Sports
Match Preview: Afghanistan would like to end on a winning note
Afghanistan will go into the match playing like nothing to lose. They are already out of the tournament and can go out there and express themselves without any pressure. The West Indies on the other side are in the semis and would be looking to continue their unbeatable run in the WT20.
Darren Sammy, West Indies’ captain, said his team would have a party after qualifying for the semi-finals with their third straight win of the tournament on Friday– a nervy last over victory against South Africa. So with their opponents’ eyes already on next week’s last four showdown against either India or Australia, the conditions are ripe for Afghanistan to spring an upset in their last match of the tournament on Sunday.
Afghanistan style of playing has won new admirers in India with their aggressive and carefree brand of cricket that has caused some anxious moments for their opponents. They gave South Africa a fright last weekend when they raced to 105 for two in pursuit of the Proteas’ total of 210, although they were ultimately beaten comfortably after a flurry of wickets. They also reduced England to 85 for seven at one stage on Wednesday before Moeen Ali spared his team’s blushes with a late cameo.
Afghanistan’s progress in the last few years has been one of cricket’s feel-good stories but after the highs of competing in last year’s 50 over World Cup and the World T20, they have no fixtures against major teams on the horizon once they leave India.
A victory over the West Indies would consolidate their place in the top 10 of the T20 international rankings and increase their chances of being invited to play more matches.
Teams:
Afghanistan (From): Mohammad Shahzad(w), Noor Ali Zadran, Asghar Stanikzai(c), Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Nabi, Samiullah Shenwari, Najibullah Zadran, Shafiqullah Shafiq, Rashid Khan, Amir Hamza, Shapoor Zadran, Mirwais Ashraf, Karim Sadiq, Hamid Hassan, Dawlat Zadran
West Indies (From): Chris Gayle, Johnson Charles, Andre Fletcher, Marlon Samuels, Dwayne Bravo, Andre Russell, Denesh Ramdin(w), Darren Sammy(c), Carlos Brathwaite, Samuel Badree, Sulieman Benn, Jason Holder, Jerome Taylor, Ashley Nurse, Evin Lewis
The left-handed batsman from Haryana is garnering praise from all quarters for the way he’s finishing games regularly in the most exciting IPL season.
Gavaskar reckons Tewatia’s whirlwind knock in Sharjah (in IPL 2020) where he smashed West Indies pacer Sheldon Cottrell for five sixes in an over, gave him the confidence that he belongs to the big stage.
Speaking on Cricket Live on Star Sports, Gavaskar said, “That assault on Sheldon Cottrell in Sharjah gave him the belief to do the impossible and the confidence that he belongs here. We saw the impossible (he did with the bat) the other day as well. There’s no twitching or touching the pads (which shows a batter’s nervousness) when he bats in the death overs. He just waits for the ball to be delivered and plays his shots. He’s got all the shots in the book, but most importantly his temperament to stay cool in a crisis is brilliant.”
Gavaskar has also nicknamed the 28-year-old cricketer the ‘ice-man’ and lauded Tewatia’s ability to remain unruffled during the tense moments.
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