Today at 8:00 GMT, or 3:00 a.m. ET, the 2014 Asia Cup marches on with Afghanistan taking the oval against India after a monumental upset victory over Bangladesh on March 1st. Live stream the action in Dhaka for free by clicking this link.
Despite India's reputation as a powerhouse they haven't played well in this Asia Cup, and will likely fail to progress past the early stages. After an early victory over host Bangladesh, they have dropped matches to Sri Lanka (by two wickets) and Pakistan (by one wicket).
Afghanistan is probably riding high after earning a shocking win over Bangladesh, but they're unlikey to duplicate the feat against a far more seasoned Indian team. Still, victories aren't the end-all be all for these upstarts.
Coach Kabir Khan said gaining experience at such a high level is crucial for his squad.
"If you compare, [Ajantha] Mendis and the fast-bowling attack, they play everywhere and they know what the name of the game is. I personally think that, I'm not saying we would have won the game, but it's the experience. If we play more matches, under pressure, against good bowling, again and again, I think results after 10 matches will be different."
If the Afghans want to hang with India, Mirwais Ashraf will be vital. He picked up two wickets in each of their matches with Pakistan and Sri Lanka, proving he plays up to competition. India hasn't had a great deal of success this tournament, but their prestige will probably awaken his competitive spirit.
For India, as usual Virat Kohli will be the catalyst. He has scored 189 runs this Cup, with an average of 63.00, and might have a party with Afghanistan's raw bowlers.
STARTING SQUADS:
Afghanistan
Mohammad Nabi (capt), Nawroz Mangal, Asghar Stanikzai, DawlatZadran, Fazal Niazai, Hamid Hassan, Hamza Hotak, Karim Sadiq,Mirwais Ashraf, Mohammad Shahzad, Najibullah Zadran, Noor AliZadran, Rahmat Shah, Samiullah Shenwari, Shapoor Zadran
India
Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli (captain), Dinesh Karthik, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ambati Rayudu, Ajinkya Rahane, Ravindra Jadeja,RAshwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Varun Aaron, Stuart Binny, Amit Mishra, Ishwar Pandey
© 2023 Sportsworldnews.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
