Afghanistan v South Africa Second ODI Tips: Spinners still too strong

Friday 20 September 13:30
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Afghanistan v South Africa Second ODI team news

Afghanistan dominated South Africa in game one. The result was not a surprise but the ease of the victory was. The visitors were bowled out for 106 with the offbreaks of Mohammad Ghazanfar taking them by surprise.

Faz Farooqi was top bowler with four and it meant that a batting line-up without Ibrahim Zadran was put under no pressure. We expect them to pick the same XI.

Probable XI: Gurbaz, Riaz Hassan, Rahmat, Hashmatullah, Omarzai, Naib, Nabi, Kharote, Rashid Khan, Farooqi, Ghazanfar

It is worth reiterating that this is is a South Africa second XI. Heinrich Klaasen, Rassie van der Dussen, David Miller, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Gerad Coetzee, Anrich Nortje and Kagiso Rabada are all absent.

Temba Bauma joined them due to illness. Whether he is well enough to play remains to be seen but if he is, Jason Smith may step out. Bavuma is likely to open.

Possible XI: Hendricks, Bavuma, De Zorzi, Markram, Stubbs, Verreynne, Mulder, Phehlukwayo, Fortuin, Burger, Ngidi

Afghanistan v South Africa Second ODI pitch report

There have been 12 games in the last two years. Only four first digs have busted more than 260. South Africa's collapse is likely to make the innings runs market skittish but it could well be that the historic belief that South Africa are vastly superior has an impact and we could short in the late 250s.

Afghanistan v South Africa Second ODI match prediction

Afghanistan are into 2.265/4 from 2.6813/8. It may not be a big enough cut. From the evidence of game one this contest could be deduced as closer to a choice affair.

South Africa were not even competitive and it was they that looked like the former Associate side. Second-string or not, another factor at play here is South Africa's struggle to adjust to alien conditions and opposition.

They don't have many opportunities to play spin back home, certainly not on these types of surface. And they could be fighting a losing battle. Twenty-three overs of spin from Afghanistan cost just 66 runs and the route to an away wins is hard to plot given those numbers. Afghans still value has to be the verdict.

Afghanistan v South Africa Second ODI player bets

We will stick with Azmatullah Omarzai for top Afghan bat because we know the 5/16.00 should be shorter considering how often he wins. For the record, Bavuma and Aiden Markram remain bad value for SA top bat on the same criteria at 16/54.20 and 11/43.75. Tristan Stubbs, on pure ability and decent experience in India, may well make him the call at 9/25.50.

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