Following an elated end to the third Ashes Test (for England obviously), the connoisseurs are now braced for another exciting cricketing week. There are several fixtures to keep a close eye on. For the starters, Ashes returns, which brings the much-awaited reinstatement of the Steve Smith-Jofra Archer rivalry.
After all the mind games and much of talking, the two will face-off on the field; this time hoping to stamp firm authority. Hanging in the balance, these two men are the game changers for their respective sides. Of course, there are plenty other (Ben Stokes coughs), but just envision an England bowling attack without Archer in it.
As for Smith, a dismal 23 in his first innings since being felled by Archer’s sublime delivery in the second Ashes Test wasn’t particularly impressive, but the fact that he headed straight back into the nets after the wicket exhibits a pure sight of sportsmanship. And with the Aussie back in the team, brace yourself for an elevated head-to-head battle. After all, Archer is actually yet to dismiss his Indian T20 League teammate.
WATCH OUT FOR:
- Ben Stokes: Stokes batted at Number 6 in his first three innings of the Ashes and the result was dismal, to say the least; a mere 69 runs at a lowly average of 23. The subsequent innings, however, saw the all-rounder coming in at 5 and the outcome was breathtaking; 258 runs, comprising of two unbeaten centuries. Interestingly, Stokes has batted at all positions from 3 to 11, but his numbers are more superior at 5.
New waves to ride for the Afghans
Having named as Afghanistan’s new captain across all formats after a dismal World Cup showing under Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan’s first assignment lies in front of a relatively robust Bangladesh unit. Scheduled to play a one-off Test against the Tigers in Chittagong, both Afghanistan and Bangladesh have fabricated quite a rivalry in ODIs, with the latter winning five of the eight ODIs against the former.
The longest format, however, is something that the Afghans are very new to. As of now, they have only played two Tests, where they defeated Ireland in one and suffered a crushing defeat against India in the other.
WATCH OUT FOR:
- Rashid Khan: The leg spinner carries a substantial burden at the tender age of 20. However, if the statistics are anything to go by, he is well and truly a catastrophe for Bangladesh, having carried a bowling average of 15.05 against them in nine limited-overs
What to do now? Head to Sportsbet.io to select your picks.
Feature image courtesy: AFP / Paul Ellis
