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Afghanistan will have plenty to ponder ahead of the second T20I against India at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on September 15. The visitors were handed a seven-wicket defeat in the series opener, leaving them 0-1 down in the three-match series.
Afghanistan’s biggest problem in the first game was their start with the bat. They slipped to 41/4 in the powerplay after losing Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal and another top-order batter cheaply. Azmatullah Omarzai and Mohammad Nabi then rescued the innings with a crucial partnership, but India eventually restricted them to 156/8.
India’s chase subsequently exposed the gulf between the two sides. Abhishek Sharma smashed 82 off 32 balls, while Ishan Kishan scored 42, as the hosts reached 157/3 in only 13.4 overs.
With another game at the same venue coming up, Afghanistan need to rethink a few aspects of their combination.
Here are 3 changes Afghanistan should make for second T20I against India:
Afghanistan could strengthen their bowling attack by bringing Noor Ahmad into the playing XI if he was left out of the opening combination.
The left-arm wrist-spinner offers a completely different challenge to India’s batters. With Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma and Shreyas Iyer all capable of attacking conventional spin, Noor’s ability to change his angle and deceive batters through the air could give Afghanistan a genuine wicket-taking option in the middle overs.
The first T20I also demonstrated how quickly India’s batting can get away once the powerplay is negotiated. Afghanistan therefore need bowlers capable of taking wickets rather than merely containing the scoring rate.
Noor would be particularly valuable against India’s left-handed batters. His variations could force them to alter their attacking approach and provide Ibrahim Zadran with another genuine matchup option.
Afghanistan could also consider bringing Karim Janat into the XI to improve their balance.
The all-rounder can provide useful overs of medium pace while also adding batting depth in the lower middle order. Afghanistan’s first innings highlighted how heavily they relied on Omarzai and Nabi to rebuild after the early collapse.
Adding another genuine all-rounder would reduce that burden.
Janat’s presence would also give Afghanistan more flexibility when deciding how to use their frontline bowlers. Against an Indian batting order packed with attacking options, having an additional bowling option could be extremely valuable.
More importantly, Afghanistan need to avoid becoming overly dependent on a handful of players. Omarzai produced an outstanding unbeaten 64 in the first T20I, while Nabi contributed 33, but the rest of the batting lineup struggled to provide meaningful support.
Janat could help address that lack of depth.
Afghanistan’s third potential change should come in their batting order.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz was dismissed for a duck in the first over by Jasprit Bumrah, immediately putting Afghanistan under pressure. The visitors subsequently lost wickets in quick succession and were reduced to 41/4.
While one failure should not necessarily result in Gurbaz being dropped, Afghanistan need to find a way to ensure their best batters are given more time at the crease.
One possible option would be promoting Azmatullah Omarzai up the order after his outstanding performance in the series opener. The all-rounder showed tremendous composure while scoring an unbeaten 64 and played the innings Afghanistan needed when their top order collapsed.
Moving Omarzai higher could allow Afghanistan to make better use of his form and power. He is capable of attacking India’s bowlers once the fielding restrictions are in place, while his ability to play spin could also be useful in the middle overs.
The move would also allow Afghanistan to use Nabi lower down the order, where his experience and finishing ability could become even more valuable.
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