Afghanistan are all set to play India in the one-off Test match on June 14, which will be historical for the underdogs as they will mark their Test debut at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. In the recently-concluded three-match T20I series in Dehradun, Afghanistan dominated Bangladesh and registered a 3-0 clean sweep. The confident Afghan side is ready to take on India with a spin-heavy squad, which can turn the game at the spin-friendly pitch in Bengaluru.
Team India will be playing without their regular captain Virat Kohli as he is rested due to a neck injury. Ajinkya Rahane will lead the Indian cricket team in the iconic Test in Kohli's absence. After the series triumph against Bangladesh, Afghanistan have proved that cricket is an unpredictable game, and anything can happen on the field of play.
Ahead of one-off India vs Afghanistan Test match, we present you with a list of players who can lead Afghanistan's fight against No.1-ranked India.
Samiullah Shenwari
The 31-year-old is not a big name as compared to other Afghanistan players, but he has been impactful in crucial matches. Test cricket is not about hitting fours and sixes, it's about the temperament and how much time you can spend on the pitch. Shenwari has been not out 10 times in the 78 ODI matches, which is a decent record. The part-time leg-spinner can also help the team's bowling unit to put some pressure on the Indian batsmen.
Mohammad Nabi
The former Afghanistan captain was the first Afghan player to make a name for himself in international cricket. He is a perfect all-rounder, though the India Test will be a tough task for the right-handed batsman as a lot of responsibilities will be on his shoulders. He has been the most experienced player in the squad. If Afghanistan want to upset India, then Nabi needs to show his class with both bat and bowl.
Asghar Stanikzai
Captain Asghar Stanikzai, 30, will be under tremendous pressure while playing Afghanistan's first Test match against the number one ranked Test side. It will be the perfect opportunity for him to shine on the occasion and announce the arrival of Afghanistan side in Test cricket. Stanikzai has been the pillar of Afghan side in the last couple of years, during which Afghanistan played impressive cricket against best of the international teams.
Mujeeb Ur Rahman
The young 17-year-old off-spinner charmed the whole world in the recently concluded Indian Premier League (IPL), where he played for Kings XI Punjab (KXIP). He performed exceedingly well for the Punjab side and picked up 14 wickets in 11 matches. Mujeeb's IPL term might help his team in the Test match against India as he must be aware of his Punjab teammates KL Rahul and Karun Nair. The way he bowled in the IPL made him one of the most prodigious spinners of world cricket.
Rashid Khan
Undoubtedly, Rashid Khan is currently one of the best spinners in the limited-over cricket and has an uphill task in front of him to prove his mettle in the Test cricket. With the mystical spinning skills by his side, Rashid might emerge as the star performer of the match with the ball. Rashid is riding on the success of the IPL 2018 and the Bangladesh series, where he was the stand out performer for his team. All eyes will be on the 19-year-old during the match because if Indian batsmen manage to decode his mystery then Afghanistan will be under fire in their debut Test.
Under fire Test will be played at a different set of skills will be located and relocated in the same arena of the players. However, the effects will get minimalised in that process of the events.
(Written by Aditya Maheshwari)
