Full-strength India begin Asiad campaign against Afghanistan
India will face an inexperienced Afghanistan in their Asian Games opener on Monday, with the overwhelming favourites looking to quickly acclimatise to the unfamiliar conditions in Japan. India would not know what to expect from the surface at the Korogi Sports Park, which also staged the women’s competition won by Harmanpreet Kaur and Co. Though the women’s event was a high-scoring affair, the men’s games thus far have not seen big totals.
After the one-off game against Japan in Sano on Tuesday, when India were pushed to the limit by the hosts on a turning track, the Shreyas Iyer-led side has not had much to do.
India have utilised the time exploring the sights and sounds of Japan. The players reached Nagoya from Tokyo via the iconic bullet train and expectedly enjoyed the journey. Being in a non-cricketing nation for the first time has also been a refreshing experience for the majority of the players. “It has been beautiful,” Iyer told the BCCI website on way to Nagoya.
It is to be noted that India have come here with a full-strength squad, unlike last time, with Iyer himself part of the side alongside Jasprit Bumrah, Ishan Kishan, Abhishek Sharma and Axar Patel. Considering the depth of Indian cricket in the shortest format, such a decision has been questioned by the experts when the focus should be on the 2027 ODI World Cup.
Anything less than a gold would be disappointing, especially factoring in the rocky start Iyer has had to ensure, as captain post back-to-back titles in the T20 World Cup. Afghanistan, who were hammered by India in Delhi recently, have come here with an inexperienced squad led by Darwish Rasooli. The selectors picked as many as six uncapped players for the tournament.
While India began their tournament from the quarterfinals, Afghanistan have got a taste of the conditions and a surprising defeat at the hands of Nepal in the group stage. They played Japan in the tournament opener before going down against Nepal. The batting has been their Achilles ' heel as usual. Afghanistan must raise their game to stand a chance against India.
Unlike other athletes, Indian cricketers did not have issues checking into their accommodation, with BCCI taking matters in their own hands. Players are housed in a five-star hotel in heart of Nagoya.
A lot of eyes will be 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi but he is unlikely to get a game with India having a settled combination in Abhishek and Sanju Samson. Three wins in three knockout matches will give India a back-to-back gold in Asian Games.
Squads:
India: Shreyas Iyer (c), Tilak Varma, Ravi Bishnoi, Abhishek Sharma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Jasprit Bumrah, Sanju Samson, Axar Patel, Ishan Kishan, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Shivam Dube, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Vipraj Nigam, Yash Thakur.
Afghanistan: Darwish Rasooli (c), Mohammad Ishaq, Imran Mir, Najibullah Zadran, Ismat Alam, Karim Janat, Nangeyalia Kharoti, Abdullah Ahmadzai, Khalid Taniwal, Mohammad Akram, Faridoon Dawoodzai, Farmanullah Safi, Hassan Eisakhil, Faisal Shinozada, Arab Gul Momand.
