India survived a major World Cup scare as they beat a spirited Afghanistan side by 11 runs thanks to pacer Mohammed Shami’s decisive hat-trick on Saturday.

Virat Kohli’s side, one of the favourites to win the tournament, posted just 224/8 from their 50 overs. Afghanistan, who had lost their previous five games, made a brave effort to chase down the target.

But they eventually fell just short of a stunning upset thanks to Shami, who took the last three wickets in the space of three balls in the final over to move an unbeaten India closer to the semi-finals.

Here are some of the key statistics from the match.

  • With the win, Afghanistan were the first team in the World Cup to get knocked out of World Cup contention.
  • In terms of margins, this was as close it got for India in World Cups. That showed how hard Afghanistan had pushed them in the match.
  • “Virat Kohli is batting on a different pitch compared to his teammates” is a line frequently heard in commentary. Here again, the India captain was a class apart on a wicket where his teammates struggled. The ball had grip and turn but Kohli’s fine run of form continued.  
  • Add one more won record in India’s stunning record in World Cup cricket. Since the start of the 2011, the Men in Blue have lost only two games – against South Africa and Australia.
  • India are also closing in on Australia, the most successful team in World Cups, and New Zealand. The Kiwis have been the second best team despite not winning the tournament, and added one more win to their tally. It was their 50th victory.
  • Former India captain MS Dhoni may have not had the greatest of games. However, he reached another yet another landmark in a career punctuated by records, and records galore. 
  • The 2011, 2015, and the ongoing World Cup has given India’s winning percentage a major fillip.
  • Mohammad Shami ran through the Afghanistan lower order. He became only the tenth bowler to take a World Cup hat-trick.
  • The stumping off Rashid Khan gave Dhoni yet another feather in his cap.
  • Shami is only the fourth Indian to take a hat-trick.
  • MS Dhoni was unusually slow and didn’t receive the best of receptions while walking back to the pavilion.
  • The statistic below shows how good the Afghanistan bowlers were. It also illustrates how good the Indian batsmen have been over the past decade.
  • Is a century on the cards for Kohli?