Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi: India have handed debuts to left-arm spin bowling all-rounder Harsh Dubey and fast bowler Gurnoor Brar as skipper Shubman Gill won the toss and elected to bowl first in the rain‑hit first ODI against Afghanistan at the HPCA Stadium on Saturday.
The toss finally took place after a delay of four hours and 15 minutes due to rain. The match will be played as a 25‑overs‑a‑side contest and will start at 5:45 pm. India have also slotted KL Rahul at number three in Virat Kohli’s absence, while a returning Ishan Kishan will take keeping duties.
“It's a bit overcast, so the bowlers might get some help. Looks like a good surface, good wicket to bat on, could be something early on for the pacers. It's all about trying different combinations to see what works for us. We're playing around 15-20 ODIs before the World Cup, so it's about trying things. Jaiswal, Prince, and Kuldeep miss out,’ said Gill.
