2nd ODI: Afghanistan win toss, opt to bowl first against India; Prince Yadav to make his debut
Lucknow, June 17
Afghanistan won the toss and opted to bowl first against India in the second match of the three-match ODI series, at the Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow, on Wednesday.
Pacer Prince Yadav is set to become the third debutant in the series, after Harsh Dubey and Gurnoor Brar, in the series opener.
After winning the toss, Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi said he chose to bowl first as the pitch looked fresh and likely to assist spin early on. He admitted the team lacked partnerships in the previous match despite showing promise, but expressed confidence that they would bounce back stronger.
"We want to bowl first. Wicket looks fresh. I think it'll be spinning in the first innings. In the last game, we played really well, we missed the partnerships. We had one partnership and then threw away our wickets. Hopefully we come back stronger. Our boys have a lot of passion of cricket," he said during the toss presentations.
Indian captain Shubman Gill, on the other hand, said India would also have chosen to bowl first and stressed the importance of gaining experience in challenging situations. He confirmed three changes to the playing 11, with Prince Yadav making his debut, while Kuldeep Yadav and Yashasvi Jaiswal returned to the side.
"We would have bowled first as well. It's all about being in difficult situations and getting that experience. Three changes. Prince makes his debut. We've got Kuldeep and Jaiswal in," Gill said.
In the previous match, Brar and Dubey picked up three wickets each as Afghanistan were bowled out for 194 in 24.5 overs in a rain-shortened 25-over contest. India then chased down the 195-run target comfortably, with their batters combining aggression and composure to secure a seven-wicket victory.
India vs Afghanistan 2nd ODI playing 11s:
India: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill(c), Ishan Kishan(w), Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Gurnoor Brar, Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav.
Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz(w), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi(c), Darwish Rasooli, Rashid Khan, Nangeyalia Kharoti, AM Ghazanfar, Mohammad Saleem Safi, Bilal Sami.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Prince Yadav? Never heard of this guy before. Is he from the domestic circuit? India sure has a deep talent pool — while countries like the US struggle to even field a semi-decent XI. But I'm curious to see if he can handle the pressure in international cricket.
Afghanistan's passion for cricket is truly inspiring! From being a war-torn nation to competing at this level — chapeau! But Shahidi needs to work on his captaincy. Bowling first again after losing the previous match? Sometimes you have to back your batsmen and set a target. 🇮🇳🇦🇫
Three debutants in one series? That's bold! But I think we're rushing some players. Prince Yadav better have some serious pace, because our bowling attack against Afghanistan should be about taking wickets, not just containing runs. Also, why is Kuldeep back? He was average in the last few matches.
Love the aggressive batting approach from India in the first ODI! Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer are fire! But I'm worried about our middle order — KL Rahul hasn't been consistent lately. Still, it's nice to see the team promoting young blood like Yashasvi Jaiswal. Future looks bright! 🌟
India vs Afghanistan matches are always one-sided but entertaining. The gap in quality is huge — India's bench strength is deeper than most full-member nations' first XI. Rashid Khan is the only one who can trouble us, and even he gets figured out quickly these days. Still, good to see cricket growing in Afghanistan!
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