Afghanistan is all set to make its Test debut against India in Bengaluru this week. ©Getty Afghanistan has been the story of world cricket in the 21st century. You could argue about India and the giant wealth it controls, about the great Australian teams at the turn of the century, about the Ashes of 2005 and of England's waking up to white ball cricket, about the West Indies and their two World T20 titles, about Pakistan having to endure no home cricket... You could argue more vehemently about the impact of the first World T20 in 2007 and the phenomenon of the IPL. It would be a difficult argument to win against that. But for sheer emotion, for the exhibition of hope and determination, for the journey from playing in refugee camps to gracing the capitals of world cricket, for moving from Division 5 of the World Cricket League to Test status in ten years, for overcoming the pain and the struggle of being in one of the most difficult parts of the world, the story of Afghanistan has no parallels in world cricket. It almost doesn't matter to me what they do in Bengaluru. For when they take the field they will tell us, having told their countrymen in a war-ravaged area, of what is possible. So often we complain about having no resources, we sometimes bemoan that others don't do enough for our growth, we let entitlement seep into our lives. That is when you must remember Afghanistan. The first cricketers thought tennis balls were a luxury, then playing in the leagues in Peshawar symbolised opportunity. Taj Malik told them what was possible, a visionary and a taskmaster who picked them up and got them ready. Often, the coaches at grassroot levels are armed with desire and commitment but as teams grow, you need more and Afghanistan did. Malik had played his part. Other coaches have arrived, India has provided grounds and a base and a welcome and T20 leagues around the world have injected confidence. A superstar has arrived. It was unimaginable even some years ago. I looked up the scorecard from almost exactly ten years ago. May 31, 2008. Afghanistan vs Jersey at St.Saviour. I actually did a Google search for St Saviour. Mohammad Nabi played that match as did Samiullah Shenwari and Asghar Stanikzai and my favourite bowler, Hamid Hassan. They may have lost that had Hasti Gul not taken then home from 62-8. Why do I mention this? Within two years, from playing in Div 5, they were in the Caribbean playing India in the World T20. Five years later they were at the World Cup. Now they are playing a Test match. Rashid Khan is the premier bowler of his type in T20 cricket, Nabi has closed matches in the Big Bash, Mujeeb ur Rahman looks like he has so many fingers from which to choose one to deliver a cricket ball. Afghanistan made the semifinal of the U19 World Cup. And yet, to put things in perspective, a blast at a stadium killed and injured many while the IPL was on. Players still emerge from danger and turmoil. Maybe it tempers them. What is pressure when a bomb has gone off when friends are playing? Sport is a contest where winning is supreme. Not so in Bengaluru this week. A nation will look to a sport for joy and hope. That is what this Test match is about. © Cricbuzz<doc-sep>ALSO READ: ALSO READ: Squads: India: Afghanistan: BENGALURU: Statistically, it's a classic David vs Goliath showdown but contextually, it's the beginning of a historic new chapter in international cricket as world No.1 India take on a war-ravaged-but-resilient Afghanistan in their first ever Test match on Thursday.While majority of the sports fans, in soul and spirit, will be in Russia enjoying the surreal skills of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, the eternal cricket romantic will try to derive his little pleasures of life watching Rashid Khan trying to hurry Shikhar Dhawan with a flipper or bowl a googly to Ajinkya Rahane There is always a nervous anticipation associated with performance of a new team but the politico-social narrative associated with Afghanistan gives the game a different context.On the surface, it is just another Test match but it is much beyond that.The Rashids, Mujeeb Zadrans and Mohammed Shahzads would like to put their best foot forward in trying to at least provide their countrymen a refuge in sporting success.India have been Afghanistan's close allies and the BCCI has shown magnanimity in opening their stadiums so that the national team can practice.But come Thursday, Rahane's India will not spare an inch as they are expected to put up a ruthless show.No wonder the iconic CLR James line is still so relevant "What do they know of Cricket who only Cricket Know. "India, sans their regular skipper Virat Kohli along with two frontline bowlers Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah, will look to record a comprehensive win before embarking on their long and grueling tour of England.For Afghanistan, it will be a battle of attrition that they have never ever faced before. Test cricket is a different beast and Rashid's real battle starts now.That he is a brilliant four-over bowler, is a known and acknowledged fact.However, the acid Test will start when he bowls that fifth over. The intelligence will be tested during the 15th over, patience during the 23rd over and endurance during the 40th over.More importantly, will Rashid be able to maintain his quick arm speed over after over.As Afghanistan coach Phil Simmons said, his men won't understand what is Test cricket until they get onto the field.With no pressure of asking rate, a Murali Vijay or a Chesteshwar Pujara, if set, will play at their own pace. The Indian batsmen in their own backyard are not known to pull back punches.Can a 17-year-old Mujeeb, who hasn't played a single four-day game in his career, trouble a KL Rahul with whom he shared the IPL dressing room at the Kings XI Punjab?This time he won't have Ravichandran Ashwin 's guidance. Instead Ashwin might pass on a few valuable inputs to his batsmen on how to tackle Mujeeb.Will Shahzad be able to curb his natural attacking instinct as the five-day format demands different attritional skills?That Afghanistan have no idea how difficult it can get could be gauged from their skipper Asghar Stanikzai 's pompous claims that his spinners are better than the home team.When Dinesh Karthik was asked, his singular statement made it clear what the team thought about it. "Our Kuldeep Yadav (2 Tests) has played more first-class games than all their spinners put together. I know from where its coming but I wouldn't to harp too much on that," Karthik said.However, the Indians having watched and played against Rashid will be wary of what he can do.That's the reason the Indian team management might just prefer a hard bouncy track knowing full well that a rank turner