New Delhi, June 12 (IANS) Former India leg‑spinner Piyush Chawla has said veteran opener Rohit Sharma will be keen to hit the big hundreds that fans and the team have come to expect from him when the three‑match ODI series against Afghanistan begins in Dharamshala on Saturday.

“When you are playing just one format for India, you want to spend as much time at the crease as possible because, no matter how much net practice or match simulation you do, an international match, regardless of the opposition, is a different challenge.

“So, as a batter, you want to score big runs and, if he is completely fit, he would want to score those big hundreds that everyone has come to expect from him. Because more than those quick 40s and 50s, the team would want those innings of 120-130 runs off 100 deliveries from Rohit,” said Chawla on JioHotstar.

On potential debutants during the series, Chawla felt Delhi-based rookie pacer Prince Yadav could get a chance. “All three of Gurnoor, Harsh Dubey, and Prince Yadav might get an opportunity during the series as an audition, especially if India win the first two games.

“But I see Prince Yadav as the strongest contender to get a chance among them. Not just in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, even in the IPL, under pressure, he executed his plans, bowled those yorkers consistently, and took wickets. So, my eyes will definitely be on him.”

Quizzed on who fills the number three slot in Virat Kohli’s absence and the bowling combination with no Hardik Pandya around, Chawla said the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Washington Sundar, and Kuldeep Yadav should be backed to fill those vacancies in the playing eleven.

“Yashasvi Jaiswal hasn’t done anything wrong. In the last ODI he played, he scored a century against South Africa. But given the current form, I feel Ishan Kishan would get the nod. And when you travel for a World Cup, you need a backup wicketkeeper, so he fits both those roles, a backup opener, and a backup keeper.

“Among the spinners, I would go with Washington Sundar and Kuldeep Yadav. Washington helps extend the batting until No. 8, and Kuldeep will take care of the middle overs.

“If you look at his ODI numbers, not many bowlers are even close to him. Among the pacers, I would like Arshdeep to get some game time, a bowler who can pick up early wickets, along with Prasidh Krishna.”

Chawla signed off by saying Afghanistan’s spinners would be central to deciding the contest’s outcome. “Whenever you talk about Afghanistan, the focus is on their spinners, especially in white‑ball cricket. Yes, the ones playing Test cricket may lack international experience, but that’s not the case in limited‑overs cricket.

“You will have Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi operating in the middle overs. And we know that Indian batters in the middle order like to show their intent against spin, so it will be a fascinating battle. That phase of the game will play an important role in determining the outcome.”

–IANS

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“When you are playing just one format for India, you want to spend as much time at the crease as possible because, no matter how much net practice or match simulation you do, an international match, regardless of the opposition, is a different challenge.

“So, as a batter, you want to score big runs and, if he is completely fit, he would want to score those big hundreds that everyone has come to expect from him. Because more than those quick 40s and 50s, the team would want those innings of 120-130 runs off 100 deliveries from Rohit,” said Chawla on JioHotstar.

On potential debutants during the series, Chawla felt Delhi-based rookie pacer Prince Yadav could get a chance. “All three of Gurnoor, Harsh Dubey, and Prince Yadav might get an opportunity during the series as an audition, especially if India win the first two games.

“But I see Prince Yadav as the strongest contender to get a chance among them. Not just in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, even in the IPL, under pressure, he executed his plans, bowled those yorkers consistently, and took wickets. So, my eyes will definitely be on him.”

Quizzed on who fills the number three slot in Virat Kohli’s absence and the bowling combination with no Hardik Pandya around, Chawla said the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Washington Sundar, and Kuldeep Yadav should be backed to fill those vacancies in the playing eleven.

“Yashasvi Jaiswal hasn’t done anything wrong. In the last ODI he played, he scored a century against South Africa. But given the current form, I feel Ishan Kishan would get the nod. And when you travel for a World Cup, you need a backup wicketkeeper, so he fits both those roles, a backup opener, and a backup keeper.

“Among the spinners, I would go with Washington Sundar and Kuldeep Yadav. Washington helps extend the batting until No. 8, and Kuldeep will take care of the middle overs.

“If you look at his ODI numbers, not many bowlers are even close to him. Among the pacers, I would like Arshdeep to get some game time, a bowler who can pick up early wickets, along with Prasidh Krishna.”

Chawla signed off by saying Afghanistan’s spinners would be central to deciding the contest’s outcome. “Whenever you talk about Afghanistan, the focus is on their spinners, especially in white‑ball cricket. Yes, the ones playing Test cricket may lack international experience, but that’s not the case in limited‑overs cricket.

“You will have Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi operating in the middle overs. And we know that Indian batters in the middle order like to show their intent against spin, so it will be a fascinating battle. That phase of the game will play an important role in determining the outcome.”

–IANS

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