LUCKNOW: After successful three essential matches, Afghanistan will face the Netherlands on the Ekana Stadium right here on Friday. Positioned sixth on the factors desk, Afghanistan, who couldn’t win even a single match within the 2019 World Cup, now stand an opportunity to succeed in the semifinals.A fourth victory for Afghanistan will take the staff to eight factors with each Australia and New Zealand in third and fourth place, and firmly put them within the combine for a semis spot.
Afghanistan are conversant in the Ekana stadium as they’ve performed one Check match, three ODIs and three T20I sequence in opposition to the West Indies three years in the past and the gamers know the circumstances. Beneath coach Jonathan Trott and mentor Ajay Jadeja, the staff has been taking part in professionally.
Beneath Jadeja’s supervision, the staff has gained expertise on learn how to play the 50-over World Cup matches with endurance, and never go slam-bang like they do in T20 matches the place everybody involves see huge hits. Be it chasing runs or setting an excellent goal, Afghan gamers have understood the virtues of endurance and constructing the innings with partnerships.
In opposition to defending champions England, they set a difficult goal of 284 within the Kotla floor in Delhi and restricted England to 215 in 40 overs. At Chepauk in Chennai, Pakistan had set a goal of 285 which Afghanistan’s top-order batters chased with ease. They outplayed Sri Lanka too. In the event that they should set a goal or chase one in opposition to the Netherlands, the Afghans appear to be fairly succesful. Nonetheless, they can’t take the Dutch with no consideration as they too have registered two wins, the largest being in opposition to South Africa.
Moreover batting, Afghanistan bowlers are additionally doing effectively as a unit. Focus will likely be on pacers Fazalhaq Farooqi and Naveen-ul-Haq. Fazal had a haul of 4-34 in opposition to Pakistan whereas Naveen had taken two wickets making a gift of 38 runs. Spinners Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad and Mujeeb-ur-Rahman have been doing effectively. The Ekana pitch is helpful for each pacers and spinners, thus Afghanistan are prone to have an higher hand in opposition to the Dutch.
The Dutch have performed six matches and received solely two and stand in eighth place. They’ve nearly no hope of reaching the semis however they will spoil Afghanistan’s get together by beating them. The Netherland’s prime order has not been in a position to put up an excellent present up to now, and they’re going to hope for a greater effort right here.
