India eye series win amid search for World Cup depth

The opening ODI in Dharamsala offered a glimpse into where both teams stand in their World Cup build-up. After months of T20 cricket, with a one-off Test also in between, India finally got their 50-over preparations underway with a comfortable seven-wicket win that showcased both the strength of their established core and the promise of new faces. Afghanistan showed they have the quality to compete with India, but their inability to capitalise on key moments underlined the gap they still need to bridge against the top sides.

In a rain-curtailed contest of 25 overs per side, India unveiled two debutants, handed Ishan Kishan a long-awaited return in a new role, and saw Shubman Gill continue to look at ease as captain. Injuries and workload management have left India without some first-choice names, but those absences have opened the door for others to make their case. Gurnoor Brar's impressive debut, Harsh Dubey's eventful first outing and Nitish Kumar Reddy's timely breakthroughs have all added to India's depth ahead of the 2027 World Cup.

Afghanistan will take encouragement from the fact that for long periods in Dharamsala they were very much in the contest. Rahmanullah Gurbaz's breathtaking 48-ball hundred briefly threatened to take the game away from India before a middle-order collapse left them nearly 30 runs short, according to captain Hashmatullah Shahidi. The challenge now is to find greater support around Gurbaz.

When: Wednesday, June 17 at 1:30 PM IST
Where: Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow
What to expect: While the Ekana Stadium is often viewed as a venue that favours spin, pace bowlers have actually enjoyed slightly greater success in ODIs here, averaging just over 30 compared to the spinners' 33.64. The venue hasn't hosted an ODI since the 2023 World Cup, when the average first-innings score was 238. Three of the five matches were won by the chasing side, while South Africa and India were the only teams to defend totals successfully.

India: Rohit Sharma took a blow to the wrist in the first ODI and was seen in discomfort. Should India choose to rest him, Yashasvi Jaiswal could slot in alongside Gill at the top.

Probable XI: Shubman Gill (c), Rohit Sharma / Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ishan Kishan (wk), Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harsh Dubey, Gurnoor Brar, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna

Afghanistan: The visitors are likely to stick to the same combination from the opening ODI.

Probable XI: Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Mohammad Saleem Safi, AM Ghazanfar, Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi

Stats:

• Afghanistan have played four ODIs in Lucknow: lost 0-3 to West Indies (Nov 2019) and defeated Netherlands by seven wickets (2023 World Cup)
• India have played two ODIs at Ekana: lost to South Africa by nine runs (2022) and defeated England by 100 runs (2023 World Cup)

Quote:
"Sairaj Bahutule on Rohit Sharma: He's a champion cricketer who adds value to this team with his experience, not only batting-wise but his leadership qualities also rubs on to all the boys. He understands each game and what is expected from him and from the team."