India signed off from the ODI series against Afghanistan in emphatic fashion in Chennai, cruising to a nine-wicket win to complete a 3-0 sweep that had already begun taking shape in the opening two matches.
If the second ODI in Lucknow had underlined India’s batting depth through Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan, the final game showed the attack and top order working in perfect sync.
Asked to bowl first, India reduced Afghanistan to rubble inside the opening spell. Prasidh Krishna, extracting bounce and movement under lights, tore through the top order with a spell that never allowed the visitors to settle.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Rahmat Shah and Ibrahim Zadran all fell to edges, while Darwish Rasooli also perished trying to force the pace. At 36 for 4, Afghanistan were in trouble.
Hashmatullah Shahidi and Azmatullah Omarzai briefly rebuilt with a century stand, and Shahidi went on to bring up his maiden ODI hundred in a determined innings of 102.
But Prasidh returned to complete a superb five-for, while two sharp run-outs from Shubman Gill and a late collapse ensured Afghanistan were bowled out for 218.
India then made a mockery of the chase. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rohit Sharma came out with the freedom of a side already in command of the series and dismantled Afghanistan’s attack in a 170-run opening stand.
Rohit’s 79 was brisk and authoritative, but it was Jaiswal who stole the evening, pacing his innings beautifully before bringing up a sparkling unbeaten 110.
After India had crossed 400 in Lucknow and controlled the series from the outset, Chennai was the final flourish ruthless, one-sided and entirely fitting for a team that rarely loosened its grip.