AFG vs NED Pitch report: High-flying Afghanistan take on the Netherlands in the 34th match of World Cup 2023 at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Friday, November 3. The Afghans are having a dream run in the 2023 World Cup as they have won three of the six games and stay very much in contention of a semifinal place in the tournament. They are on a two-match winning streak as they have defeated Asian counterparts Pakistan and Sri Lanka in their recent outings.
Meanwhile, the Dutch are having a decent run in the tournament as well as they have 2 wins in 6 games including their recent thrashing of Bangladesh. They are still in contention to qualify for the final four if mathematics is to be believed. The clash between Afghanistan and the Netherlands is set to take place in the northern part of India – the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.
Ekana Cricket Stadium Pitch report
After the Ekana Stadium’s pitch got relaid ahead of the World Cup 2023, we saw some brilliant scores in the first innings. However, after watching the India vs England game on October 29, it seems that the surface has started to be a challenge for the batters. India captain Rohit Sharma also called the Lucknow surface to be challenging for the batters once he led his side to a 100-run win over England.
There is help for the pacers early as there is swing. As the innings progress and the ball softens and gets old, there was enough in it for the spinners too. Expect a not-so-high-scoring contest in Lucknow.
Ekana Cricket Stadium – The Numbers Game
Total ODI matches 13
Matches won batting first – 4
Matches won bowling first – 9
Average 1st Inns scores – 229
Average 2nd Inns scores – 207
Highest total recorded – 311/7 by RSA vs AUS
Lowest total recorded – 129/10 by ENG vs IND
Highest score chased – 269/3 by RSAW vs INDW
Lowest score defended – 248/5 by INDW vs RSAW
Netherlands Probable Playing XI:
Vikramjit Singh, Max O’Dowd, Wesley Barresi, Colin Ackermann, Scott Edwards (c & wk), Bas de Leede, Sybrand Engelbrecht, Logan van Beek, Ryan Klein, Aryan Dutt, Paul van Meekeren
Afghanistan’s Probable Playing XI:
Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Azmatullah Omarzai, Ikram Alikhil (wk), Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi