India vs Afghanistan: Will Rashid and Co. overpower Indian batsmen?
India are up against Afghanistan in the one-off Test, starting in Bengaluru on June 14. Men in blue have done well in home conditions in the last couple of years. However, Rahane's side should be worried about the spin talent that Afghanistan possess. Afghanistan's stature has grown leaps and bounds and their spinners are handful. Will they spell trouble for Indians? Here's our report.
India have done well against spin at home
Traditionally, Indian batsmen have played well against spin. Further, they have won last six Test series at home. The only Test match where they struggled was against Australia at Pune in 2017. Steve O'Keefe was the chief architect with 12 wickets in the match. Besides that, the spin quality of visiting teams hasn't been top notch to trouble the batsmen in this format.
Rashid Khan-led Afghan spin trio look lethal
The Afghanistan spin trio of Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Mohammad Nabi bring in a lot of quality. Although they are playing their first ever international Test match, they could still have a meaningful impact on the result. Mujeeb and Rashid excelled in IPL 2018. They know Indian conditions well. Their recent performances against Bangladesh would give them confidence to perform against Indian.
Indian conditions will help Afghan spinners
The BCCI has allotted two cricket stadiums to war-torn Afghanistan to have their home games in India, and therefore they are familiar with the conditions and the nature of pitches. The Bengaluru pitch is expected to provide support to the spinners and that's what Rashid and Co. will exploit. Indian batsmen will be a tough nut to crack, but Afghans will be no pushovers.
Key for Afghan spinners is to have patience
Rashid has already shown his prowess in T20Is and ODIs. He is the number one T20I bowler and has stacked up many records. But the shift to 5-day format will be a challenge; that too against the best players of spin. The key for the Afghans, therefore, will be to have patience. Their variations will be test Indian batsmen.
Editor's take
India go into the Test as favorites and the possibility of Afghans orchestrating an upset is bleak. Having said that, Afghan spinners vs Indian batsmen will be an interesting battle. Indian batsmen should respect the talent on offer and not take this Test lightly.
