Formidable India take on Afghanistan in 1st ODI: Preview
What's the story
The excitement of 50-over cricket returns as Team India takes on Afghanistan in the first ODI of the three-match series. The opening game will be played at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala on Saturday. Shubman Gill's team will enter the series as favorites despite the absence of a few prominent names. However, the Afghan team also boasts some proven stars in ODI cricket. Here we look at the preview.
Venue stats
A look at the pitch report
The HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala has hosted nine ODIs so far, with most of them favoring the teams batting second. However, recent matches at this venue have told a different story. The pitch is expected to host a high-scoring encounter on Saturday, promising plenty of boundaries at the scenic location. The match will be broadcasted live on Star Sports Network and streamed online on JioHotstar app/website (1:30pm IST).
Team changes
India to field a new-look side
The Indian team, led by Shubman Gill, is expected to hand out at least a couple of debuts in this series. Gurnoor Brar, Harsh Dubey, and Prince Yadav are all in line for their first caps. However, the team will be without an experienced bowling line-up and the services of star batsman Virat Kohli and all-rounder Hardik Pandya. Gill will be assisted by veterans Rohit Sharma, Shreyas Iyer, and KL Rahul in the batting department. Meanwhile, Kuldeep Yadav will be the leader of an inexperienced bowling attack.
Opponent's strength
Afghanistan eye historic win
Afghanistan have been a strong contender in ODIs lately, with notable wins over several prominent sides in recent years. Hashmatullah Shahidi will lead his team with a refreshed mindset. Key players like Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Rahmat Shah, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, and Rashid Khan would also be required to make a mark. Notably, Afghanistan are looking for their first-ever ODI win against India, having lost three of their four previous encounters. The two teams played out a draw during the 2018 Asia Cup.
Match conditions
Weather forecast for matchday
The weather in Dharamsala isn't looking too promising for matchday. The forecast predicts a temperature of around 22°C with humidity at 51% and patchy rain in the vicinity. This could keep fans and ground staff on their toes throughout the day-night fixture. However, even if some overs are lost due to rain, there's still hope for a result by the end of play.
XIs
Here are the probable XIs
India (Probable XI): Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (c), Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Prasidh Krishna, Prince Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav. Afghanistan (Probable XI): Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Rahmat Shah, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Mohammed Saleem, AM Ghazanfar, Ziaur Rahman.
Performers
Here are the key performers
Rohit has been a beast in the 50-over format as his 11,577 ODI runs have come at an average of 48.84 (SR: 92.74). Shubman Gill and KL Rahul smoked tons in the recent one-off Test between these two sides. The game also saw Mohammad Saleem Safi take a six-wicket haul. Rahmanullah Gurbaz has arguably been Afghanistan's best ODI batter in recent years. He averages 38.75 in Asia (SR: 88.10). Rashid Khan's average of 19.65 is the second-best among bowlers with at least 150 ODI scalps.
Poll
