File image of Rahmat Shah.© AFP
Veteran Afghan batsman Rahmat Shah said his team's “past experience” of playing in India will give them an edge over New Zealand in the one-off Test, which begins in Noida from Monday. Shah was part of the Afghanistan teams that played Tests in Bengaluru (2018 against India), in Dehradun (2019 against Ireland) and in Lucknow (2019 against West Indies). “Our past experience in India will help us. We had our home ground in Noida and in Lucknow, and we have played a lot of matches here and done a lot of camps here.
“We are also used to the Indian weather and pitch conditions, so we certainly have an advantage,” Shah told Cricbuzz.
Shah, Afghanistan's leading scorer in Tests and ODIs, was out to give the Kiwis, the inaugural WTC champions, a tough time.
“We will try to make it difficult for them. They have won the ICC Test Championship and we have tried to prepare as best as possible and we are looking forward to the challenge ahead,” he said.
The 31-year-old top-order batsman said he has made some technical changes to suit the conditions here.
“I just tried to focus more and practice more (to make technical adjustments). Before, my shoulder would open up and I would try to go sideways and straighten my alignment.
“When the fast bowler came, I used to move a little more towards the outside stump and as a result, I used to fall.
“I used to play my shot with my wrist, but now I try to play it with my feet and work hard to incorporate it into my batting pattern,” Shah added.
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