Delhi has been all kinds of wonderful in the ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup and the crowd and the people of the city invited more adulation on Sunday, October 15. Since the renovation, the stadium has become outstanding to look at with lights, etc., better washrooms and upgraded facilities and the surface has been relaid. From the low and slow surface that gripped and turned, it's a better surface, much flatter but also has something for everyone in it - batters, pacers and spinners alike. And hence all the games in the stadium have been really interesting so far and the crowds have turned up in large numbers, which was always expected with better facilities and a good cricket wicket.
In the second game in the capital in the ongoing World Cup, Virat Kohli had asked the crowd not to boo Afghanistan pacer Naveen ul Haq after the infamous spat between the two cricketers during IPL 2023. And the crowd responded with thunderous applause and standing ovation for the pacer when he was in the middle of an outstanding spell.
Naveen with a seeing inswinger cleaned up England captain Jos Buttler and the crowd was up on its feet. The crowd had an equal number of England and Afghanistan fans but the neutral crowd also favoured Afghans as compared to the defending champions.
Watch the video here:
Buttler got out cheaply amid a forgettable batting display from England against the Afghanistan spin trio of Rashid Khan, Mujeeb ur Rahman and Mohammad Nabi. There was a little bit in there for the spinners which all three of them exploited and England batters faltered big time. Most of them got out to defensive shots, which raised questions over their approach and mindset and England will have to quickly get over this loss as they have conceded four points already in three games.
