3rd ODI: Prasidh, Harsh, Nitish return for India as Afghanistan elect to bat first
Chennai, June 20
India have included Prasidh Krishna, Harsh Dubey and Nitish Kumar Reddy in their playing eleven as Afghanistan won the toss and elected to bat first in the third and final ODI at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Saturday.
India have already taken a 2-0 lead in the three-game series after a massive 170-run win in Lucknow. Another win in Chennai will hand them a 3-0 series sweep. Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi said they have four changes, with Mohammad Nabi, Azmatullah Omarzai, Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi and Fareed Ahmad Malik coming in.
"We want to bat first today. It's always hot in India in this month. Wicket also looks good. It's dry and hard. Hopefully we have a good start in the batting. In last two games we missed some areas and didn't play the way we have played in the past. Hopefully we recover today and have good partnerships and bowl in the right areas," he said.
For India, with Prasidh, Harsh and Nitish returning, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav and KL Rahul sit out of the match. . Nitish had missed the clash in Lucknow due to soreness in left thigh and now returns in Chennai, with Ishan Kishan set to take up keeping duties.
"Looks like a very good wicket. Would've batted first as well. Was pretty hot in the last match and it's going to be no different here. It's about being consistent in the areas we're looking at. Chasing is one thing we haven't ticked. That's what we'll be looking at today," said India skipper Shubman Gill.
In their pitch report, Michael Clarke and Deep Dasgupta said a red-soil pitch is on offer and there should be good bounce for both pacers and spinners, while adding that balls with change of pace can be more beneficial.
Playing XIs:
India: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (captain), Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan (wk), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Harsh Dubey, Gurnoor Brar, Prasidh Krishna, and Prince Yadav
Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (captain), Darwish Rasooli, Mohammad Nabi, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, AM Ghazanfar, Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi, Fareed Ahmad Malik
— IANS
Reader Comments
Honestly, I'm a bit surprised that KL Rahul was dropped. He's usually reliable in ODIs, but I guess the team management wants to give Ishan more game time behind the stumps. Also, Arshdeep sitting out makes sense if the wicket has bounce for pacers—Prasidh can exploit that better. Hope we don't take Afghanistan lightly, they have some dangerous players like Rashid and Nabi who can turn the game.
Loving the fact that we're giving chances to young players! Nitish Kumar Reddy is a talent to watch, and Harsh Dubey's left-arm spin could be useful here. But I do think we should've kept Kuldeep Yadav in the XI on this turning track—he's been in good form. Still, it's great to see such depth in Indian cricket. Chasing is a concern, but let's back our boys! 💪🇮🇳
As a cricket fan from Australia, it's always fascinating to see how India experiments with their lineup even while dominating. Prasidh Krishna coming in makes sense for pace, and I'm curious to see how Nitish Reddy bowls. The red-soil pitch should produce a good contest—bounce for pacers and turn for spinners. Looking forward to a tight game!
Nice to see Afghanistan putting up a fight with those changes—Mohammad Nabi and Azmatullah Omarzai are experienced. But India should be too strong at home. I just hope we don't get complacent! Also, Shubman Gill captaining is a great learning experience for him. Let's get that 3-0 sweep! 🔥
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