In preparation for the historic first-ever Test match between the two teams, which gets underway on Monday, September 9, at the Greater Noida Sports Complex Ground, R Ashwin urged the Afghanistan batsmen to put on a strong display against New Zealand.
The renowned off-spinner for India, Rahmat Shah and Ibrahim Zadran aside, the famous player bemoaned the lack of batting depth in Afghanistan despite the country generating many great players.
But R Ashwin was eager to watch how intriguing new players like Bahir Shah and Riaz Hassan would do against the strong New Zealand side.
After coming up through the Under-19 levels, the two impressed with their exploits for India, and the Tamil Nadu cricketer likened them to the great Yuvraj Singh and Mohammad Kaif.
“Watching this special Test will be entertaining. Although Afghanistan produces incredible talent, their hitting department is the one area that needs stability and sturdiness. I am interested in seeing what RIAZ HASSAN and BAHIR SHAH have to offer because they have Rahmat Shah and Ibrahim Zadran exuding class, but not much else.
Their first class averages are over fifty-five, and they are both very promising. The U-19s produced the first indications of India’s bright future in the 2000s, led by @YUVSTRONG12 and @MohammadKaif. For this reason, these two players may offer us a preview of what Afghanistan may achieve in the next ten or so years, Ashwin tweeted on X.
Check the post below:
This one off Test will be fun to watch.
We know Afghanistan produce insane talent but the one area of solidity and stability they need is from their batting department.
They have Ibrahim Zadran and Rahmat shah oozing class but not much else to follow, and that is why I am… pic.twitter.com/e6REqHdMsI
— Ashwin 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99) September 7, 2024
A lot will depend on skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi’s performance in the one-off match, aside from these guys. The southpaw may be a difficult nut to crack once he settles into the crease since he has the patience to bat for extended periods of time. In addition, the 29-year-old holds the record with a 200 not out off 443 balls, achieved in an Abu Dhabi match against Zimbabwe in 2021.
Also Read: ‘Honour to play here,’ Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi of facing New Zealand in Greater Noida
Rashid Khan’s back issue has prevented him from participating in the match. Still, Afghanistan’s team has enough weapons to provide a challenge to New Zealand’s batsmen. But Afghanistan’s bat will need to perform well if they are to have any effect.
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