India look to continue winning momentum with comfortable outing against bottom-placed side at Southampton today
Pacers Jasprit Bumrah (left) and Mohammed Shami on Thursday
Southampton: When India come up against Afghanistan at Ageas Bowl today, they would surely like to take advantage of an opponent which is in total disarray and try to tick a few more boxes as the World Cup moves towards the business end.
India and New Zealand are the only unbeaten teams in the tournament and are on the way to the semi-finals. More than that, it's the quality of the Indian team and their comprehensive wins against sides like South Africa, Australia and arch-rivals Pakistan that has warmed the cockles of the hearts for millions of supporters worldwide. They now expect the Men in Blue to go all the way despite a few hiccups.
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More than anything else, it is the injuries that the Indian team have had to grapple with the most. They have already lost Shikhar Dhawan while Bhuvneshwar Kumar is sidelined due to a hamstring injury for a couple of games. To add to their woes, Vijay Shankar was hit on the toe in the nets and was in a bit of discomfort. Though he arrived for the pre-match press briefing and said that he was hopeful of playing the game, in case he has to sit out, it will be either Dinesh Karthik or Rishabh Pant who will get a look-in. It is not a bad scenario to try out players who have been on the bench and get them battle-ready for any unseen eventuality.
Also Read: World Cup 2019: Key players to watch in India-Afghanistan clash
Bhuvneshwar's absence will give Mohammed Shami his first appearance in this World Cup. Shami has had a good IPL and was India's pace spearhead in the last World Cup in Australia. But with the emergence of Jasprit Bumrah and maturing of Bhuvneshwar, he has been pushed down the priority list. Finally, he gets a chance to prove his form and worth. Albeit against the struggling opponents, he will be eager to grab the opportunity with both hands.
Though Afghanistan have promised a lot, but delivered little, India cannot take them lightly. Despite having lost all their five games, they have the potential to cause an upset, like they almost did to India in the Asia Cup match in the UAE last September. Thus, there is no way India can be complacent and take the opponents for granted.
Also Read: World Cup 2019: Getting wickets against Pakistan gave me confidence says Vijay Shankar
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