Team India have started the T20I series on a perfect note. Shivam Dube's career-best effort (60* off 40) and Jitesh Sharmaโs quickfire 31 off 20 balls ensured there were no further hiccups.
Virat Kohli, who missed the first match due to personal reasons, will be back for the second game. Also, keep an eye out for Rinku Singh. Indiaโs designated finisher has been in tremendous form and has been striking it at 172.
On a good batting surface with minimal movement upfront and no real signs of spin, the Indian seamers Arshdeep Singh, Mukesh Kumar, and Shivam Dube did a pretty good job. Left-arm spinner Axar Patel was the pick of the lot, claiming figures of 2-23 in 4 overs.
Afghanistan had a poor outing in the first match of the series and will need to do a lot better if they hope to get past this Indian side in their den. On a great batting surface, they could only manage 158 on the board, thanks largely to Mohammad Nabi (42 off 27 balls).
All eyes will now be on Rahmanullah Gurbaz to deliver a promising start. The opening batter has been in excellent touch recently, scoring 206 runs in his last 7 matches at an average of 29.43 and a strike rate of 149.27.
Ibrahim Zadran can also have a good game, as this flat track should allow him to play his range of strokes freely.
Afghanistanโs bowling seemed to struggle in the absence of star spinner Rashid Khan. While Mujeeb Ur Rahman (21-2 from 4 overs) did a pretty good job, the others faltered, particularly Naveen-ul-Haq, who was taken for 43 runs in 3.3 overs. Their bowling doesnโt look threatening enough, and on this batting beauty, they are likely to be carted again.
Afghanistan are yet to beat India in T20Is after five attempts, and the trend is likely to continue. With no Rashid Khan in their team, their bowling attack looks insipid. Their batting is still pretty good, and if the top-order fires, they can challenge India.
India look all set to win the second match and take an unassailable 2-0 lead.
