India were crowned Asian Games men's cricket champions on their first attempt and without needing to bat Saturday in an anti-climatic finish, consigning Afghanistan to a third consecutive silver.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
India were declared winners of the final under an Asian Games-specific rule where the higher-ranked team takes the honours if the match cannot be finished, in this case due to rain.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Afghanistan made 112-5 under the floodlights in Hangzhou before the wet weather arrived after 18.2 overs.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
With conditions not improving, the final was abandoned.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Despite the damp ending it completed a golden double for India after they beat Sri Lanka by 19 runs to be crowned women's champions last week.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Twenty20 cricket has been played at the Asian Games twice before, at Guangzhou 2010 and Incheon 2014, with Bangladesh and then Sri Lanka crowned men's winners.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Afghanistan were runners-up both times, but India did not take part.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Because they were among the higher-ranked teams, they both entered the tournament at the quarter-final stage in Hangzhou.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
While India cruised through their knockout games, against Nepal and Bangladesh, the Afghans had to scrap hard to beat holders Sri Lanka and then Pakistan.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Afghanistan again had to knuckle down after India won the toss and chose to field, with a gritty unbeaten 49 from Shahidullah and captain Gulbadin Naib's 27 not out ensuring they passed 100.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
They faced a fiery introduction with pacemen Shivam Dube and Arshdeep Singh removing openers Zubaid Akbari and Mohammad Shahzad inside the first three overs.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The needless run-out of Noor Ali Zadran, going for a tight second run in the next over, compounded their problems after Ravi Bishnoi's accurate throw from the ropes.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Back-to-back boundaries from Afsar Zazai finally got the scoreboard moving as he and Shahidullah put on 37 for the next wicket.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Bishnoi's spin broke the partnership with Zazai bowled for 15, before Shahidullah and Naib shared a 60-run stand, before rain halted play.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
In the bronze medal match, Bangladesh stunned Pakistan when Rakibul Hasan smashed a boundary off the final ball to book a six-wicket win.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Pakistan managed only 48-1 off five overs before rain halted play, with Bangladesh set a revised target of 65 under the DLS (Duckworth-Lewis-Stern) method.<\/p>\r\n\r\n