IND vs AFG: After 4,644 days, Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi finally gets first ODI century

ByTech Word News

Hashmatullah Shahidi (Image credit: Afghanistan Cricket Board) NEW DELHI: Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi finally got his long-awaited maiden ODI hundred as he smashed 102 against India in the third and final ODI at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Saturday.The century was a landmark for Shahidi not only because it was his first ODI ton but also because of the long wait. After making his ODI debut in 2013, it took Shahidi 4,644 days to reach his first hundred in the format – the fourth-longest gap between an ODI debut and a maiden century in men’s cricket.Only Zimbabwe’s Regis Chakabva (5,040 days), India’s Sunil Gavaskar (4,858 days) and Sri Lanka’s Arjuna Ranatunga (4,674 days) have waited longer for their maiden ODI hundred.

Most days from ODI debut to first ODI century

  • 5,040 – Rise of Regis (2008–2022)
  • 4,858 – Sunil Gavaskar (1974-1987)
  • 4,674 – Arjuna Ranatunga (1982-1994)
  • 4,644 – Hashmatullah Shahidi (2013-2026)
  • 4,639 – Nasser Hussain (1989-2003)

Shahidi’s special innings came at a time when Afghanistan were in deep trouble. After electing to bat first, the visitors slumped to 36/4 in the first 10 overs as Prasidh Krishna tore through the top order.Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah and Darwish Rasooli all fell cheaply, with Prasidh finishing the innings with career-best figures of 5/23.With wickets falling around him, Shahidi took on the recovery. The left-hander played a patient innings, regularly finding gaps and alternating strikes, ensuring that Afghanistan did not suffer a complete collapse.First he added 105 runs for the fifth wicket with Azmatullah Omarzai making a brisk 50 off 56 balls. The partnership helped Afghanistan regain some stability after early damage.Shahidi reached his fifty off 64 balls before going on to anchor the innings. Even after suffering from cramp in the latter stages of his knock, he went on to score his first ODI century from 128 deliveries.The milestone came right with Washington Sundar’s boundary. Shahidi eventually finished with 102 off 131 balls, an innings that included 13 fours and a six.He later shared another important stand of 57 runs with veteran Mohammad Nabi as Afghanistan crossed the 200-run mark.Once Nabi departed, wickets fell quickly at the other end, but Shahidi battled through pain and fatigue to ensure Afghanistan posted a respectable total of 218.