Afghanistan vs West Indies, 2019: Only Test- Dream11 Fantasy Cricket Tips – Playing XI, Pitch Report & Injury Update

Match Details

The one-off Test match between hosts Afghanistan and the West Indies will be played at Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.

The match starts at 09:30 AM IST (04:00 AM GMT). This match can be watched live on Star Sports. Live streaming will be available on Hotstar.

Preview

So, after the razzmatazz of ODI and T20I cricket-  it is now time for both West Indies and Afghanistan to square off in a one-off Test.  Afghanistan came back really well after taking a pounding in the ODIs to script a come-from-behind win in the T20Is. They are in pretty good form in the Tests as well after having beaten Bangladesh on their home turf by a mammoth 224 runs with Rahmat Shah scoring a pristine hundred and Rashid Khan scoring a half-century before racking up 11 wickets in the match.

West Indies, on the other hand, has had a mixed year in Test cricket. After shellacking the English (2-1) on home soil earlier this year, Jason Holder’s men were bamboozled by a rampaging Indian side and their fast bowlers. What’s even worse is their recent Test record in Asia. Since 2016, they have lost seven of the eight Test matches in the sub-continent. Another trial by spin awaits them against Afghanistan.

Weather Report

We are expected to be greeted with a bright and sunny day in Lucknow for the one-off Test. According to AccuWeather, it is expected to be a hazy day full of sunshine in Lucknow on Wednesday with the temperatures hovering between 16-28 degrees.

Pitch Condition/Report:

This will be the first Test match that will be played at the iconic stadium in Lucknow. However, with Afganistan playing hosts, one can expect the pitch to aid the spinners as the day progresses.

Average first innings score at this venue: NA

Record of chasing teams- NA

Injury and Availability News:

(Will be shared when there’s an update)

Probable Playing XIs for Dream11 Fantasy

Afghanistan:

Ibrahim Zadran, Ihsanullah Janat, Rahmat Shah, Asghar Afghan, Afsar Zazai (wk), Rashid Khan (C), Yamin Ahmadzai, Amir Hamza, Qais Ahmad, Zahir Khan, Nijat Masood.

Bench: Nasir Jamal, Javed Ahmadi, Karim Janat, Ikram Ali Khil.

West Indies:

Kraigg Brathwaite, John Campbell, Shamarh Brooks, Shimron Hetmayer, Roston Chase, Shai Hope, Shane Dowrich (wk), Jason Holder (C), Rahkeem Cornwall, Jomel Warrican, Kemar Roach.

Bench– Alzarri Joseph, Sunil Ambris, Keemo Paul.

Top Picks

Rahmat Shah scored another pristine hundred in the last Test that he played. Shah has emerged as the cornerstone of Afghanistan batting and will once again be the key to their fortunes alongside Asghar Afghan, Ibrahim Zadran and Ihsanullah Janat. As far as the bowling is concerned, it will once again be the trial against spin for the West Indies batsmen against the likes of skipper Rashid Khan and Zahir Khan.

As for the West Indies, their hopes of leading the batting unit will impinge on Kraig Brathwaite, Roston Chase, and Shimron Hetmayer while Jason Holder- the No.1 ranked all-rounder in the world- will be their X-factor. The tourists might go in with two spinners which means Rahkeem Cornwall and Warrican could be seen bowling in tandem.

Captain and Vice-Captain Selection

Captain Options – Rahmat Shah, Roston Chase, Jason Holder

Vice-Captain Options –  Shai Hope, Kraigg Brathwaite, Rashid Khan

Suggested Playing XI No.1 for Fantasy Cricket:

Keeper – Shai Hope

Batters –  John Campbell, Asghar Afghan, Rahmat Shah (VC), Ibrahim Zadran

All-Rounders – Jason Holder, Roston Chase (C), Rashid Khan

Bowlers –   Qais Ahmad, Yamin Ahmadzai, Jomel Warrican

Suggested Playing XI No.2 for Fantasy Cricket:

Keeper – Shane Dowrich

Batters –  Kraigg Brathwaite, Asghar Afghan, Rahmat Shah

All-Rounders – Jason Holder (C), Rashid Khan (VC), Rahkeem Cornwall, Roston Chase

Bowlers –  Amir Hamza, Yamin Ahmadzai, Qais Ahmad

Expert Advice:

Jason Holder, Rashid Khan, Roston Chase and Rahmat Shah should be in your team. But they eat up a lot of credits and it is imperative to pick three players with 8 credits.

Probable Winners:

Afghanistan are expected to win the match.

*Disclaimer: This team is based on the understanding, analysis and instinct of the author. While selecting your team, consider the points mentioned and make your own decision.