Afghanistan Squad - (Source: AFP)
On Saturday, June 6, Afghanistan will lock horns in the one-off Test against India at the New Mullanpur Stadium. It will be the 2nd Test between the two nations in the history of the sport. The last time India and Afghanistan faced each other was in 2018. Then, the Ajinkya Rahane-led side won by an innings and 262 runs.
A lot has changed in the last 8 years, and the Afghans have formed a formidable team, capable of giving a strong fight. Hashmatullah Shahidi will lead the side, and the fans are curious about the combination.
Therefore, this article will shed light on Afghanistan’s strongest playing XI vs India in the one-off Test.
Afghanistan vs India Preview
For India, they will name a strong playing XI, led by Shubman Gill. It is expected that Mohammed Siraj might be rested, which means that either Gurnoor Brar or Manav Suther will make their debut on Saturday, June 6.
For Afghanistan, they are without Rashid Khan, but still have a pretty strong squad that can take on the mighty Indian team. Therefore, this article will shed light on Afghanistan’s strongest playing XI vs India.
Afghanistan Likely Playing XI vs India- One-Off Test
Openers and Top Order (Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmanullah Gurbaz)
Against India, Afghanistan are most likely to name Ibrahim Zadran and Sediquall Atal as the openers. Zadran has cemented his place in the team and has amassed 602 runs in 16 innings, averaging 37.62. On the other hand, Sediqullah Atal has a lot of proof as he has played just a solitary innings and scored just 3 runs.
Atal’s entry in the team pushes Rahmanullah Gurbaz to No.3. It is not an unknown territory for Gurbaz, because he also batted at No.3 against Zimbabwe, which was Afghanistan’s previous Test series.
Middle-Order: Hashmatullah Shahidi (C), Rehmat Shah, Afsar Zazai, Azmatullah Omarzai
Captain Hashmatullah Shahidi will lead the middle-order. The skipper has played 21 innings, amassing 771 runs, and an average of 48.18. Shahidi also has 2 centuries and two fifties to his name in red-ball cricket.
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Rest, Rahmat Shah and Afsar Zazai have a huge opportunity in front of them. The 32-year-old all-rounder will be a key star in the middle-order. In 11 Tests, he has amassed 970 runs, which include 3 centuries. Zazai too has a solitary century to his name and will have a key role in the middle-order.
All eyes will be on Azmatullah Omarzai, who will be the most experienced and premium all-rounder for Afghanistan. He can contribute with the bat and also be lethal with the new ball, with the ability to swing both ways.
Bowlers: Sharafuddin Ashraf, Ziaur Rahman, Mohammad Saleem, Bilal Sami
Afghanistan will be without Rashid Khan, which puts extra pressure on the bowling department. The issue for Afghanistan is they lack an experienced bowler. Sharafuddin Ashraf, Ziaur Rahman, Mohammad Saleem, and Bilal Sami will be the four bowlers who will headline the One-off Test for the Afghans against India.
The four bowlers have played a total of 3 Test innings, which is very concerning for the Afghans. Nonetheless, they have Azmatullah Omarzai to lead the bowling attack for them.
Afghanistan’s Predicted Playing XI vs India
Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), Hashmatullah Shahidi (C), Rehmat Shah, Afsar Zazai, Azmatullah Omarzai, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Ziaur Rahman, Mohammad Saleem, Bilal Sami
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