In the other match, defending champions Pakistan survived a spirited Bangladesh fight-back to win their World Twenty20 match by 21 runs.[break]
Set 116 for victory, India finished on 116 for three with more than five overs to spare - a welcome respite ahead of their return to the Beausejour Stadium to play South Africa here on Sunday.
Earlier, Afghanistan´s 115 for eight after they lost the toss featured an impressive fifty from opener Noor Ali, well supported in a fourth-wicket stand of 68 by the hard-hitting Ashgar Stanikzai, whose 30 included three sixes.
Ashish Nehra led the Indian attack with three wickets for 19 runs, his pace and bounce proving too much for several batsmen.
Murali Vijay, making his Twenty20 debut in place of injured India opening batsman Virender Sehwag, then made 48 before getting out when his team were in sight of victory.
But there was no masking Afghanistan´s pride.
"Yesterday we were here practising, we heard our national anthem, it was a huge honour for us," Afghanistan captain Nowroz Mangal told reporters.
"Of course India is one of the beat teams in the world, early in the morning the wicket was difficult for us," he added.
Afghanistan coach Kabir Khan said his side were unused to facing bowlers of Nehra´s quality.
"So far they haven´t played fast bowlers of that pace. They coped okay but I hope after the World Cup we play against good sides so they get used to it.
"They need to play against all these top bowlers on a regular basis."
India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni was impressed by Afghanistan.
"It´s good to see the way they played and I hope they will get better
"I felt they were quite passionate about being here and representing their country. They wanted to be aggressive and lost two or three early wickets. In the end it was a very good effort to get 120-odd."
Former champions India did not have long to wait for wickets, Karim Sadiq caught down the legside by wicketkeeper Dhoni off left-arm quick Nehra for a four ball nought as he tried to pull a short ball.
But Ali gave Afghan fans something to cheer by leg-glancing the first four of the innings, off Praveen Kumar in the third over and he stylishly square drove the same bowler for another boundary.
However, Mohammad Shahzad fell in similar fashion to Sadiq and Afghanistan captain Nowroz Mangal fell cheaply to Ravindra Jadeja.
Stanikzai though gave Ali good support and smote some impressive boundaries, including a six over midwicket off Harbhajan Singh.
The duo´s stand was ended when Ali, whose fifty came off 47 balls with four fours, gave the returning Nehra a third wicket when he too failed with a pull, Dhoni once more taking the catch.
Then 97 for four became 97 for five when Stanikzai, whose runs came from just 33 balls, holed out to midwicket off Kumar. Next ball Mohammad Nabi skied Kumar to Dhoni.
But Afghanistan got past the hundred mark - a fair achievement in itself and all the more impressive given that less than two years ago they were playing alongside Germany and Vanuatu in Division Five of the World Cricket League.
However, their score was put in perspective when Dawlat Ahmadzai´s no-ball first delivery of the Indian innings was a no-ball that led to a free hit which Vijay struck for four.
However, Ahmadzai did have Gautam Gambhir caught at point for four and Samiullah Shenwari had Suresh Raina lbw for 18.
PAKISTAN BEAT BANGLADESH
Chasing a formidable 172 on a difficult pitch, Bangladesh were reduced to 31 for two in the sixth over before a 91-run third-wicket partnership between Mohammad Ashraful (65) and captain Shakibul Hasan (47) raised hopes of an upset.
Mohammad Sami, who was making his Twenty20 international debut, grabbed two wickets in the 16th over, including that of Hasan, and killed off any hopes the minnows had of a shock win. Ashraful was caught behind of an inside edge two overs later and the tail failed to provide a much-needed onslaught that would have left Pakistan’s titledefence in tatters on only the second day of the tournament.
Earlier, Salman Butt proved his worth with the bat in the shortest format of international cricket as he shared a 142-run opening partnership with Kamran Akmal.
The left-hander, whose selection for the tournament has been widely criticised in view of his past performance, hit eight fours and three sixes in his 73 and was the last man out in the penultimate over of the innings. Akmal’s 73 was also his highest score in Twenty20 internationals and laid the foundations of the win on a pitch that remained difficult for batting, especially against spinners.
Pakistan take on Australia today and a win will guarantee them a place in the Super-Eights.
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