UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: Both India and Afghanistan are experiencing a string of tragic losses in Asia Cup 2022. No one on either side could have ever predicted that this match would determine who finishes last in the Super 4. This match will be not more than a win of pride for Team India and Afghanistan
For obvious reasons, Afghanistan will find the conflict particularly difficult because they had to arrive fresh less than 18 hours after their tense match against Pakistan in Sharjah. Another issue is attempting to move past Wednesday’s grief in both an intellectual and emotional sense.
Therefore, international cricket can be demanding, but given these demanding conditions, their scheduling has been anything but considerate.
Afghanistan is more likely to appear and challenge India because they have endured much worse in life and on the battlefield.
Nobody should be shocked to learn that India doesn’t view victory as a formality. They’ll still have to show up and fight for every single run and wicket. It serves as a reality check for them even as they battle selection issues and template changes in the run-up to the World Cup.
A top-notch spin attack that can compete with the best in the world will present yet another challenging test.
Afghanistan will have another opportunity to overcome frayed nerves and win games after losing games they were in control of.
Players to watch out
Due to concerns about his form and injuries, Mujeeb Ur Rahman appeared to have lost some of his edge and X-factor, which caused his T20 stock to fall. However, his strong showings thus far in the Asia Cup have allowed him to reclaim his position as one of Afghanistan’s top spinners alongside Rashid Khan in their starting XI.
In the tournament’s first four games, he has taken seven wickets for a tournament economy of 5.12. Afghanistan also has captain Mohammad Nabi as a third spin option. He has been so effective that Afghanistan has had to keep out Qais Ahmed. Afghanistan and Mujeeb will be hoping that this surge carries on into Australia.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar has misplayed on two occasions, particularly in the final overs. He will be responsible for the challenging penultimate overs against Pakistan and Sri Lanka. They cost, respectively, 19 and 14. Arshdeep Singh, a rookie player, had six to defend off the last over in both games.
Bhuvneshwar will be hoping that this little slump is just temporary because India has the returning Jasprit Bumrah, Harshal Patel, and perhaps Deepak Chahar ready to take on Australian opponents.
Given that they are both swing bowlers, Bhuvneshwar and Chahar’s battle is the only one among them that is comparable. Bhuvneshwar has the support of Rohit Sharma and the team management, but nothing can change the world like a successful performance.
Squad status
In the event that Avesh Khan is forced to withdraw from the game, Deepak Chahar, who has not yet been formally added to the roster, has a high chance of playing. Chahar has consistently been up for practice and bowled hard before the Sri Lanka game. For Rishabh Pant Deepak Hooda, they might potentially bring in Dinesh Karthik and Axar Patel.
India (probable): KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma (captain), Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Axar Patel, Deepak Chahar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, R Ashwin/Yuzvendra Chahal, and Arshdeep Singh are the likely starters for India.
Afghanistan may have to make a difficult decision depending on how the players react after their match against Pakistan.
Afghanistan (probable): 1 Hazratullah Zazai, 2 Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), 3 Ibrahim Zadran, 4 Najibullah Zadran, 5 Mohammad Nabi (capt), 6 Karim Janat, 7 Rashid Khan, 8 Azmatullah Omarzai, 9 Naveen-ul-Haq, 10 Mujeeb-ur-Rahman, 11 Fazalhaq Farooqi.
Also Read: Asia Cup 2022: India vs Sri Lanka Match Preview