could boomerang on them.The problem with Afghanistan will not be their spinners but their batsmen.How well Shahzad, Mohammed Nabi negotiate Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja will have a direct impact on the kind of fight Afghanistan will be able to put on.And even before that they will have to counter the disconcerting bounce generated by Ishant Sharma and the pace worked up by Umesh Yadav.As Kevin Pietersen said during his MAK Pataudi Lecture, a lot will depend on their "ability to take lessons from the nets into the heat of battle".Ireland had put up a respectable fight against Pakistan on their Test debut but again it was Kevin O'Brien who was the silver lining in the batting department.But whatever be the outcome, "a beautiful journey" has already begun for Afghanistan.Ajinkya Rahane (captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Murali Vijay, Cheteshwar Pujara , KL Rahul, Karun Nair, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Hardik Pandya, Shardul Thakur, Navdeep Saini, Ravichandran Ashwin. Ravindra Jadeja. Kuldeep Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav.Ashgar Stanikzai (captain), Mohammed Shahzad, Javed Ahmadi, Rahmat Shah, Ihsanullah Janat, Nasir Jamal, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Afsar Zazai, Mohammed Nabi, Rashid Khan, Zahir Khan, Amir Hamza Hotak, Sayed Ahmad Shirzad, Yamin Ahmadzai Wafadar, Mujeeb ur Rahman.<doc-sep>ALSO READ: ALSO READ - ALSO READ: DUBAI: India captain Ajinkya Rahane on Monday termed it as a "privilege" to be a part of a historic first Test match against Afghanistan. "It's a privilege to be playing in Afghanistan's first Test match. It's a historic moment for them and an opportunity for us to be part of the occasion," Rahane was quoted as saying in an ICC release. "They have a fine team and some talented players, who have proved themselves in shorter formats. I am sure they are looking forward to do the same in Test cricket. On behalf of the Indian team, I wish them all the best. "World's top-ranked team, India are without regular captain and second-ranked Virat Kohli for this Test but the likes of Cheteshwar Pujara (sixth), Rahane (18th) and opener Lokesh Rahul (19th) in batting and former top-ranked spinners Ravindra Jadeja (fourth) and Ravichandran Ashwin (fifth) among bowlers will be looking to improve their positions on the ICC Test Player Rankings.Afghanistan, who have fast established themselves as a force to reckon with in the shorter formats, will become the 12th side to figure in men's Test cricket after Ireland debuted against Pakistan last month. Both Ireland and Afghanistan were granted Full Member and Test status last June.Afghanistan captain Asghar Stanikzai said: "It's a great moment for us as we embark on our Test journey. To be playing our first Test against India is a great honour and we hope to give a good account of ourselves. "To be competing against the best on the Test rankings table is something to be proud of and we will try to do our best in whatever chances we get and exhibit the skills the players possess individually as well as collectively as a team. "The one-off Test against India will be Afghanistan's first step towards being ranked on the ICC Test Team Rankings and a chance for their gifted players to enter the individual rankings after making a mark in limited overs cricket.India stand to lose three points if they lose this match but their number-one position is under no threat, thanks to a 13-point lead over South Africa.Afghanistan's spinners will be in focus as Rashid Khan (top-ranked in T20Is, second in ODIs) and Mohammad Nabi (eighth in T20Is, 16th in ODIs) look to make a mark in Test cricket.Among batsmen, Rahmat Shah is their leading player in ODIs at 32nd position.<doc-sep>
Afghanistan will embark on a new journey in their cricket history when they make their Test debut against a Virat Kohli-less No 1-ranked India in the historic one-off Test at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Thursday. Afghanistan, who are rising through the ranks of world cricket, have named a spin-heavy squad for their debut Test to give India a taste of their own medicine. The squad comprises five spinners in Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Zahir Khan and left-arm spinner Hamza Kotak, who incidentally emerged as the leading wicket-taker in the recently concluded first-class competition. India have a little advantage in the upcoming Test as their batsmen have already faced a couple of Afghan spinners in the Indian Premier League. Afghan stars Rashid and Mujeeb enjoyed fruitful campaigns in the IPL, playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kings XI Punjab respectively. But the home side have to be a little conscious that they don't slip on a potential banana skin as they come into the game without any match practice. India also have a couple of new players in their squad, which will make Rahane's task of fielding the right combination a bit difficult. Three key players — regular skipper Kohli along with pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar have been rested as they prepare for the challenging tour to England next month. New inclusions like wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik, Shardul Thakur, Navdeep Saini and Karun Nair will aim to make the most of this chance and would like to cement their place in the playing XI. The batting department seems settled with the likes of Rahane, Shikhar Dhawan, Murali Vijay, Cheteshwar Pujara, Lokesh Rahul, Karun Nair and Dinesh Karthik. In the bowling department, India have the star spinning trio of Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav along with pacers Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav and Shardul Thakur. Having won all their last six Test series at home in the previous season, the Indians are expected to sail through easily as they aim to start the season on a high and take the confidence to the five-Test rubber in England. When will the India vs Afghanistan match be played? India will play Bangladesh at Bengaluru from 14-18 June. How do I watch the India vs Afghanistan clash live? The matches will be broadcast live on television by Star Sports Network. The match will be broadcast with English commentary on Star Sports 1 and Star Sports 1 HD. For Hindi commentary, tune in to Start Sports 1 Hindi and Start Sports 1 Hindi HD. The match will also be broadcast with Tamil commentary on Star Sports 1 Tamil. What time will live coverage of the match start? The live broadcast of the day match will start at 9.13 am IST. Where can I follow the matches online? The match will be streamed online on Hotstar. You can also follow Firstpost's live blog of the historic Test here. With inputs from IANS