Afghanistan are all set to start their journey as a Test playing nation, when they will take on the No.1 ranked India in the one-off Test match in Bengaluru from Thursday (June 14).
Ajinkya Rahane will lead India in the absence of regular skipper Virat Kohli, who is currently going through the rehabilitation period after suffering a neck injury during the IPL. The neck sprain also ruled Kohli out from his hugely anticipated county stint for Surrey.
Ahead of the historic event, Afghanistan captain Asghar Stanikzai has said that “every Indian player is a Virat Kohli” and the hosts would be a strong reckon to reckon with despite their full-time Test captain’s absence.
“Team depends on 11 players, not one. If Virat Kohli was here, it would have been more fun playing the Test, with the kind of experience he has and the manner in which he plays Test cricket. If you see Team India, all the players are Virat Kohli for us. For us it's not that Virat Kohli is special or there is no one. Ever Indian player is a Virat Kohli. All are good players and have good experience in Test cricket. I think it won't make a difference if one player comes and goes, it won't make much of a difference,” Stanikzai said in an exclusive interview with DNA
“If Virat Kohli would have been here, we would have enjoyed it, and so is the case if MS Dhoni was around. Even he is not here. A player hopes to play against a tough team, if there is no Virat Kohli, it doesn't mean that India will become weak. If there is Virat Kohli or not, it will matter less to the Indian team,” he added.
There is a lot of anticipation with regards to the showdown between India and Afghan spinners. While the likes of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja have dominated the international circuit for some years, Afghanistan’s mystery spinners such as Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi and Mujeeb Ur Rahman have taken the cricketing fraternity by storm with their stellar showing in the shortest format.
“If you see, Rashid Khan has played IPL matches, he has got experience in four day games too. Mujeeb doesn't have that kind of experience because he hasn't played four-day, red-ball cricket. The kind of experience that Nabi and Rashid have, Mujeeb is now playing and he will get the experience on how to bowl in Test cricket. He will know the difference between bowling T20s, ODIs and Tests. Yes, Mujeeb is new but Rashid is experienced,” Stanikzai remarked.
Afghanistan selectors have picked a spin-heavy team. When asked if they are expecting the Bangalore wicket to be a turner, the Afghan skipper asserted: “Our team has three fast bowlers, four spinners. It is a balanced team. We have prepared for both the situations. If it's a seaming track we have fast bowlers to do the job, we have spinners too. If you look at the history, the ball spins there (Bengaluru) a lot. Going by the record in Test matches, the match hardly goes into the fifth day. If you look at the average, 80 to 90 per cent is a spin track. I think you cannot prepare a seaming track over here. Weather, condition, its obvious, it will support spin. If it's a spin track, our spinners are in great form or if it's a fast bowlers one then our fast bowlers are Mashallah in good form.”
Talking about the composition of his side for the historic Test, Stanikzai said: “In the last four five matches, we have added a couple of players. We have batsmen, wicketkeeper, spinners, fast bowlers. It was the same team which played I-Cup matches — four day games with the sae combination. There is not much change in this team. We have played three I Cup (Intercontinental Cup) tournaments, we won two and lost one in the final. We have played all I Cup finals which means we are good in four day cricket and will also play good Test cricket. We have won 60 to 70 per cent I Cup in one innings. Our boys have a played a lot of cricket. We may not have experience like India, but it won't be anything like how a new team plays.”
Stanikzai's confidence is sky high after whitewashing Bangladesh in the recently concluded three-match T20I series at Dehradun. The Afghan skipper is now keen to learn by playing against the top Test side in red-ball cricket.
“We have never played Test match against a Test nation. We will get to learn a lot. India plays well in India and that we will get to learn a lot, how they play and prepare before matches. We don't have this experience but I am sure after the Test we will learn from it like the way we after playing in the ODIs and T20s. And by playing against the World No 1 team, we will not just learn but will also enjoy the game. Inaugural Test – Yeh zabardast rahega (It will be fantastic),” he concluded.
