A long, misty afternoon in Dharamsala finally produced a toss – four hours and a quarter past its scheduled slot – and with it two new India caps. Seam bowler Gurnoor Brar and spin-bowling all-rounder Harsh Dubey were both handed debuts for the opening one-day international against Afghanistan, a contest trimmed to 25 overs each because of persistent drizzle.
Stand-in skipper Shubman Gill won the delayed toss and, eyes on the damp clouds, chose to chase. “It’s a little overcast and there could be rain around, so always better to chase. It could be a good wicket to bat,” Gill said. Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi admitted he would have done exactly the same.
With Virat Kohli rested, the hosts re-jigged their order. Gill partners Rohit Sharma at the top, while KL Rahul slides into the No. 3 role. Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan – the latter taking the gloves – are pencilled in at four and five, followed by Washington Sundar and youngster Nitish Kumar Reddy. Yashasvi Jaiswal, Kuldeep Yadav and uncapped quick Prince sit out.
Afghanistan also welcomed a debutant, 22-year-old seamer Ziaur Rahman, opting for a balanced attack of three quicks and three spinners – a nod to the fresh surface and the possibility of further interruptions. The visitors last played an ODI eight months ago; India’s most recent came in January, so both sides begin this three-match series a touch short of 50-over cricket.
Playing XIs
India: Shubman Gill (capt), Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan (wk), Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harsh Dubey, Gurnoor Brar, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna
Afghanistan: Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (capt), Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Mohammad Saleem, AM Ghazanfar, Ziaur Rahman
A shortened game can be unpredictable, but Dharamsala’s thin air often rewards clean strikers. India will hope debut nerves settle quickly for Brar and Dubey, while Afghanistan trust their trio of spinners to grip what remains of the day. Either way, after four rainy hours the series is finally under way.
