Afghanistan, flying high after the win over England, was brought down to the ground by a clinical performance from New Zealand which handed the former a 149-run defeat at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium on Wednesday.
Asked to bat first, half-centuries from skipper Tom Latham (68) and Glenn Phillips (71) helped the Black Caps post 288 for six. On a two-paced pitch, with the ball holding off the surface, Latham and Phillips combined well for a 144-run stand for the fifth wicket to bail their side out of a tricky situation and end up with an above-par score.
In reply, Afghanistan’s chase never found any rhythm with Matt Henry and Trent Boult removing the openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran respectively.
