DELHI: In the ongoing ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, hosts India are aiming for their second consecutive victory as they gear up to face Afghanistan at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi today (Wednesday).
Both India and Afghanistan faced challenges in their respective batting performances during their previous matches in Dharamsala and Chennai. India displayed resilience by recovering from a challenging position of 2/3 at the start of their pursuit of 200 against Australia, eventually winning the game by six wickets.
On the other hand, Afghanistan struggled to capitalize on a decent start and faced a collapse in the middle overs against the Bangladesh spinners. They went from a promising 112/2 to being all out at 156, resulting in a loss against Bangladesh by six wickets.
In their quest for improved batting performance, both teams will be looking towards their spinners, considering the prowess both sides possess in the spinning department. The match on Wednesday could witness a strategic use of spinners to gain an edge.
Virat Kohli, standing tall for India with an outstanding 85 against Australia in Chepauk, played a pivotal role in steering the team to their first win in this World Cup. His experience and ability to handle pressure make him a crucial asset, especially on his home ground. Given the track behavior observed during the South Africa-Sri Lanka encounter, experienced heads like Kohli will be crucial in stabilizing the innings while allowing others to play aggressively.
On the opposing side, Rashid Khan, a key breakthrough provider for Afghanistan, had an off day in their encounter against Bangladesh, remaining wicketless. His exceptional track record with 172 wickets at an average below 20 makes him a vital asset for Afghanistan. They are banking on Rashid to be in top form against India, given his familiarity with these conditions from the Indian Premier League. His strategic expertise will be crucial in adapting to the wicket and making impactful contributions.
As the teams prepare for this crucial encounter, the focus remains on finding the right balance between their batting performance and strategic use of their spinners, making this match an exciting prospect for cricket enthusiasts.
Squads:
India:
- Rohit Sharma (c)
- Hardik Pandya (vc)
- Shubman Gill
- Virat Kohli
- Shreyas Iyer
- KL Rahul
- Ravindra Jadeja
- Shardul Thakur
- Jasprit Bumrah
- Mohammed Siraj
- Kuldeep Yadav
- Mohammed Shami
- Ravichandran Ashwin
- Ishan Kishan
- Suryakumar Yadav
Afghanistan:
- Hashmatullah Shahidi (c)
- Rahmanullah Gurbaz
- Ibrahim Zadran
- Riaz Hassan
- Rahmat Shah
- Najibullah Zadran
- Mohammad Nabi
- Ikram Alikhil
- Azmatullah Omarzai
- Rashid Khan
- Mujeeb ur Rahman
- Noor Ahmad
- Fazalhaq Farooqi
- Abdul Rahman
- Naveen ul Haq.
