New Delhi: England will look to gain more solidity as they take on a spirited Afghanistan in a crucial Super 10 Group 1 encounter of the ICC World Twenty20 at the Feroz Shah Kotla here.
England made a sensational comeback after suffering a big defeat against West Indies. Joe Root led England to a record chase of 229 runs against South Africa and that has brought in a buzz and wave of positivity in the English camp.
England know they need to win this tie as it will put them in a position from which they can get closer to qualification for the semi-finals. The inexperienced bowling has let them down and the side would depend on its batters again to see them through.
For Afghanistan, despite losing both games so far, they have shown flashes of highly entertained and well fought cricket. Their inexperience against top sides shows the inability to finish lines, but given more opportunities, Afghanistan looks to have a bright future.
The war-torn nation will look to cause an upset and send England packing out of the tournament.
Here are the players to watch out for in this intense tie.
Joe Root (England): The English batsman proved against South Africa why he is one of the top rated batsmen in world cricket across all formats and that he shoulders the responsibility of the side to will. Root was a class act against the Proteas and had also contributed against West Indies earlier to highlight his form. Root is a fantastic player of spin and his ability to rotae the strike well is an added bonus. He will look to make his confidence count once again on Wednesday.
Jason Roy (England): The opening batsman set the win for England upfront in a stupendous run-chase. Roy's attacking prowess and clear hitting gives England the opportunity to counter early on and have an attacking start. With Alex Hales supporting him, Roy has the license to thrill and go big at the powerplay overs. Afghan bowlers need to be wary of not allowing him to free his arms and go for the kill.
Mohammad Shahzad (Afghanistan): He is certainly the most dangerous batsman in the Afghanistan team. Shahzad is capable of hitting boundaries at will at a brisk pacve. He has been in good nick and the pocket-sized dynamo showed against South Africa that why he needs to be feared. Afghanistan's batting depends a lot on Shahzad's performance and Wednesday is the bets time to do that well.
Mohammad Nabi (Afghanistan): He has been the most valuable all-rounder for Afghanistan of late. Nabi has contributed immensely and his off-spinners are handy for his side. He will have to contain the English batsmen and and also take responsibility with the bat.
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