The Afghanistan team may be making its Test debut, but the players are anything but nervous.
“We are hearing that word (nervous) for the first time. We are not nervous at all. We’re well prepared for the Test,” Afghanistan skipper Asghar Stanikzai said here on Wednesday.
Expectations back home are high. “This is a historic occasion for our nation. The mood back home is very positive. They expect the best performance from us. We did very well in the ICC World T20, so expectations are high,” Stanikzai said.
The absence of Indian star Virat Kohli has dampened the excitement around the event to a small degree, but Afghanistan coach Phil Simmons believes that his bowlers could do with some respite. “Our players are a little disappointed at not being able to share the field with Virat.
At the same time, there is a little bit of happiness too because bowling to him for long periods is not a nice thing (laughs). The way we look at it is that we’re happy to be here to play against India. Virat is not India. If we win the Test, we beat India, we don’t beat Virat,” Simmons said.
As for the debate around which team has the more potent spin attack, Simmons stuck his neck out and stated that leggie Rashid Khan will emerge on top of the heap. “The spinners in both teams are excellent.
Right now, Rashid is the most difficult spinner to face. He will come out as the best spinner in this Test,” Simmons said.
The former West Indies all-rounder expects the pitch to offer assistance to the tweakers. “The pitch is a lot darker today that it was two days ago. By the time tomorrow comes, it’ll be dry enough for the spinners to get some turn.”
Simmons admitted that his players may face some difficulty in adjusting to the longest format. “They have played four-day domestic cricket, so they think they have a fair idea about Test cricket. But I think it’s harder than that. The good thing is that our players will learn from the experience,” he said.
The burly Simmons, who has coached Ireland in the past, added, “Afghanistan produces an abundance of talent. Ireland hasn’t produced the number of talented youngsters that Afghanistan does on a regular basis. There are a few exciting prospects for the future.”