NED vs AFG Live Score: The Netherlands will lock horns with Afghanistan in a must-win fixture at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow. This will be their second match at the venue. In their previous match at the Ekana Stadium, the Netherlands scored 262 runs batting first against Sri Lanka.
It was great work by the Netherlands who were reduced to 6 for 91 runs. But then they held their nerves & managed to post a massive 262 runs total on board. Batting is a major concern for the Netherlands & Captain Scott Edwards needs to address it in the coming fixture. On the other hand, Afghanistan has improved their batting performances as they delivered a gleaming show in their previous match against Pakistan. After their 149-run loss against New Zealand, Afghan chased the target of 283 runs & followed it by registering a gleaming 7-wicket win over Sri Lanka chasing a target of 242 runs.
With both teams aiming for a spectacular win, they need to win this match to stay alive in the semi-final race. It will be a close contest between the two teams with Afghanistan starting with a slight edge given their current batting form.
NED vs AFG TEAMS PREVIEW
Netherlands Preview
The Netherlands face a tough challenge as they will take on Afghanistan at Ekana Stadium. The pitch is tricky for the Netherlands as they had suffered a batting collapse against Australia on the same pitch. Also, the opposition has a strong bowling attack in place which will be the biggest drawback for the Dutch. The top 4 of the Netherlands lineup need to get back into the groove & stitch some valuable stands to post a huge total on board. They cannot depend on the lower order to come to their rescue.
In the batting order, Vikramjit Singh and Max O’Dowd need to play out at least the first powerplay and see the team through to the first 50 runs on the board. Sending Barresi at No. 3 has worked in favor of the Dutch & they will aim to do the same against Afgha’s bowling attack.
Their middle order is strong & competent with the likes of Colin Ackerman, skipper Scott Edwards, and all-rounder Bas de Leede. Though Edwards has scored 68 runs against Bangladesh in their previous fixture, none of their middle-order batters have been consistent which is a major concern for them. In their fixture against Sri Lanka, Â it was Sybrand Engelbrecht and Logan van Beek who helped the team bounce back with a fifty each at numbers 7 and 8. This goes to show that there is great potential in this batting lineup. Just they need to find the right combination.
But currently, the Netherlands is struggling with the willow which can be the biggest positive for Afghanistan. Bowlers need to pull off a huge win & will be key in this fixture in Lucknow. Paul van Meekeren, Colin Ackerman, and Bas de Leede will be the key bowlers to watch out for.
Netherlands Predicted Playing XI:
Vikramjit Singh, Max ODowd, Wesley Barresi, Colin Ackermann, Scott Edwards (c & wk), Bas de Leede, Sybrand Engelbrecht, Logan van Beek, Shariz Ahmad, Aryan Dutt, Paul van Meekeren
Afghanistan Preview
Afghanistan is having a merry time in the ODI World Cup 2023 as they have managed to win fixtures against England, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, all former Champions. Notably, this is the first time that Afghans have won two fixtures at a trot in the ODI World Cup 2023.  The major positive about Afghanistan is their batting as after their win over England, Afghanistan suffered a huge defeat against New Zealand. They were bowled out for just 139 runs while chasing a target of 289 runs. But they didn’t lose hope instead they bounced back in the last fixture by scoring a 130-run stand in the chase of 283 runs against Pakistan. A half-century from all three top batters meant that the Afghans registered a massive 8-wicket win.
Rahmat Shah is in great form at No. 3 with two consecutive fifties. On the other hand, Omarzai delivered a match-winning knock in their last fixture becoming a great option at No 5. Currently, the Afghans’ batting looks in shape & perfect to win their fixture against the Netherlands. Najibullah Zadran can walk in as Ikram Alikhil’s replacement. However, batting is not easy at Ekana Stadium & Afghans need to fix that by learning to adapt to Ekana Stadium’s conditions.
With massive assistance from the bowlers, the pacers will be on top in their game. Fazhalhaq Farooqi, Naveen Ul Haq, and Omarzai will be crucial with the ball in addition to the spinners.
Afghanistan Predicted Playing XI:
Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Azmatullah Omarzai, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi
NED vs AFG Pitch & Weather Conditions
The pitch at Ekana Stadium is a balanced one with aid to both batters & bowlers. However, in their recent fixtures, it was the pacers who made merry & made batters’ life difficult. The pitch will assist more of pacers as in their last fixture India could easily defend a score of 229 runs against England. The weather will be cloudy ranging around 32 degree Celsius.
The average first innings score on this pitch is 229 runs but for a match-winning score, teams batting first should look to post a total of around 260-270 runs. Considering the bowling of both the teams such a total can be difficult to chase.
Toss: To Bowl
The teams bowling first have won 9 out of 13 ODIs. Afghans have chased a target in their last two matches & have a string bowling order. Thus if they win the toss they should opt to bowl first. Whereas Netherlands is concerned considering their inconsistent batting order, they shouldn’t risk the fixture by batting first. Instead, they will look ahead to make use of their strength by utilizing their bowlers to the fullest.
Winning Prediction
Both teams have great potential & will put their every effort into this must-win fixture. However, the Dutch side looks less consistent & reliable as compared to Afghanistan. The toss will play a crucial role in this fixture & the team bowling first can take full advantage of it. Considering the form of players & stats of both the teams we reckon that Afghanistan will have an edge over the Netherlands in this clash.
We Predict Afghanistan to win this clash against Netherlands & keep their playoff hopes alive
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