Rahmanullah Gurbaz dragged Afghanistan back into the first ODI against India on January 11, 2024, turning a nervous innings into a late burst of resistance. He reached the 90s with a high, handsome six over long off off Nitish Kumar Reddy, then kept the scoreboard moving as Afghanistan tried to recover from early damage.

That strike mattered because Afghanistan were still only 132/3 in 14.3 overs when the live score update was posted, despite Gurbaz’s counterattack. India’s attack had already done the early work, with Arshdeep Singh returning to the attack with figures of 3-0-18-2 and Gurnoor Brar on 3-0-16-1 at that stage, but Gurbaz kept finding ways through the field and onto the scoreboard.

He nudged a single off Brar after an inside edge off the pads, squeezed Nitish Kumar Reddy through mid-wicket for another, then jammed a yorker-length delivery down to long off for one more. When he dug out a full ball to deep mid-wicket and set off for two, his skipper sent him back. The next ball was the one that changed the mood completely: Gurbaz launched it over long off for six, the shot that took him into the 90s and briefly lifted Afghanistan’s hopes.

He did not let up after that. Gurbaz pushed a low full toss from Arshdeep Singh to mid off and pinched a quick single, toe-ended a slower ball in front of square leg for another run, and then left a slower bumper alone. The sequence showed both the risk and the discipline in his innings, with one boundary swing doing more than a string of safe nudges ever could.

The larger picture was still unforgiving. This was the first-ever ODI series between India and Afghanistan, and Afghanistan had already lost early wickets before Gurbaz settled the innings. That is why his late surge stood out: it did not finish the job, but it kept the contest alive and left Afghanistan with something to build on, even if the final total and result were still unwritten in that moment.