World Cup 2019, Match 28, India vs Afghanistan: Why India will win the match
India have had a fantastic start to their tournament so far. Three convincing, dominating and confidence boosting performances against South Africa, Australia and Pakistan make them look the most settled outfits in the World Cup.
All the important aspects of their game seem to be coming together beautifully. Their wrist spinners have had oppositions in a true fix and the quality of Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been second to none.
There are a few things for India to worry about. Lack of match time for Kedhar Jadhav and MS Dhoni as batsmen so far and the expensive returns of Hardik Pandya's medium pacers. But Vijay Shankar's two wicket-haul against Pakistan is a big positive for Virat Kohli's men.
A thumb injury suffered during his brilliant knock against Australia has ruled out Shikhar Dhawan from the World Cup. Dynamic wicket-keeping batsman Rishabh Pant has been named his replacement. Bhuvi, who could bowl only two overs against Pakistan, is expected to miss out today's game.
Here's a look at reasons why India will win today's match against Afghanistan:
Rohit Sharma's brilliance leading the way for India
India's dominant performance in this World Cup has got to go with the way Rohit Sharma has batted. The maverick opener, known to make batting look extremely easy when he's in top form, has played extremely sensibly and has compiled two centuries so far.
The big transformation in his game has been the consistency element that is clearly visible in his World Cup campaign so far. Afghanistan must be wary of Rohit Sharma. On a pitch that offers true bounce, once he gets set, he would be unstoppable. Definitely, one of the main reasons for an Indian win.
India's bowling attack, led by their wrist spinners, will be too hot to handle
India's emergence as a dominating ODI side in recent times has got a lot to with the performance of their spin combination famously called as 'Kulcha'. Their role especially in the middle of the innings to break the scoring momentum of the opposition is a huge bonus for any captain.
Yuzvendra Chahal dominated against South Africa and then Kuldeep Yadav, after a forgettable IPL 2019, came up with a fantastic spell of wrist spin bowling that completely bamboozled Pakistan. The delivery that dismissed Babar Azam was extremely special.
Afghanistan would have to be wary of these two spinners. It would be interesting to see if they look to attack India's spinners or will they look to play them out?
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