Afghanistan's top-order slump costs them the series as Rashid Khan's late rally falls short

Afghanistan slid to 67 for 3 in Delhi and never fully recovered, conceding the T20I series with a match still to play

Afghanistan's 159 for 8 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday was the work of a top order that folded against India's new ball and a lower order that repaired the damage far too late to matter. India chased the target down in 14.5 overs to win by seven wickets and take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.

India put Afghanistan in, and by the end of the second over the tourists had already lost Rahmanullah Gurbaz for a second successive duck. Nothing in the powerplay that followed suggested the innings would be rebuilt at any speed.

Only two Afghanistan partnerships passed 20, and the second of them — a 48-run stand between Mohammad Nabi and Rashid Khan — arrived after the 16th over, by which time the shape of the innings was settled.

Arshdeep removes Gurbaz again

Jasprit Bumrah opened with a maiden to Ibrahim Zadran, a rare thing in a T20 innings and an accurate signal of what the first six overs would offer. Arshdeep Singh struck in his first over, removing Gurbaz for 0.

That is two ducks in two matches for the opener on this tour, and Afghanistan have twice been asked to build without him. Zadran, their captain, had to bat through the restriction rather than around it.

Afghanistan reached the end of the powerplay on 41 for 1, a figure that reflected the discipline of India's opening pair rather than any panic from the batters. Zadran and Sediqullah Atal then added 50 for the second wicket, the largest stand of the innings, without threatening to take the game away.

Nitish Kumar Reddy takes the middle order apart

The breakthrough came from the fifth bowler. Nitish Kumar Reddy, bowling medium pace, had Zadran caught for 37 from 33 balls to end the second-wicket stand and open up the middle order.

Ravi Bishnoi then had Atal taken at long-off for 12, and Reddy returned to remove Gulbadin Naib for 10. Afghanistan were 67 for 3 with the innings barely half gone and no settled batter at the crease.

Axar Patel accounted for Azmatullah Omarzai for 11, and Arshdeep's second wicket ended a brisk cameo from Darwish Rasooli. Reddy finished with 3-24 and was named player of the match.

Nabi and Rashid rally too late

Nabi and Rashid added 48 in the closing overs, the one passage of the innings in which Afghanistan scored freely against anyone.

Rashid took 16 from an Arshdeep over, two fours and a six among them, and Nabi struck Bumrah for four in the 19th. Bumrah had Nabi dismissed for 20 from 14 balls shortly afterwards.

Reddy then had Rashid caught off the first ball of the final over for 28 from 16, his third wicket of the night, and Afghanistan closed on 159 for 8.

Rashid's three wickets cannot slow the chase

Rashid was the only Afghanistan bowler to trouble India, taking 3-36 from 3.5 overs and dismissing Abhishek Sharma, Shreyas Iyer and Sanju Samson.

By the time he got them the chase had gone. Samson made 57 from 22 balls with seven fours and four sixes, and Abhishek's 39 from 19 gave India an opening stand from which the target was never in doubt.

India finished on 163 for 3 in 14.5 overs, with 31 balls unused and Ishan Kishan 38 not out. India were without Varun Chakravarthy, who is out of the remainder of the series with a side strain; Bishnoi came in for him and took a wicket.

One match left to avoid a whitewash

The third and final T20I is at the same ground on Thursday, with the series already decided and only the scoreline to play for.

Afghanistan's task is narrower than it looks. They need a top order that survives the first six overs, because in Delhi so far the batting has been left to Nabi and Rashid to assemble something from what was left them.

Scorecard: Afghanistan 159 for 8 in 20 overs (Ibrahim Zadran 37, Rashid Khan 28, Mohammad Nabi 20; Nitish Kumar Reddy 3-24, Arshdeep Singh 2-35); India 163 for 3 in 14.5 overs (Sanju Samson 57, Abhishek Sharma 39, Ishan Kishan 38*; Rashid Khan 3-36). India won by seven wickets.

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