Afghanistan could deploy veteran off-spin bowling all-rounder Mohammad Nabi with the new ball in Sunday’s opening T20I to target India’s heavily left-handed top order, warned former off-spinner and national selector Sarandeep Singh. A significant part of the build-up to the three-game series has been about how the Indian batting line-up could counter the threat posed by Mohammad Nabi, ace leg-spinner Rashid Khan and wrist-spinner Noor Ahmad, especially in the powerplay and middle overs. Bowling Nabi upfront could also depend on whether India stick with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to bat alongside Abhishek Sharma or bring back Sanju Samson.
We saw in the T20 World Cup, which we won, Abhishek Sharma was having a tough time in the beginning,” Sarandeep told IANS in a select virtual interaction organised by FanCode, the official digital broadcaster of the three-game series. “I am saying that before Rashid Khan as well, if Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Abhishek Sharma play as openers, it is possible that Mohammad Nabi can be seen bowling in the first over. That can be a strategy or plan from them, as he’s an off-spinner and he will definitely be given a chance. He also reminded everyone of how Abhishek had a rough time against off-spinners in this year’s T20 World Cup, something Afghanistan can look to exploit via their crafty spin troika.
Their spin bowling attack, 6-7 players in the middle order, pacers and batters play T20 cricket worldwide. Because you get a confidence boost, “It is a big advantage for India to have Bumrah back.
“I said the same thing a while ago. Sarandeep also believes that Afghanistan’s extensive experience across global T20 leagues makes them a formidable opponent for the Shreyas Iyer-led Indian team. They play in big leagues and have great experience of playing T20s. Rashid Khan will definitely play a big role in bowling against the Indian middle order. “The way Delhi Premier League games happened some time ago and how Arun Jaitley Stadium wickets usually behave, they support batting a lot. We have seen big scores on these pitches in the T20 World Cup and the domestic season. As far as spinners are concerned, India always like to go with all-rounders. I was taking a high-performance camp at the Centre of Excellence and was also there with the North Zone team as their coach in the Duleep Trophy. I saw Bumrah doing his fitness work there. “He was becoming fully fit and was bowling his heart out. Whenever he comes, he bowls his heart out. He never plays if he is not fit, as he comes back only when he is fully fit. He did well in the Centre of Excellence practice games, played well in the match simulations and looked fully fit. I was meeting him there every day. Bumrah being fully fit and his return to the Indian team is a big boost for us, as the other fast bowlers also start looking better.”
