It should not have shocked anyone. The fact that Afghanistan walked all over South Africa in the first ODI. Neither is it something for the history books. Afghanistan have been making these ‘histories’ for quite a few years now. And very rightly so, they deserve, at least, to be awarded with a popular sentiment that they do not do something out of the blue when they beat the so-called big teams. It’s just a normal day in the office for them. These victories are special, yes. But they are not unusual. Especially not anymore.
Before the first ODI in Sharjah the other day, South Africa met Afghanistan in the recent T20 World Cup semi-final. Even though they managed to convincingly beat the Asian team, nothing of that victory or their previous outings was visible in the way South Africa showed up. In their very weak defense, they fielded plenty of newbies. And it’s rather difficult to get the new guys into the firing mode when you have bowlers like Fazalhaq Farooqi and Rashid Khan bowling jaffas.
Team Overview:
The Afghan bowlers made sure that the batters did not need to bother much when they outclassed South African batters in the last fame. But this will not be the case always. Without Ibrahim Zadran up top, and an inexperienced Riaz Hassan in his place, the batting lineup could be vulnerable on the days when bowlers do not make the same magic. The middle-order, although, has some concrete in it and can cash on the opportunities, if and when, created by the top-order
South Africa are without many of their senior players and almost all of their squad has little to no experience of playing in this side of the world. With Temba Bavuma’s potential return in this game, they might find some amount of stability. Tristan Stubbs was a big letdown in the first game, just as he has been of late.
Head-to-Head Matches:
South Africa and Afghanistan have only played one ODI match outside of the mega-events. Of the three games in which both teams have crossed their swords, South Africa won two and thanks to the previous game, Afghanistan have got one win to their name.
Weather and Pitch Report:
Sharjah is not a very good place to bat. The surface is two-paced and has a variable bounce. In the first game, it offered a bit of a turn to the bowlers as well. During the initial stages, it’s an ideal surface for the pacers. Spinners can come into play during the later stages. The surface is also dry which helps the batters put on runs on the scoreboard. The weather is forecasted to stay clear during the play.
Prediction:
South Africa will look to make a comeback but given the form Afghanistan is in, it would be a tiresome task to do so. This could give the Afghan team an edge over their opposition.
Where to Watch:
You can watch the second ODI between Afghanistan and South Africa by tuning in to the following:
Afghanistan: RTA Sports, Etisalat (Live Streaming)
South Africa: SuperSports Cricket, DSTV App
India: Eurosport, Fancode App
Pakistan: Geo Super, Tapmad
UAE and MENA: Cricbuzz
