Where so far, they have fallen short, India will need to come up trumps against Afghanistan tonight if they are any chance to progress beyond the group stage of the T20 World Cup. Even then, other nations will need to hand them a lifeline – but rest assured, Kohli and co. won’t be looking that far ahead just yet, because based on tournament form, Afghanistan will enter this contest with their noses ahead of their sub-continental counterparts.
After suffering defeats to Pakistan and New Zealand in their first two matches, India will be desperate to shift the dial in their favour – a seeming inevitability when considering their star power. To that end, this tournament will be the last for Ravi Shastri as coach, and Virat Kohli’s swansong as T20 captain; neither are the type to go quietly into the night, but both harbour an insatiable hunger for success, so it would be a surprise to see them bundled out at this early stage.
India must win tonight (image, also cover image: wisden.com)
Having batted first in each of their first two encounters, India have hitherto struggled to find a rhythm; their irresistibly talented (and frighteningly deep) batting order unable to score freely. Their performance thus far described as “a bit frigid” by Murali Kartik, he fully expects India to bounce back, declaring, “that team is just oozing with so much talent and world-beating, world champion, players.”
Though Kohli was able to drive the innings forward with a valuable half-century in the first match, neither of the pre-tournament fancies, Rohit Sharma (0 & 14) nor KL Rahul (3 & 18) have demonstrated the fluency and devastating power that has characterised their respective short-form careers to date.
Moreover, Alagappan Muthu believes that in batting first, India’s line-up has panicked; aware that the evening dew would handicap their bowlers, he writes, “their (India’s) batters panicked because they knew they needed an extra 20 – 30 runs to make a game of it.” Whether or not this has been overplayed as it relates to India’s situation specifically, the evidence is plain: six out of eight matches have been won by the chasing team at Abu Dhabi throughout the tournament.
Interestingly, Afghanistan have taken a decidedly different approach; winning the toss and electing to bat in each of their first three matches. Preferring to send their hard-hitting openers out there with a freedom to take down their opponents during the power play, Zazai and Shahzad both thrived against Scotland and Namibia. They will of course face a challenge of a different kind tonight, Bumrah and Shami opening bowlers of the highest calibre.
Nevertheless, Afghanistan can take heed from the fact that their middle order have all chipped in at various stages, too. Mohammed Nabi, Gulbadin Naib and Najibullah Zadran have impressed with the bat and could prove pivotal against the high-quality Indian spin that will likely comprise the middle overs.
Of course, as it relates to spinners, Afghanistan boast two of the best; Mujeeb, who missed the last match through injury, has six wickets from two matches, while Rashid Khan has seven from three. It is Rashid Khan in particular who looms large over this one; the third ranked T20I bowler in the world, he has had the wood over KL Rahul over the course of his career, dismissing him three times for just 18 runs in the shortest format. For a batting line-up that is already faltering, it looks set to be trial by spin for India tonight.
A tantalising contest that excites the Afghanistan team, all-rounder Gulbadin Naib is wary of their up-coming opponents. “India is the best team,” he said. “We cannot go easy with them, but we will just go in with our plans.”
Emphasising the passion with which his side is playing, they recognise the gravity of representing Afghanistan on the world stage – especially at the moment. “Every game means a lot for everyone – every Afghan,” he said. “We have had a crucial time in Afghanistan a couple of months back, so everyone is just going out and doing their best.”
Both teams with plenty to play for, it shapes as a close encounter in an intriguing World Cup.
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