"Forget the batter at No. 8" - Aakash Chopra wants Mohammed Shami to play ahead of R Ashwin in IND vs AFG World Cup 2023 clash
Aakash Chopra wants India to play Mohammed Shami instead of Ravichandran Ashwin in their World Cup 2023 clash against Afghanistan and not bother about the lack of batting depth.
The two sides will lock horns at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Wednesday, October 11. The Men in Blue head into the game on the back of a convincing six-wicket win against Australia. However, Hashmatullah Shahidi and Co. suffered a defeat by the same margin against Bangladesh in their tournament opener.
While previewing the game in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra opined that India should field Shami ahead of Ashwin. He reasoned (1:25):
"There is scope for just one change in the entire team and that is you can play Shami in place of Ashwin. Shami took a hat-trick when he last played against this team in a World Cup game but Afghanistan surrendered against the Bangladesh spinners in their last match."
The former Indian opener added:
"So it will be slightly confusing whether they should go with Ashwin because you get batting at No. 8. You will want a lot to play Shami. I will say you should play Shami. Three fast bowlers, two spinners - forget the batter at No. 8."
Chopra expects India's main batters to deliver the goods and ensure that the lack of an all-rounder at No. 8 does not hurt them. He said:
"It does not make a difference. It is such a flat pitch. (KL) Rahul and (Virat) Kohli are in good form. Rohit Sharma is coming on the back of good form. We will actually fire. So let's go with that, that's what I feel."
Rohit Sharma and Co. have generally preferred to have an all-rounder at No. 8. They could opt to play Shardul Thakur instead of Ashwin in such a scenario if they don't want to field three spinners because of the short boundaries in Delhi.
"They compete a lot in T20 cricket but struggle in ODIs" - Aakash Chopra on Afghanistan
![Afghanistan failed to put up a fight in their World Cup opener against Bangladesh. [P/C: AP]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2023/10/43b5f-16969943872892-1920.jpg?w=500)
Turning his attention to Afghanistan, Aakash Chopra pointed out that they have been found slightly wanting in the longer white-ball format. He stated (2:05):
"Afghanistan, on the other hand, are a good team but it seems like the gap is slightly big. They compete a lot in T20 cricket but struggle in ODIs. You can see the recent past or go further back."
Chopra concluded by picking India as the likely winner in Wednesday's game. He pointed out that Afghanistan do not have the requisite might in the fast bowling department and that their batting is also not looking that great.