India and Afghanistan face each other at the World T20 2010, beginning a fascinating journey for the Afghans

On 1 May 2010, the Afghans stepped into the big league after persevering for years – facing India at the World T20.

May 1, 2010 is a remarkable date in the history of world cricket. As eleven men from a country whose sporting interests could be summarized by the fact that they didn’t even have a proper ground for cricket practice, took the field at the highest echelon of the game, the world sat up and marveled at their determination.

A FASCINATING JOURNEY

Here was a group of unrelenting, passionate souls desperate for a tablespoon of glory, a moment of magnificence, a half chance to put their nation into the map of cricket followers. The same war-ravaged, torn and desiccated nation that had done little for them. This was a refugee’s dream – one that was shared by a thousand cricket romantics.

The journey from Division 5 to World Cup had posed more than a few challenges. Let alone playing against India, forming a national cricket team itself had seemed no more than a figment of imagination. The ICC did grant an affiliate membership status in 2001, but that had been more in name than anything else. 15 years later, as it now stands, the Afghans still do not possess a home ground that is actually at home.

The third match of the 2010 ICC World Twenty 20 was Afghanistan’s first against a full-member nation. They had made a surprisingly strong case for themselves through the qualifiers, but running into such a strong side as India in their very first game at the main event was unfortunate, if not almost cruel.

As the Nawroz Mangal-led side marched into the playing area at Gros Islet, they evoked strong reminiscence of the Bangladeshis a few years earlier. In reality though, Afghanistan had faced far more odds and championed them all one after another. Their perseverance and doggedness had yielded fruit slowly but surely.

STANIKZAI’S DEFIANCE

Destiny’s unkindness, however, landed upon the Afghans in the second over itself when Karim Sadiq lost his wicket to Ashish Nehra. A brief while later Mohammad Shahzad succumbed to another legside bouncer in Nehra’s second over. The Afghan skipper followed suit after facing 11 deliveries, with the team reeling at 29/3.

The stage was set for an expected debacle for the underdogs. Prior to the match, the coach Kabir Khan had talked about adjusting and quick-learning. What however had escaped him is the fact that the mighty Indians were nothing like they had faced till then. Dhoni’s boys were more skilled, experienced, successful, and for the Afghans with nearly zero knowledge about what lay ahead, unbeatable.

Noor Ali Zadran and Asghar Stanikzai’s defiance had a single aim – to arrest the collapse. Their 68-run stand, nonetheless, did more than that. The opener, in particular, looked at ease against spin, nudging at deliveries and picking the odd boundary.

The pair continued to build their innings calmly yet swiftly until the 17^th over when Nehra got the better of Ali with an immaculately pitched bouncer. A mistimed pull found Stanikzai walking towards the pavilion in the next over. Afghanistan struggled for 2.5 overs more after their departure and added 18 runs, finishing with an appreciable total of 115.