3rd ODI: Can Afghanistan avoid clean sweep against formidable India?
What's the story
India will take on Afghanistan in the third and final ODI of the series on Saturday. The match will be played at the historic M. A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, marking India's first-ever ODI at this venue after its renovation. Shubman Gill's men have already taken an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series and will look to complete a clean sweep. Here is the match preview.
Venue details
Pitch report and other details
As mentioned, the M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, also known as Chepauk, will host its first ODI since renovation. Traditionally known as a bat-first surface, the last five games here have been won by teams chasing, indicating a change in wicket behavior. Spinners are likely to dominate at Chepauk, but we can expect a batting-friendly track for this series finale. The match will be broadcast live on the Star Sports Network and streamed online on the JioHotstar app/website (1:30pm IST).
Team update
Indian team in fine form; Harshit Rana added to squad
The Indian team has been in top form, winning both matches convincingly. Shubman Gill has led from the front. The inexperienced bowling attack has also done well. India have further bolstered their squad with the addition of Harshit Rana. Afghanistan, despite showing some positives in both matches so far, have not been able to convert them into wins. They will be looking for a consolation victory on Saturday under Hashmatullah Shahidi's captaincy.
Historical matchup
A look at head-to-head record
India and Afghanistan have faced each other in six ODIs so far, with the former winning five of them, as per ESPNcricinfo. The remaining encounter was a tie during the 2018 Asia Cup in Dubai. Notably, India are playing their first-ever bilateral ODI series against Afghanistan. The Afghan side is yet to beat India in any format of the game.
Team lineups
Here are the probable XIs
India (Probable XI): Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (c), Ishan Kishan (wk), Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Gurnoor Brar, Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav. Afghanistan (Probable XI): Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Darwish Rasooli, Rashid Khan, Nangeyalia Kharoti, AM Ghazanfar, Mohammad Saleem Safi, Bilal Sami.
Performers
Here are the key performers
Gill smashed 154 runs off 110 balls in the second game. He made an unbeaten 84 in the opener. The series saw Gurnoor Brar become the second Indian player to notch a three-fer in each of his 1st two ODIs. For Afghanistan, Rahmanullah Gurbaz's brilliant 48-ball century in the series opener makes him a key player. Rashid Khan's average of 19.68 is the second-best among bowlers with at least 150 ODI scalps.
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