India and Afghanistan have rung the changes for the second ODI, and the freshest face of the lot is Prince Yadav. The quick, familiar with the Ekana Stadium through two IPL campaigns, was handed his first 50-over cap moments before Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi won the toss and chose to field.
Three in, three out for each side
India have shuffled their hand after the rain-affected opener in Dharamsala. Yashasvi Jaiswal replaces Harsh Dubey, Kuldeep Yadav comes in for Prasidh Krishna, and Prince steps up for Nitish Kumar Reddy, who is nursing a sore left thigh. Skipper Shubman Gill confirmed Reddy’s absence: nothing dramatic, simply a niggle the medical team preferred not to test in 40-degree heat.
Afghanistan’s alterations are equally eye-catching. Darwish Rasooli, long spoken of as a middle-order option, finally earns an ODI debut, while left-arm spinner Nangeyalia Kharote and seamer Bilal Sami also slot in. Illness has ruled out the evergreen Mohammad Nabi, a training knock has sidelined Azmatullah Omarzai, and young quick Ziaur Rahman sits this one out.
Why bowl first?
Shahidi’s reasoning felt straightforward enough. “The wicket looks fresh and it will be spinning in the first innings. In the last game, we played well, but we were missing in the partnership and we threw our wickets. Hopefully the boys will learn from this,” he said. A surface with early purchase for the slower bowlers, plus a late-afternoon chase when the sun eases, appealed more than defending under the noon glare.
Stark shift in conditions
Dharamsala was cool, damp and shortened to 25 overs a side; Lucknow is the opposite. Forecasts hover near 40°C, so officials have pencilled in three drinks breaks during the first innings (2.30 pm, 3.30 pm, 4.30 pm local). Hydration could end up as vital as any tactical tweak.
Series context
India hold a 1-0 lead after their seven-wicket win up north, but both camps know the margins were blurred by weather. Today’s match should provide a cleaner gauge of where each side stands two months out from the Champions Trophy qualifiers.
Playing XIs
Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (capt), Darwish Rasooli, Rashid Khan, Nangeyalia Kharote, AM Ghazanfar, Mohammad Saleem, Bilal Sami.
India: Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill (capt), Ishan Kishan (wk), Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Gurnoor Brar, Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav.
A debut apiece, searing temperatures, and a surface promising early spin: not perfect cricketing symmetry, but plenty to keep an eye on through the afternoon.
