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Make or break time: Beleaguered India up against gritty Afghans, Kohli faces big Ashwin question
Senior off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin’s inexplicable absence from the playing XI is in focus as India skipper Virat Kohli tries to figure the combination that can bring his team’s floundering campaign back on track when it takes on a feisty Afghanistan in the T20 World Cup here on Wednesday.
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migrator
migrator
India’s run has been derailed after two crushing defeats against Pakistan and New Zealand and the performance that it has put in is not worthy of a semi-final spot even though mathematics keeps its hopes alive.
Afghanistan has expectedly won its two games against Scotland and Namibia and was in the contest against Pakistan for the better part before Asif Ali took the game away with four sixes in one over.
In this backdrop, Mohammed Nabi and Rashid Khan would like to use all their might and T20 freelancing experience to add insult to the Indian injury and prolong the nightmare that started on October 24.
For Kohli, in probably his last three matches as T20 captain of India, one would expect some prudent team selections and it starts with the question of repeatedly ignoring a player of Ashwin’s calibre.
It is unheard of in world cricket that one of the most decorated players among the current generation has been transformed into a glorified traveller since he last wore the national shirt in June.
Ashwin’s entry into the white-ball team after four years was indeed left-field selection and if sources are to be believed, it never had the Indian skipper’s approval.
However Kohli’s decision to not even consider him as an option is something that many in Indian cricket feel, “borders on stubbornness” after Varun Chakravarthy’s inability to deliver under pressure proved what experience actually means.
In terms of talent and skills, none of the spinners in this Indian set-up can come close to Ashwin. The only thing that went against him was his lack of consistency which led to his ouster four years ago.
But desperate times call for desperate measures and against Afghanistan, which is not used to facing a spinner of Ashwin’s class, his presence might just prove to be beneficial.
The opening duo of burly left-hander Hazratullah Zazai and the rotund and flamboyant Mohammed Shahzad, who lacks in footwork, might find it difficult to deal with Ashwin’s tricks.
In terms of cricketing logic, ignoring him would be as difficult as keeping Rohit Sharma away from the opening position, where he actually belongs.
Afghanistan’s new ball bowlers -- the experienced Hamid Hasan and young Naveen ul Haq -- are certainly good but on their day, KL Rahul and Rohit could just send them on a leather-hunt.
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