Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rohit Sharma activated their free-flowing mode by scoring unbeaten 110 and 79 respectively, including Prasidh Krishna’s career-best 5 for 23, as India defeated Afghanistan by nine wickets in the third and final ODI here on Saturday.

With this victory, India won the three-match ODI series 3-0.

The target of 219 was never really going to test the Indians, and they achieved it in just 28.4 overs, leaving Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi’s innings of 102 a mere footnote. With the help of Jaiswal’s second ODI century, India scored 224 runs for one wicket.

Realistically, neither Rohit nor Jaiswal, who couldn’t get better than his second ODI century, have anything to prove, but their immediate situation makes it imperative for them to make this outing count.

Rohit needed a big innings to maintain the growing competition for his place at the moment, and Jaiswal needed a big score to keep himself in contention for India’s densely populated top order.

He combined his individual goals with a brilliant exhibition of one-day batting for the team on this night.

Rohit was a little slow to start his innings, but soon he discovered the kind of shots that earned him the nickname ‘Hitman’.

The Mumbai batsman took a liking to Afghanistan’s leading spinner Rashid Khan and hit him for consecutive fours and sixes.

Rohit’s enviable timing was on full display when he hit Rashid for an inside-out six over cover, leaving a disappointed smile on the bowler’s face.

Jaiswal, on the other hand, was comfortable from the first ball, hitting three fours off fast bowler Azmatullah Umarzai as 23 runs were scored in the first nine-ball over, including five penalty runs, which India earned after Shahidi was found guilty of repeatedly running into the danger zone.

With a six off fast bowler Farid Ahmed and some velvety drives off spinner AM Ghazanfar, he completed his half-century in 38 balls and his partner achieved the feat in 47 balls.

Together they scored 170 runs for the first wicket in just 22.5 overs and India achieved the target without blinking an eye.

The one minor deviation was the dismissal of Rohit, who could not distance his favorite pull shot off Mohammad Nabi and was caught by substitute Sediqullah Atal at deep midwicket.

But that didn’t stop Jaiswal as the left-handed batsman brought up his century in 83 balls with a six off Nabi and celebrated the moment by raising his bat and soon, fittingly, scoring the winning run with a six off Nabi. Earlier, fast bowler Prasidh destroyed Afghanistan’s top order with a brilliant spell, after which the visiting team was all out for 218 runs.

Opting to bat first, Afghanistan were in all kinds of trouble at 36 for four when Prasidh found the right length on the Chepauk pitch, taking four wickets in his opening spell.

But Shahidi, who took 131 balls for his maiden ODI century, used the remaining resources well to save Afghanistan some embarrassment.

The left-handed batsman first made a partnership of 105 runs in 117 balls for the fifth wicket with Azmatullah Umarzai (50, 56b) and then made a partnership of 57 runs in 53 balls with Nabi for the sixth wicket.

Before the Afghans could mount a defence, Prasidh grabbed the headlines with a very classy spell, hitting a fuller length and inspiring the batsmen to drive.

Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran and Rahmat Shah all attempted to drive Prasidh outside the off-stump, giving Rohit a routine catch at first slip.

Darwish Rasooli tried to pull the fast bowler, but Shreyas Iyer ran in from mid-off and took a brilliant catch, giving Prasidh his fourth wicket inside the first 10 overs.

Thus, this player from Karnataka joined the elite list of fast bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah, Javagal Srinath and Mohammed Siraj etc. who have achieved this feat.

At 36 for four, surrender seemed imminent. But Shahidi and Umarzai resisted the Indian bowlers bravely.

Shahidi played the role of anchor well and often used late cuts and short dabs at the gap to score runs and completed his half-century in 64 balls.

In contrast, Umarzai was more aggressive and brought up his half-century in 55 balls, including sixes off left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey and off-spinner Washington Sundar.

But a weak pull from Prince Yadav ended up at Prasidh’s hands at long leg.

But as soon as Nabi was out, wickets started falling rapidly around Shahidi, who used his last energy to bat through the pain barrier and take Afghanistan past the 200-run mark.

The tourists’ ordinary day got worse when Shahidi was fined five runs after running into the danger zone of the pitch on the last ball of the 39th over.