'We Didn't Apply That': Ibrahim Zadran Admits Afghanistan Failed To Fix Power-play Woes Against India

New Delhi: Afghanistan captain Ibrahim Zadran admitted his side failed to address the batting issues that hurt them in the opening T20I against India, with another Power-play collapse leaving the visitors unable to set a challenging target in the second game of the series at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday.

Afghanistan again struggled to establish momentum at the top of the innings, allowing India’s bowlers to dictate terms during the first six overs. Zadran said the team had discussed the need for a more aggressive approach after the first match but was unable to translate those plans into action.

“Well, yeah, definitely we struggled again. We didn’t get what we wanted, but as a group, we thought about it: how to improve, how to have that approach in international cricket, to carry on, especially against the top teams. Yes, we didn’t play well in the powerplay, I would say.

"So we didn’t get the momentum there. They put pressure on us there. I’m giving credit to the bowlers; we will think about it to improve in that area, and then I’m sure we will fight against the biggest team in international cricket,” Zadran said after the game.

The Afghanistan skipper revealed that the dressing-room focus after the first game had been on taking their totals beyond the 150-160 range and towards the 200 mark. However, the visitors once again struggled to produce the attacking intent required in the opening phase.

“We thought about how to improve that 150-160 to 200 plus. So we need to bring that intent to the team. If you’re going to get on 60 (in the powerplay) with the right intent, no problem. But we should go with the right intent to score, 200 plus. But yes, we didn’t apply that.”

Afghanistan’s lack of recent T20I cricket has also made the challenge more difficult. Zadran pointed out that Tuesday’s fixture was only their second T20I of the year, leaving the team with limited opportunities to build rhythm and sharpen their approach against elite opposition.

“I’m pretty sure we will improve that area if you want to beat the biggest team on the international stage. But I would say this is the second game we have had this year. We didn’t get a lot of games. So with that time, as I mentioned earlier, we will think about it.”

Despite another difficult outing, Zadran remained confident Afghanistan can close the gap if they address their early-innings shortcomings. “As soon as we improve in that area, I’m pretty sure we will challenge the biggest team.”

With India now holding a 2-0 lead in the three-match series, Afghanistan will have one final opportunity in the third T20I to produce the response their captain is seeking.

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