3 Things Afghanistan Must Do Right To Beat India In Lucknow

Afghanistan to face India in second ODI [Source: AFP]

The Afghanistan cricket team succumbed to a huge defeat in the first ODI against India to go 0-1 down in the three-match ODI series. Another defeat at this stage of the tour would seal the series in India’s favor, reducing the third ODI to a mere dead rubber. 

The two teams will now take on each other at the iconic Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Wednesday, June 17. Ahead of Afghanistan’s must-win match, here we analyze three things the visiting troops must pull off against India in a bid to enforce a series-decider in Chennai later this weekend. 

1. Make full use of the new ball

The conditions at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow tends to assist fast bowlers with the new ball. The Afghanistan cricket team has the likes of Azmatullah Omarzai, Ziaur Rahman and Mohammad Saleem operating in the early overs.

While Saleem is yet to take an ODI wicket in his short career so far, the speedster ran roughshod over the Indians in their one-off Test match earlier this month. 

The experience of Omarzai also makes him a valuable asset in the initial overs of an innings, and Afghanistan truly require the all-rounder to strike early alongside Saleem if they are to put India under pressure in the powerplay overs.

Also Read- 3 Things India Should Be Testing Against Afghanistan To Prepare For 2027 World Cup

In a bid to gain early momentum, it is imperative for Afghanistan’s new ball attack to trap at least two top-order Indian batters in the first 10 overs of the innings. The visitors can target vintage opener Rohit Sharma, who only recently recovered from a hamstring injury and is undergoing a form struggle. 

Afghanistan can also employ spin in the first 10 overs, in the form of senior spinner Rashid Khan who has dismissed current Indian captain Shubman Gill in the past. 

2. Entangling India with spin

One of the biggest strengths of the Afghanistan team is its rich spin reserves. With former captain Rashid Khan helming the team’s spin attack, he is also accompanied with fellow seasoned pro Mohammad Nabi. 

The current Afghanistan group also features 20-year-old AM Ghazanfar, who has an enjoyed an impressive start to his ODI career so far and has made his name in the realm of franchise T20 cricket. 

And yet, Afghanistan spinners failed to contain Indian batters in Dharamshala during the first ODI of the series last week. Moreover, the spin department is where they truly lost the plot, with the three spinners conceding 91 runs from their combined 12 overs at an expensive economy rate of 7.58.

Rashid Khan managed to pick up a wicket, that of Ishan Kishan, to account for India’s only wicket of the game that fell to spin. 

Afghanistan spinners in first ODI in Dharamshala

On June 17 in Lucknow, the visitors would want their spinners to bowl with greater control and make better use of the conditions by consistently hitting the right length. Restricting India's batters through the middle overs and creating wicket-taking opportunities will be crucial to their chances of levelling the series. 

The surface at the Ekana Stadium also tends to assist spinners in the middle overs, making the roles of Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi that much important to Afghanistan’s cause. 

3. A stable opening partnership 

The Afghanistan team is one of the rare ODI units that has a settled opening combination, in the form of Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran. Gurbaz even blasted a fiery 102 off just 51 balls in the first ODI of the series against India.

Unfortunately for him and Afghanistan fans, the firebrand opener received no assistance from the rest of the batting line-up, and certainly not from his opening partner. 

In the seven ODI matches Afghanistan has played since the start of 2025 last year, the opening combination of Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran has managed to notch up just two fifty-plus opening partnerships, with both occurring against Bangladesh during a series in Abu Dhabi in October 2025.

The two openers registered just 30 runs as partners during the entirety of the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, and just 13 in the first ODI of the ongoing series against India.

Afghanistan’s opening woes in ODIs since January 2025

A strong start from Gurbaz and Zadran, for once, could prove decisive in Lucknow, giving Afghanistan the platform they need to challenge India and keep the ODI series alive.

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