NEW DELHI: Afghanistan faced their second consecutive World Cup defeat on Wednesday, with India securing an eight-wicket victory. However, coach Jonathan Trott believes that despite the losses, Afghanistan is making progress and adapting to the conditions in Delhi, where they are set to face England in their next match.
Afghanistan, having previously lost to Bangladesh in a low-scoring contest in their tournament opener, won the toss and chose to bat first again, amassing a total of 272-8 in 50 overs. India's comfortable victory was propelled by a century from Rohit Sharma.
Trott acknowledged that opting to bat first was a bold decision but admitted they fell short on a wicket that could have accommodated scores of "350-360."
"We thought it was the right decision to bat first, all the results pointed towards batting first as a bit of an advantage with the fact that the outfield is sort of sprayed and there's not much dew," he explained.
"We thought our spinners could come into the match towards the end on a wicket that we thought might keep a little bit low in spin. But credit to India, and they played really well."
1/10:ODI World Cup: Rohit Sharma's record ton powers India to win over Afghanistan
2/10:Rohit surpasses Sachin
<p>Captain Rohit Sharma on Wednesday surpassed compatriot Sachin Tendulkar with a record seventh World Cup century to lead India to a crushing eight-wicket win over Afghanistan.<br /><br /><br /></p>ANI
3/10:India register second straight win
<p>Chasing 273 for victory in New Delhi, the hosts rode on Rohit's 131 to achieve their target in 35 overs for a second straight win in the 50-over showpiece event.<br /><br /><br /></p>PTI
4/10:Fastest century by an Indian in World Cup
<p>Rohit's century was also the fastest by an Indian in a World Cup, quicker than Kapil Dev's hundred in 72 balls against Zimbabwe in 1983. He went past Tendulkar's record of six tons in World Cups.<br /></p>ANI
5/10:Rohit becomes leading six-hitter in international cricket
<p>Rohit hit the ball to all parts of the ground as he reached 1,000 World Cup runs and then went past Chris Gayle's record of 553 sixes across all formats.<br /></p>
6/10:Rashid gets rid of Rohit
<p>The dashing opener hit 16 fours and five sixes in his 84-ball knock before being bowled by leg-spinner Rashid Khan.<br /></p>AP
7/10:Big opening partnership
<p>His opening partnership of 156 with the left-handed Ishan Kishan, who made 47, extended the team's dominance after a good bowling show on a batting-friendly pitch.<br /></p>ANI
8/10:Kohli finishes it off in style
<p>Superstar cricketer and Delhi-born Virat Kohli soon took over to hit an unbeaten 55 and finished the match with a boundary.<br /></p>Getty Images
9/10:Afghanistan post 272-8
<p>Afghanistan posted 272-8 after electing to bat at the ground which witnessed a World Cup record 754 runs scored in the previous match when South Africa posted 428 and defeated Sri Lanka.<br /></p>ANI
10/10:Bumrah claims 4-wicket haul
<p>Pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah stood out for the home side with his best World Cup bowling figures of 4-39.<br /></p>PTITrott sees the match as a valuable experience for his players, as it took place in the same venue where they will compete against defending champions England on Sunday.
"It's a good run out for our boys, a good lesson in how to play cricket here in Delhi, and we look forward to the England game," he added.
Afghanistan is participating in their third World Cup and has a record of 16 losses out of 17 matches, with their sole victory coming against Scotland in 2015. Despite the challenges, Trott sees encouraging signs, particularly when the middle order performed well with Afghan skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi scoring 80 and all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai contributing 62 in a partnership of 121 runs.
"Azmat played really well, stepping up to number five and showing the talent and the pedigree that he's got as an all-rounder," Trott noted.
While acknowledging their progress, Trott also emphasized the need to improve in certain areas to compete effectively against formidable opponents like India and England.
"So those are the things we're looking to get right going forward and get ready for England," he concluded.
(With Reuters inputs)
