Deadline: November 9, 2019 at 2 PM IST
Venue: Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee International Cricket Stadium, Lucknow
Pitch Report
The red soil used for the pitch is from Mumbai. There was extra pace and bounce on offer for the pacers, and with the thin film of grass resting on it, the batting ought to get tougher. However, as the sun went down, bowlers got very little assistance. Expect similar turn of events in the second ODI.
Teams
Probable XI for Afghanistan: Hazratullah Zazai, Javed Ahmadi, Rahmat Shah, Ikram Ali Khil (wk), Najibullah Zadran. Asghar Afghan, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan (c), Naveel-ul-Haq, Mujeeb Ur Rahman
Probable XI for West Indies: Shai Hope (wk), Evin Lewis, Shimron Hetmyer, Roston Chase, Nicholas Pooran, Kieron Pollard (c), Jason Holder, Sheldon Cottrell, Romario Shepherd, Hayden Walsh, Alzarri Joseph
Fantasy Team
We have opted for a fantasy team on the basis of players’ impact, recent performances, and credit points.
You can also check players’ performances in the last 5 matches. Tap on the players’ images to get the data while making your fantasy team.
Note : You can now select 1-4 wicketkeepers, 1-6 batsmen, 1-6 all-rounders, 1-6 bowlers.
Wicketkeepers: Nicholas Pooran, Shai Hope (c), Ikram Ali Khil
Batsmen: Kieron Pollard, Evin Lewis, Asghar Afghan, Rahmat Shah
All-rounders: Jason Holder, Mohammad Nabi, Roston Chase (wk)
Bowler: Mujeeb Ur Rahman
Preview
Afghanistan have not evolved in ODIs as they did in T20Is. They failed to survive 50 overs in 7 of 9 matches during the 2019 World Cup. On Wednesday, they gave the impression that they will bat through and manage 250-plus runs but old habits die hard. From being in a dominating position at 126 for 2, they slumped down to 194 all out. West Indies bowlers were exceptional, but Afghanistan lost two batsmen to run outs.
Like it was the case with their batting, Afghanistan started off well only to lose the plot later. They removed the dangerous Evin Lewis and Shimron Hetmyer within 8 overs and then failed to capitalise on it. Shai Hope and Roston Chase were rock solid, and Afghanistan could not do much to disrupt them. If anything, the aggression and spirit in them has been missing in the ODIs.
Players To Watch Out For
Rahmat Shah continues to be Afghanistan’s top batsman. After a successful World Cup, he became the first player from Afghanistan to score a Test hundred. He could have added another three-figure score to his tally on Wednesday had he not played an uncharacteristic shot at the wrong time. Story of Afghanistan cricket in ODIs!
Give Jason Holder a decent pitch and he will choke the batsmen with tight lines and lengths. His bowling figures read 10-2-21-2.
Afghanistan had slated Ikram Ali Khil at No. 8 in the batting order until the last match of the World Cup. Surprisingly, after having stormed out of contention for the semi-final berth, they pushed him at No. 3. The result was more surprising. Here was a man who wasn’t given an opportunity to show off his skills, that even Rashid Khan batted ahead of him. Ikram scored 86 in a colossal chase of 311 at a batting position only the experienced are trusted with. On Wednesday, he scored 58, adding 111 runs for the third wicket with Rahmat Shah.
Mujeeb Ur Rahman was the only effective bowler from Afghanistan. She scalped 2 wickets, giving away a mere 33 runs.
All thanks to Shai Hope and Roston Chase that West Indies managed to chased down 195 without any drama. The duo added 163 runs together.
Match Prediction
Afghanistan now have lost 10 ODIs on the trot. The change in captaincy, at least for now, has not their fortune. On the other hand, Kieron Pollard had a memorable debut as a captain, that West Indies look much focussed under his leadership. Given the nature of the wicket, West Indies have an edge. They are likely to bowl first in case they win the toss and look to rattle Afghanistan with extra bounce.
Squads
Afghanistan: Asghar Afghan, Hazratullah Zazai, Najibullah Zadran, Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Javed Ahmadi, Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Nabi, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Afsar Zazai (wk), Ikram Ali Khil (wk), Rashid Khan (c), Karin Janat, Yamin Ahmadzai, Naveen-ul-Haq, Mujeeb UR Rahman
West Indies: Evin Lewis, Shimron Hetmyer, Sunil Ambris, Brandon King, Kieron Pollard (c), Roston Chase, Jason Holder, Keemo Paul, Shai Hope (wk), Nicholas Pooran, Hayden Walsh, Khari Pierre, Sheldon Cottrell, Alzarri Joseph, Romario Shepherd