It's a privilege to be part of Afghanistan's first Test match, says Ajinkya Rahane
Ajinkya Rahane has stated that it would be his privilege to be a part of the historic one-off Test between India and Afghanistan. Afghanistan received full Test status from being associate nation last year and captain Asghar Stanikzai sees it as a great opportunity for players to prove their mettle.
All set to make their debut in whites against India, Afghanistan would approach the match on the back of a confident whitewashing of Bangladesh in the three-match T20I series. Prior to that, they also became the first team to qualify in World Cup 2019 after beating Windies in qualifiers final. Rahane, who would be stepping in as the interim captain in the absence of Virat Kohli, has wished Afghanistan all the best for their future stating this opportunity as a privilege of being part of this historic Test match.
"It's a privilege to be playing in Afghanistan's first Test match. It's a historic moment for them and an opportunity for us to be part of the occasion," said Rahane, reported PTI.
Afghanistan would be the 12th nation to play Test match when they take on India in Bengaluru on June 14, after Ireland took on Pakistan in May. The one-off Test against India would be a chance for the players to enter the individual rankings after making a mark in limited overs cricket.
Though India would be without Kohli in the match, the likes of KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma, Karun Nair, Navdeep Saini and more would feature. And given their form in domestic and international cricket, Afghanistan won’t be expecting an easy match-up by means. Afghan captain Asghar Stanikzai sounded proud of the moment and has stated that they would take the opportunity with both hands and display their talent and skills.
"It's a great moment for us as we embark on our Test journey. To be playing our first Test against India is a great honor and we hope to give a good account of ourselves. To be competing against the best on the Test rankings table is something to be proud of and we will try to do our best in whatever chances we get and exhibit the skills the players possess individually as well as collectively as a team," Stanikzai said.
