If the series opener was about the much-anticipated return of Rohit Sharma, back at the helm after a 14-month hiatus, the second game against Afghanistan in Indore on Sunday will add an extra layer of excitement as India awaits the comeback of former skipper Virat Kohli.
Kohli, who had missed the first encounter at Mohali that India won by six wickets, will look to make full use of the opportunity, given that the two matches against the Afghans are the last international assignment before the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and the US in June.
Rohit, meanwhile, ticked most boxes in the first match, but through no fault of his own not the one that mattered most. First, he won the toss on a freezing evening, restricted the opposition for a little over 150 – a sub-par total on a placid PCA track, and with the dew setting in towards the second innings, he had the perfect opportunity to adapt his explosive ODI form in the shortest format.
At the recently concluded ODI World Cup, Rohit had given India blazing starts, scoring at a strike rate of 135.01 in the powerplay. So all eyes were on whether the 36-year-old could translate that form to the shortest format.
But in an anti-climax of sorts, Rohit fell for a second-ball duck, thanks to a horrible mix-up with Shubman Gill. On Sunday, both the stalwarts of Indian cricket will walk out seeking a fresh start at the Holkar Stadium, known for its batter-friendly conditions and shorter boundaries.
In the series opener, the young turks — Tilak Varma, Jitesh Sharma and Rinku Singh — raised their hands in the run-chase, spearheaded by Mumbai’s Shivam Dube with a 40-ball unbeaten 60 on return to international cricket, and thus throwing his hat into the ring of T20 World Cup probables.
With Kohli’s return to the playing XI on Sunday, it means one of the four has to be benched, and if Yashasvi Jaiswal — backed by head coach Rahul Dravid as the designated opener with Rohit, return to open the innings, does that mean Shubman will be benched?
The permutations and combinations in the batting order could be best left for the team management to sort out, but as far as India’s bowling attack is concerned, the second game could witness some tweaking as India went with three spinners in the first game.
Left-arm spinner Axar Patel, who showed great maturity in adverse conditions in Mohali, will look to make the most of the opportunities and at the same time avoid daredevilry to keep himself in contention for the World Cup. After all, last year, he was picked in India’s squad of 15 for the 50-over World Cup before a freak quadriceps injury during the Asia Cup ruled him out.
Heading into the World Cup, there is a cutthroat competition for each slot, and it’s no different in the spin department, with Ravindra Jadeja, rested from the T20Is against Afghanistan, Axar knows he can’t risk himself. Leg spinner Ravi Bishnoi has been India’s highest wicket-taker in among spinners in the last year, and off-spinner Washington Sundar has also performed decently in the limited opportunities.
For now, Kuldeep Yadav is the only spinner appearing as a sure-pick. And there’s Yuzvendra Chahal waiting for a comeback.
Meanwhile, in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh has led the pace department from the front. He was unlucky not to bag a wicket in the first game, but looks a likely pick for the marquee tournament. Mukesh Kumar has emerged the partnership breaker for India in recent times, and will be expected to continue the trend.
As far as Afghanistan are concerned, they will hope for an improved opening start from Rahmanullah Gurbaz and skipper Ibrahim Zadran. In the first match, Gurbaz and Zadran managed to set a 50-run stand but their approach demands more a more aggressive intent to set the tone for the likes of Najibullah Zadran, Azmatullah Omarzai and Mohammed Nabi to provide the late order flourish.
Without their premier bowler Rashid Khan, the onus is on Mujeeb Ur Rahman to lead the attack but the pacers need to step up with early wickets to support the spinners.