Lucknow: For Afghanistan, Lucknow holds mixed memories and nagging unfinished business. The city doubled as their ‘home’ in India in 2019, when Afghanistan arrived hoping to build a fortress away from home soil.
Instead they left wounded after a 0-3 whitewash in the ODI series against the West Indies that exposed both tactical frailties and inconsistency under pressure. They were also beaten in a one-off Test, but they managed to win the T20I series 2-1. That series remains a useful touchstone as Afghanistan prepare to return to the same venue on Wednesday, this time to face India in the second ODI of the three-match series.
The first ODI in 2026 delivered a sobering reminder that gaps remain. Afghanistan were beaten by seven wickets, a result that underlined differences in depth, experience and execution between them and a world-class, young India side. Opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz struck his maiden hundred against India in India, whereas skipper Shahidi and Azmatullah Omarzai could only reach double figures in the rain-curtailed encounter.
On the other side, Indian bowlers especially pacer Gurnoor Brar (3/27) and spinner Harsh Dubey (3/47) controlled the game and their batters, including skipper Shubhman Gill, Ishant Kishan and KL Rahul chased with clinical ease, leaving Afghanistan with plenty to ponder. Yet there is reason for cautious optimism in the Afghan camp because Lucknow is where they have previously shown they can adapt and recover.
In fact, India outplayed Afghanistan in all departments but here in Lucknow, the biggest challenge for both sides will be the hot and humid conditions at least in the first half of the game on Wednesday.
Lucknow’s pitches have historically offered a balance, including some assistance for seamers early on, but also enough for spinners and batters to score if they apply themselves. In 2019, Afghanistan’s problems were less about the pitch and more about failing to convert starts, a lack of middle-order resilience, and a tendency to leak momentum in key phases.
Since then, Afghanistan cricket has evolved a new leadership, a pipeline of promising all-rounders and spinners, and greater exposure to high-pressure international fixtures. Those developments give them tools to revisit Lucknow with a different approach.
Tactically, Afghanistan must learn from both the West Indies whitewash and the recent loss to India. The lessons are consistent: they need to build partnerships, rotate strike to negate India’s spinners, and protect the middle overs from collapse.
Their bowlers need clearer plans to unsettle India’s top order rather than offering easy scoring opportunities. Deploying their best spinners in tandem and using hitters lower down the order to capitalize on the death overs could change the dynamic. Fielding must be sharper which is an area where small improvements often swing close encounters.
Afghanistan’s skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi underlined a few key areas that left them struggling in the opening match. “It was a tough game. Back-to-back wickets was the reason, I felt if we scored 220-230 that’d be a good target when Gurbaz and I were batting. But then wickets fell and we were 30-40 short,” he said after the match.
“In my mind, I was targeting the left-arm spinner to the short boundary. After Gurbaz fell, we made mistakes. The wicket was a bit flat. We weren’t that disciplined with the ball,” he added.
Psychologically, the trip down memory lane to 2019 could be reframed as motivation rather than a burden for Afghanistan. Where that series highlighted vulnerability, the intervening years have given Afghanistan experience. Players who were raw in 2019 are now seasoned, newcomers bring fearless intent. The familiarity with Lucknow’s conditions, which feels like home, also allows the team management to prepare a focused plan that exploits the pitch.
However, India will not make it easy. They carry momentum and local support, but complacency can be dangerous, and Afghanistan know they can be dangerous when their bowlers strike early and their spinners find rhythm.