Afghanistan cricket team is all set to play their maiden Test match against world no.1 side India, which is scheduled to commence on will begin on Thursday at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru and the battle of words between the two nations is getting intense as the match getting closer.
After Afghanistan skipper Asghar Stanikzai’s comment on their spinners being better than their Indian counterparts, the Indian batsman Karun Nair has responded in a similar fashion by saying that the Afghan spinners don’t have enough experience of bowling in the longest format of the game.
Speaking at a pre-match conference, Nair said, “That was a big statement to make considering Afghanistan haven’t played Test cricket. All our spinners are proven wicket-takers in Test cricket, so there is nothing much to say there.”
ALSO READ: Dwayne Bravo takes revenge on Karun Nair
Even though Afghanistan spinners Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman have left a lot of batsmen clueless in the recent past, Nair feels that Test cricket is a totally different ball game and it is going to be a challenge for them to do well. He said, “We all have played Rashid in the IPL. I think Test matches are a totally different ball game. No one has played him in the longer format, and I’m sure he hasn’t bowled much too with the red ball. I think it’s going to be a challenge for everyone.”
As far as mystery spinner Mujeeb is concerned, Karun said, “I can read it from the hand. I think that’s the best way to play spin. He is a good bowler but we’ll have to wait and watch what happens in the Test match.”
Nair had a great start to his career as he scored a triple-century against England and he mentioned that he is not bogged down by the pressure of scoring a triple-hundred early on in his career, and stressed that it’s a great milestone to have.
Talking about his career so far, Karun said, “For me still there is a long way to go. But I want to do well in this Test first and then move forward. It’s been a long time since my triple hundred. I don’t really think about it. I am looking to win matches for the team and play well in situations where my team needs me.”
