Shreyas Iyer's Biggest Test Yet? Ex-Selector Highlights India's Key Challenge Against Afghanistan

Afghanistan could deploy veteran off-spin bowling all-rounder Mohammad Nabi with the new ball in Sunday's opening T20I to target India's heavily left-handed top order, warned former off-spinner and national selector Sarandeep Singh. A significant part of the build-up to the three-game series has been about how the Indian batting line-up could counter the threat posed by Mohammad Nabi, ace leg-spinner Rashid Khan and wrist-spinner Noor Ahmad, especially in the powerplay and middle overs. Bowling Nabi upfront could also depend on whether India stick with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to bat alongside Abhishek Sharma or bring back Sanju Samson.

"I am saying that before Rashid Khan as well, if Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Abhishek Sharma play as openers, it is possible that Mohammad Nabi can be seen bowling in the first over. That can be a strategy or plan from them, as he's an off-spinner and he will definitely be given a chance. We saw in the T20 World Cup, which we won, Abhishek Sharma was having a tough time in the beginning," Sarandeep told IANS in a select virtual interaction organised by FanCode, the official digital broadcaster of the three-game series.

He also reminded everyone of how Abhishek had a rough time against off-spinners in this year's T20 World Cup, something Afghanistan can look to exploit via their crafty spin troika.

"Everyone began bowling off-spin to him and were able to get Abhishek Sharma out often. But I feel both of them will start hitting from the very first ball. Ishan Kishan will fare sensibly against them, but I think more than Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi will play a role, especially if he bowls with the new ball.

"We will have to see if Rashid Khan has a strategy or plan to counter them, as he has been playing in the IPL for so many years. He has played a lot on Indian soil, has shared the dressing room with Indian players and has got to know them very well. I think we will see them come up with a great bowling plan for him tomorrow. There is no doubt that Nabi will bowl the first over against both those openers."

Sarandeep also believes that Afghanistan's extensive experience across global T20 leagues makes them a formidable opponent for the Shreyas Iyer-led Indian team.

"I said the same thing a while ago. Their spin bowling attack, 6-7 players in the middle order, pacers and batters play T20 cricket worldwide. They play in big leagues and have great experience of playing T20s. Rashid Khan will definitely play a big role in bowling against the Indian middle order."

Highlighting the conditions at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, Sarandeep expected high-scoring encounters to be the norm in the three games, while adding that India should look to play Varun Chakaravarthy, Washington Sundar and Axar Patel as their spin-bowling combination.

"The way Delhi Premier League games happened some time ago and how Arun Jaitley Stadium wickets usually behave, they support batting a lot. We have seen big scores on these pitches in the T20 World Cup and the domestic season. As far as spinners are concerned, India always like to go with all-rounders.

"Ravi Bishnoi was in the scheme of things but was not able to perform as well. Varun Chakaravarthy is a regular spinner, while Washington Sundar and Axar Patel can both bat and bowl. I feel it will be a good combination for India, as there should be variations as well. There should be a left-arm spinner and an off-spinner, and India will definitely go with them," he added.

Turning to the fast-bowling unit, Sarandeep recalled how he met Jasprit Bumrah during his recovery from a left knee injury at the Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru and the big boost India get from his return.

"It is a big advantage for India to have Bumrah back because you get a confidence boost. I was taking a high-performance camp at the Centre of Excellence and was also there with the North Zone team as their coach in the Duleep Trophy. I saw Bumrah doing his fitness work there.

"He was becoming fully fit and was bowling his heart out. Whenever he comes, he bowls his heart out. He never plays if he is not fit, as he comes back only when he is fully fit. He did well in the Centre of Excellence practice games, played well in the match simulations and looked fully fit. I was meeting him there every day. Bumrah being fully fit and his return to the Indian team is a big boost for us, as the other fast bowlers also start looking better."

Addressing pace additions following Harshit Rana being ruled out due to a fresh thigh strain, Sarandeep highlighted Yash Thakur's earned progression through domestic cricket and international shadow tours. Nagpur-based Thakur made his T20I debut in July against Zimbabwe and picked up two wickets in as many games.

"Yash Thakur had a very good time with Punjab Kings in the IPL, but when Vidarbha won the Vijay Hazare Trophy, he played really well. He has been performing consistently in domestic cricket over the past 2-3 years and has earned this opportunity as a result.

"He performed well in Sri Lanka in the 'A' games and then on the Zimbabwe tour. He got a chance here because Harshit is currently unfit. Hopefully, he can cement his place in the Indian team. We have a lot of injury concerns. The advantage here is that any fast bowler who is fit will get more opportunities."

Analysing Shreyas Iyer's task as India's captain to build winning momentum after winning just three out of 10 games, Sarandeep pointed to tactical adjustments and managing bowlers during key phases as major challenges.

"In T20 cricket, it's really difficult to tell which areas he should improve because the game moves so quickly that you don't know when it began. But there are some crucial points regarding the situation of the game, like bowling changes, which are very important. Should the spinners be in the circle or not?

"Also, who will bowl the final overs, as Harshit Rana is not there now and Yash Thakur has come in? Nitish Reddy is coming back after injury and where he fits in is important. Making crucial bowling changes at the right time is also very important. Your batting line-up is set and you have all the batting options. But when you go out to field, you have to know who will bowl at what phase of the game.

"Even we know Jasprit Bumrah is one of the world's finest fast bowlers in all three formats, but he is still coming back from injury. So, it might take some time for him to get into a rhythm. We expect Jasprit Bumrah to come in and start taking wickets immediately, but he still needs time as he's returning from injury.

"So, it might be possible that Jasprit Bumrah doesn't take wickets at the start, but your other bowlers should be ready and Yash Thakur should also do well. You already have Arshdeep Singh, who always comes in and takes wickets for you. The main thing is how you rotate Varun Chakaravarthy, Washington Sundar and Axar Patel. They have so much experience and have won so many matches for you. So, how to rotate these three spinners will be a very big challenge for Shreyas Iyer," he concluded.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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