- How The Afghans Approach Test Cricket
Afghanistan is known for playing an explosive brand of cricket and it will be interesting to see how the Asghar Stanikzai-led side adapts its game to cricket’s traditional format.
The Afghans play only a handful four-day games in a year—around ten—and their limited exposure to the longer format may work in favour of the hosts. Nonetheless, Afghanistan skipper Stanikzai is upbeat about dishing out a tough challenge to Ajinkya Rahane and co. as a new epoch beckons Afghanistan cricket.
‘’Irrespective of who is playing, everyone knows how tough it is to face India in India. It will be a great learning experience but we are surely not overawed by the challenge. We will be playing to win. We have world-class spinners in our team and they can trouble India”, the 30-year old told reporters on the sidelines of a training camp in Greater Noida last week when he was asked whether it would be an advantage to lock horns with an Indian team minus Virat Kohli.
Spin has been Afghanistan’s stronger suit over the years and Stanikzai firmly believes that the conditions in Bangalore and the experience of playing in the lucrative IPL will come in handy for Afghan spin-twins Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman. “Spin is our strength—there is no doubt about that. We have pacers too, Dawlat and Shapoor Zadran, who can bowl at 140 kmph plus speeds. So we have the resources”, Stanikzai added. Their batting though will be subject to close scrutiny by critics as the rigours of Test cricket involve staying rooted to the crease for long hours—almost an untrodden field for the visitors.
Whether the mercurial Mohammad Shahzad will be able to see off the opening bursts from Umesh Yadav and Mohammad Shami effectively, or whether the experienced Mohammad Nabi will manage to bail his team out of trouble in case wickets tumble down in a heap will define Afghanistan’s credentials at the highest level of the game. Maybe they can take a leaf out of Ireland’s book in this regard, who nearly accomplished the improbable task of winning their debut Test against a young Pakistani side in Dublin earlier this month after putting in a brave-hearted effort on the field for five days.
[*Pakistan won the Test by five wickets]
