Afghanistan leg-spinners Rashid Khan and Mujeeb ur Rahman had a sensational IPL 2018. Mujeeb, playing in his inaugural IPL, finished with 14 wickets from 11 matches for Kings XI Punjab while the ‘senior’ Rashid has 18 from 15 games for Sunrisers Hyderabad. Both teenagers have given away less than seven runs an over, making them by far the most effective spinners in the tournament.
While that is great news for their respective franchises, the Indian team management must be more than a bit worried. Why, you ask? Because India are scheduled to host Afghanistan for the country’s inaugural Test in Bengaluru on June 14.
TEST MATCH DISMISSALS
Hmmm... I'm starting to think Virat Kohli missing the Afghanistan game may not have that much to do with his commitment to Surrey or respect for Test cricket after all... 😎😉#VIVOIPL #IPL2018 #RCB #srh #RCBvSRH pic.twitter.com/d6YIDfkau3
— Dushyant Shetty (@dustyplanet) May 17, 2018
Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni and KL Rahul were dismissed by the Afghan teens in the IPL. Kohli, in fact, was bowled through the gate by Rashid and Mujeeb, while Dhoni and Rahul were castled by Rashid.
All four dismissals had a common theme – they were all comprehensively bowled. Dhoni lost his woodwork via a Rashid googly, while Rahul was bowled by a classic leg-break from the same bowler. Kohli’s dismissal by Mujeeb was equally incredible, bowled while attempting a drive off a googly.
The wickets were classic Test match dismissals and that too of some of the finest players of spin in the Indian team. If players like Kohli and Dhoni can be comprehensively beaten, lesser players of spin can find it too hot to handle as well.
NO KOHLI
Granted, both Kohli and Dhoni won’t be part of the one-off Test against Afghanistan. But the way they were bamboozled on subcontinent wickets by Afghanistan’s teenagers should send alarm bells ringing in the Indian dressing room.
If they thought the Test will be a straightforward affair, they will be having second thoughts now. With captain Kohli set to play county cricket in England instead of the Afghanistan match, the Test debutants will be buoyed by the fact the best batsman of the team won’t be playing.
NO FEAR
Teams playing their inaugural Test of late have proven to be very tricky. Bangladesh scored 400 in their first ever innings – against India – in 2000 and were ahead for large parts of the Test before collapsing in the second innings.
Ireland almost pulled off a miracle in their inaugural Test against Pakistan, reducing the hosts to 14 for three while chasing 160 in the final innings. They lost the Test by five wickets, which was a more than commendable effort.
Afghanistan can take confidence from the performance of the previous two Test debutants and look to unsettle the Indians, especially after their star spinners have already rattled India’s best on their own turf.
