ODI World Cup 2023: India Eye Chance Of Adding Another Victory To Their Kitty Against Afghanistan
Even though India defeated Australia by six wickets in Chennai to start the tournament, they will know that Afghanistan is no easy opponent.
India's second match of the 2023 ODI World Cup will take place on Wednesday at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, and they will be looking to add another victory to their record.
In the last game of the competition, South Africa and Sri Lanka unleashed a devastating run-fest that saw 754 runs—including 31 sixes—scored in 94.5 overs, the highest-ever total in an ODI World Cup match.
On the centre wicket pitch, which is being used for the first time in the competition, one may anticipate another run-fest due to the short boundaries and quick outfield.
Even though India defeated Australia by six wickets in Chennai to start the tournament, they will know that Afghanistan is no easy opponent. The fact that India's World Cup caravan is travelling from Chennai to Delhi will also put their capacity to swiftly adjust to new grounds and conditions to the test.
India would need a batting masterclass from Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer, and captain Rohit Sharma to score runs with the bat after quickly losing wickets against Australia. India will also be interested in seeing how Kishan and Iyer choose their shots, because their failure in Chennai was caused by careless plays.
The way that KL Rahul and Virat Kohli handled the early storm to share a game-winning 165-run partnership under tremendous strain must have made India very happy. Rahul strengthened his image as a reliable middle-order batsman who can bat in any gear and manage pressure circumstances with composure, while Kohli added another date to his list of flawless chases.
From a bowling angle, all Indian bowlers were involved in taking wickets. However, given that Delhi's climate differs greatly from Chennai's, India may consider replacing experienced off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin with either a batting all-rounder, Shardul Thakur, or a fast bowler, Mohammad Shami.
India and Afghanistan have a 2-0 head-to-head record in one-day internationals (ODIs), which includes a draw during the 2018 Asia Cup. However, the last time India played Afghanistan was at the World Cup in 2019, when the hosts prevailed by a slim 11 runs thanks to a hat-trick from Shami. However, Afghanistan just won an ODI series in Bangladesh, something that India hasn't done in a very long time.
However, the Hashmatullah Shahidi-led team's debut match at Dharamshala ended in a loss against Bangladesh. Afghanistan was on course for a large score at 83-1, but they gave in to the spin of Shakib Al Hasan and Mehidy Hasan Miraz, crashing to 156 all out and paving the way for a six-wicket defeat.
They would be desperate to improve their batting display in Delhi in order to end their six-match losing record, especially when up against an extremely skilled and strong Indian spin bowling attack after losing six wickets for 62 runs against the spin department of Bangladesh.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz, in addition to Shahidi, is in possession of the key at the top. They would also like to challenge the Indian batting line-up when the stadium is painted blue and the weather continues to change, using Rashid Khan's spin assault in addition to those of Mohammad Nabi, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, and Fazalhaq Farooqui.