Heading into the business end of the ICC World Cup, each match gains more significance. Victory and net run rate both count, and this has become evident with some surprising results in recent days. Against this backdrop, Friday’s clash at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow between the Netherlands and Afghanistan is poised interestingly. This is a virtual shootout for both teams.
The Netherlands started as the dark horse but have displayed the pedigree of a thoroughbred in phases. They’ve attracted attention, aroused interest, and exceeded expectations with remarkable spirit and teamwork in this World Cup. Their triumphs over current table-toppers South Africa and Bangladesh underline their ability to blend individual brilliance with collective strength.
Their strategy is straightforward: they set a competitive total and then defend it. This approach has served the Dutchmen well, tearing the form book to shreds on several occasions. While their top order is yet to deliver substantial scores, the combined efforts of their bowlers have been a significant asset.
One of the Dutch team’s key strengths lies in their abundance of all-rounders, including players like Bas de Leede, Colin Ackermann, Sybrand Englebrecht, and Logan van Beek. However, the team’s reliance on a few key performers to guide their innings is apparent.
They have adapted well to subcontinental pitches, but their relative inexperience in handling spin-heavy attacks could pose challenges in Lucknow. Over-reliance on a couple of partnerships has bailed out their fragile top and middle order in previous games, but this may not be a sustainable approach, particularly against Afghanistan’s high-quality bowling attack, featuring both pace and spin.
Afghanistan embarked on their campaign with questions surrounding their batting. However, following their historic victory over Pakistan, their batters seem to have found a formula for sensible and deep batting. They’ve successfully chased targets in two games, securing wins against formidable opponents.
The Afghanistan side is now evolving into a well-rounded unit, with a blend of flair and stability in their openers, Rahmat Shah and Hashmatullah Shahidi. Azmat and Nabi provide firepower, with Azmat’s contributions proving invaluable as he not only takes crucial wickets with the ball but also contributes runs with the bat, making him a versatile asset to the team. The improvement in Afghanistan’s fielding, akin to their batting, has been noteworthy. In Lucknow, their spinners are likely to relish bowling on a ground with relatively large boundaries and a track that appears to be on the slower side.
Time and Venue Details
November 3. From 14:00 IST. Ekana Sports City, Lucknow.
Expected Conditions
The weather is expected to be mostly cloudy with a high temperature of 32 degrees Celsius and no rain forecast. The pitch in Lucknow is well-balanced, offering advantages to both batsmen and bowlers. However, recent matches have seen pacers dominating, creating difficulties for batters in accumulating runs. Notably, India successfully defended a relatively modest total of 229 runs against England on this pitch, underscoring the challenges that batters may encounter on Friday.
Possible XIs
Netherlands: Vikramjit Singh, Max O’Dowd, Wesley Barresi, Colin Ackermann, Scott Edwards (c & wk), Bas de Leede, Sybrand Engelbrecht, Logan van Beek, Shariz Ahmad, Aryan Dutt, Paul van Meekeren.
Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Azmatullah Omarzai, Ikram Alikhil, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi.
Match-ups:
Fazalhaq Farooqi vs Max O’Dowd
Making his comeback in the last game, Farooqi was under some pressure. He responded by registering his best ODI figures, which helped his team win against Sri Lanka. The left-arm pacer was menacing with the new ball, setting the stage for a compelling battle against Max O’Dowd.
Max O’Dowd, who has been battling a lack of form, particularly in his batting, will face a formidable challenge in the form of Farooqi. O’Dowd’s struggles against the new ball have been evident, and it is in this aspect that Farooqi sees an opportunity to dismiss the Dutch opener. The contest between the two promises to set the game up.