Afghanistan vs India Prediction: India despite losing early wickets came back strongly to win

Afghanistan and India are going head to head in the 9th game of the ICC World Cup 2023 at Arun Jaitley Stadium, Central Delhi, India on 11th October. India despite losing early wickets came back strongly to win. Who will win this game?

Afghanistan's World Cup woes persist as they faced a formidable Bangladesh side in their opening match.

Ibrahim Zadran and Rahmanullah Gurbaz provided the team with a solid start with the bat, with the latter emerging as the top-scorer for Afghanistan. However, as anticipated, Afghanistan's middle-order batting displayed vulnerabilities, and they went from a promising position of 111 for 2 to a total of just 156 runs.

The inconsistency of batsmen like Hashmatullah Shahidi, Najibullah Zadran, and Rahmat Shah in recent matches is a concern that needs to be addressed if Afghanistan hopes to challenge a high-quality team like India. The conditions in Delhi, featuring a flat pitch and a small outfield, may allow the batsmen to be more productive, but overcoming the Indian side will demand an extraordinary effort.

Afghanistan will rely on its formidable spin attack to make an impact in this game. Despite going wicketless in the previous match, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, and Mohammad Nabi are expected to bounce back in this fixture.

Afghanistan's pace bowling is not their strong suit, and the fast bowlers must be precise with their line and length when facing the in-form Indian batting lineup. Underestimating the Afghan spinners would be unwise, but they are undoubtedly facing a significant challenge in this match.

Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Mohammad Nabi, Najibullah Zadran, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi

Continuing their impressive pre-tournament form, India initiated the competition with a victory over Australia in a low-scoring encounter.

After being instructed to bowl first, the Indian team showcased an exceptional bowling performance, limiting Australia to a below-par total of 199 runs in their first innings. Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj consistently delivered precise lines and lengths, maintaining relentless pressure on the opponents right from the outset. Simultaneously, the spin bowlers took wickets at regular intervals, preventing the Australian batsmen from settling in.

India faced an unusual setback in the top order as they embarked on the chase of a modest 200-run target. Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan, and Shreyas Iyer all departed without contributing to the score. Nonetheless, Virat Kohli and KL Rahul delivered an exceptional performance to stabilize the innings and guide India to victory.

Considering that Shubhman Gill is unlikely to recover in time for Wednesday's match, we can anticipate an unchanged playing eleven. India boasts one of the most balanced teams and remains well-prepared for any challenges that come their way. Depending on the pitch conditions similar to the previous match in Delhi, there is a possibility that Suryakumar Yadav might replace Shreyas Iyer in the playing eleven.

Rohit Sharma (c), Ishan Kishan, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj

The team that wins the toss is expected to choose to bat first.

The Arun Jaitley Stadium features a superb batting track. In the recent match held here, a record-breaking 754 runs were scored, making it the highest-scoring World Cup game. The pitch is dry, offering minimal bounce. It provides little assistance to the bowlers, so they'll have to maintain strict control over their line and length.

The weather will be hot, with temperatures nearing 35 degrees Celsius and abundant sunshine. Given India's excellent form, consider betting on them to win.