India vs Afghanistan Match Prediction: The Sportsrush present before you Match Prediction of 2019 World Cup Match 28 between IND and AFG.
Advertisement
Billed as a side who would register at least one massive upset and give a torrid time to teams in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019, the tournament has been a howler for Afghanistan. They’ve been comprehensively defeated by teams, finding themselves remain as the only side to yet win a match in this edition of the tournament.
Against India, they are going to face their sternest opposition till date. Their fellow Asian side has emerged as the most complete side this year and are only bound to further compound Afghanistan’s problems at the World Cup.
While everything has clicked for India, be it at the batting or bowling front, for Afghanistan it’s been the completely opposite. And their predicament has only been extended with the over growing squabbles outside the field of well with statements from their coach and players clearing pointing at the fact that all is not well within the team.
India vs Afghanistan – What numbers suggest?
The two sides have met only twice till date with India winning one and the other ending in a drawn result. Their most recent clash at the 2018 Asia Cup where Afghanistan scripted a terrific comeback while defending 252 to bowl out India in 49.5 and walk away with the one point from the match.
India vs Afghanistan – Key Battles
KL Rahul vs Dawlat Zadran
Dawlat Zadran came into the tournament as Afghanistan’s best bet with the ball and in a paper thin bowling attack, Zadran has emerged as someone who has been able to pick up wickets at regular intervals.
Zadran and KL Rahul’s battle promises to be an intriguing one with the opener known to be extremely tentative when it comes to facing the new ball, looking to parry away the first 10 overs safely.
Rahul’s problems against the shining ball came to the fore against Pakistan as well with the ball in the good length region seeing him take two steps out of his crease to try and get to the pitch of the ball. It’s this area Zadran will be looking to exploit and if he can get the ball to pitch on the middle stump channel and move across from Rahul, Afghanistan could have themselves an early wicket.
Kuldeep Yadav vs Hashmatullah Shahidi
In a batting order which has thrown away tools way to easily, refusing to show the stomach for a fight, middle-order batsman Shahidi has emerged as his side’s finest player by quite some distance. His innings of 76 against England was one filled with valour and resolve, seeing him bat on despite getting battered by a Mark Wood bouncer.
In Kuldeep Yadav, he’ll face a revitalized bowler. The chinaman’s extraordinary delivery to get rid of Babar Azam, seeing the ball come back into the batsman to go between his bat and pad was the finest ball the spinner had bowled throughout the tournament.
The game plan to Shahidi needs to be simple. Get the ball to shape into him and spin massively. He likes taking him to settle down and an enticing field along with the spinning ball could well see him miscue an edge into the slip cordon.
India vs Afghanistan – Match Prediction
It’s the tricky nature of the Rose Bowl surface which makes this clash a more tantalizing one than it should be. India’s opening match of the tournament against South Africa came here with the surface playing into the pacers’ hands, seeing the ball massively deviate.
ALSO WATCH: Vijay Shankar opens up on Hardik Pandya batting before him vs Pakistan
And if Afghanistan’s frontline pacers can get the ball to shape into the Indian batsmen in the opening period, KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma will find it a tough task to encounter them.
Apart from this area though, we don’t see Afghanistan causing many problems to India. The batting line-up will facing the brunt of Bumrah and Shami and their three prolong bowling attack is bound to be rattled by an Indian side who loves playing spin. Expect India to bat first if they win the toss and put on a massive score on the board, on Afghanistan will fail to navigate.
