth over, bowled by Holder - and moved to 21 for 0 in seven overs before the short ball found its first victim. Holder got one to lift towards Noor's helmet, and the batsman, fending awkwardly, popped back a return catch.
A mix-up at the end of the same over, which left Ahmadi and Rahmat Shah stranded at the same end, was quickly followed by Rahmat top-edging a hook off Gabriel to the fielder at long leg. Afghanistan had lost three wickets in 11 balls. Gabriel struck again in his next over, this time with a fuller length, the umpire ruling Samiullah Shenwari out lbw even though the ball seemed to be slanting down the leg side.
West Indies introduced Alzarri Joseph in the 13th over, and he immediately set about peppering Stanikzai and Nabi with bouncers. Neither survived the test. Stanikzai was unlucky to receive the ball of the innings, angled in wickedly and rising head-high while giving him no time to react.
Naib, expecting another short ball first up, ducked at what turned out to be a good-length delivery outside off. Exceedingly nervy at the start of his innings, he calmed down as Joseph, bowling a six-over spell, lost some of his sting, and West Indies called upon the offspin of Ashley Nurse and the gentle medium-pace of Rovman Powell.
Naib grew comfortable enough to launch a rare full ball from Joseph over the long-on boundary, but that aside, runs came in a trickle. Zazai crawled to 9 off 33 before stepping out and nicking Roston Chase to slip. Then Rashid, having top-edged a hook over deep backward square leg, fell trying a similar shot next ball, only managing a nick to the keeper.
Naib, looking to farm the strike, began finding the straight boundary with greater frequency, but couldn't keep the tail away from the strike entirely. Dawlat Zadran slogged Nurse to deep midwicket, and a couple of overs later Naib, having just reached his fifty, gave Nurse his second wicket, holing out to long-off.
3rd ODI - West Indies v Afghanistan
No result (abandoned with a toss)
The series between West Indies and Afghanistan ended in a 1-1 tie as the deciding match was washed out by rain, which had been heavy overnight and persistent through the day.
There was just enough time with clear skies for the two captains to come out for the toss - two hours after schedule - but as soon as Asghar Stanikzai found the favour of the coin, he lost those of the elements. A drizzle prompted the groundstaff to cover the square again and pushed the match into an interminable delay. For your information, Afghanistan opted to bat.
In other news, West Indies coach Stuart Law, during a pre-match interview with the host broadcaster, was very frank in his assessment of the team. He said his players were actually less experienced than the opposition's - an Associate Member - in ODI cricket and also admitted that West Indies were in a great struggle to climb up the rankings and gain automatic qualification for the 2019 World Cup.
The top eight sides on September 30 will be locked in to play the showpiece event in England - and with Bangladesh making the semi-final of the Champions Trophy and Pakistan going one better to secure a spot in the final, they will likely widen the gap between themselves and the No. 9 ranked West Indies. The international teams that don't make the cut must then participate in a gruelling qualifying tournament in April 2018, when 10 contenders, including the best of the Associate nations, fight for two spots.
"But we can't be focussed on that," Law said. "We have to be up for this contest, and then the next series against India. If we can win a couple of games, and then a couple against England, I'm sure we can climb the ladder. Whether or not we get direct entry into the World Cup, I'm not sure."
West Indies had begun the series on 79 points. Even if they had won it today, they still would have lost a point.
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