On either side of Dharamsala’s hilly terrains, you will find posters greeting you to the city and the World Cup. The entrance to the stadium is lined with invitations bearing the images of Arun Dhumal (IPL chairman) and Anurag Thakur (Ex-BCCI president and current politician). The anticipation for World Cup games at this stunning venue, India’s answer to Newlands, can only increase. The last time a World Cup was held in India (the 2016 T20 World Cup), this pristine stadium was unable to host the India-Pakistan match due to security concerns and had to make do with only one marquee match, Australia vs. New Zealand. This is no longer an issue, as India and New Zealand will face off here in two weeks.
But before we reach that point, there are three more matches to be played at the HPCA stadium, beginning with Saturday morning’s contest. The Afghanistan-Bangladesh game may not be the residents’ most anticipated contest, but it has its own compelling storyline. Four years ago, the two teams met under different circumstances – Afghanistan had gone 6 defeats in 6 and were already out, and Bangladesh were just about clinging on with 2 wins and 3 defeats in 6.
It led to one of the most hilarious tongue-in-cheek moments of the World Cup when Gulbadin Naib (then Afghanistan captain) shocked the media with these pre-match words: “We’ve sunk darling, we’ll now drag you down with us.” Afghanistan was defeated without any dragging, but both teams were sent home early.
On Saturday, they will meet with the same vigor and zeal that you bring to the initial phases of the tournament, where all teams begin on an equal footing and with hopes of reaching the semifinals. In the most recent Asia Cup, Bangladesh defeated Afghanistan rather decisively, giving them added motivation for this match. Afghanistan, meanwhile, could be fueled by their determination to break their winless streak early in the 2019 competition.
When:
Afghanistan vs Bangladesh,
October 5, 2023,
10.30 AM IST
Where:
HPCA stadium, Dharamsala
Team News
Bangladesh
Shakib Al Hasan must make a difficult decision regarding the pacers he selects. Mustafizur Rahman, his most seasoned bowler, sat on the sideline for the majority of the Asia Cup, while Bangladesh fielded Shoriful Islam and Hasan Mahmud in addition to Taskin Ahmed, two inexperienced players. In the insignificant victory against India, Mustafizur played and took three wickets, and he has an awareness of the conditions available in India.
Shakib faces a dilemma at the opposite end of the batting order. Tanzid Tamim performed admirably in the warm-up games and should come in alongside Litton Das, but it was floater Mehidy Hasan Miraz who gave Bangladesh some early batting impetus to set up the Asia Cup victory over Afghanistan.
Afghanistan
After a two-year absence, Naveen-ul-Haq has returned to ODIs, presumably for the last time in the format. Together with Fazalhaq Farooqi, he will bowl the new ball, while the all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai will bowl the third new ball. Afghanistan will presumably employ Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi, and Mujeeb-Ur-Rahman in their propaganda department.
