The ‘Men in Blue’ could alter their starting lineup for their ODI World Cup 2023 match against Afghanistan on Wednesday, October 11 in Delhi, according to former Indian opener Aakash Chopra. On a somewhat dry field in Chepauk on Sunday, the Indian squad opened their World Cup campaign with a spirit-boosting victory against Australia.
On a pitch that gave them a lot of assistance, the Indian spinners destroyed the Australian hitters. However, the playing surface for India’s upcoming match against Afghanistan at the Arun Jaitley Stadium might not be as favorable for spin bowling, which is why some fans and analysts are advocating for Mohammed Shami’s return to the starting XI.
Ravichandran Ashwin should be replaced in the starting XI by the veteran seamer, according to Aakash Chopra, who has participated in 10 Test matches for India. At No. 8, the star off-spinner and his batting skills complement each other. But Chopra wants India to increase its seam-bowling capabilities when against Hashmatullah Shahidi’s team.
“Instead of playing Ashwin, you could play Shami, and that would be the only change that could be made to the entire team.” When Shami previously faced this squad in a World Cup encounter, he claimed a hat-trick, but Afghanistan lost to Bangladesh’s spinners in their final game. Because you get batting at No. 8, it will be a little unclear if they should choose Ashwin, according to Chopra, who was quoted by Sportskeeda.
“Playing Shami will need a lot from you. You ought to play Shami, in my opinion. The former Indian opener turned analyst added, “Forget the hitter at No. 8; there are three quick bowlers and two spinners.
Virat, Rahul, and Rohit are in excellent form, and the field is so flat: Aakash Chopra
Chopra observed that the track in Delhi is anticipated to be flat and that players like Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, and Rohit Sharma are in good form. In order to move Shami up the order, he reasoned that India might compromise Ashwin’s batting prowess.
“It makes no difference. The pitch is incredibly flat. KL Rahul and (Virat) Kohli are both in excellent shape. Rohit Sharma is coming off a strong run of play. We’re going to fire. it’s how I feel, so let’s go with it,” Chopra said.
South Africa and Sri Lanka’s match was the only ODI World Cup 2023 match to have been played in Delhi to yet. Sri Lanka scored 326 runs in response to Temba Bavuma’s team’s record-breaking 428 runs, but Sri Lanka lost the high-scoring match.
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