Opting to bat after winning the toss, India struggled on a slow pitch and crawled to 224-8 with Virat Kohli (67) and Kedar Jadhav (52) managing half-centuries against a disciplined Afghan attack.
The likes of Robin UthaManoj Tiwaryppa, Manoj Tiwary and Kedar Jadhav will get another chance to impress the selectors and push their case for a comeback to international cricket when Ranji Trophy champions Karnataka clash against Rest of India lock in a five-day Irani Trophy match, in Bangalore, starting on Tuesday.
Before the selectors meet again to finalise the squad, you can take on the role and pick 15 players from the 30-member probables list you feel are best to represent the country at the 2015 World Cup.
The focus will be on K L Rahul and Vijay Shankar, contenders for the number four slot, in the World Cup warm up match against New Zealand, in London, on Saturday.
Karnataka captain R Vinay Kumar's led from the front with a six-wicket haul as the Ranji Trophy champions gained upperhand against Rest of India on the first day of the Irani Cup match despite a gutsy effort from wicketkeepe-batsman Dinesh Karthik.
India play the opening T20I against New Zealand on Friday.
The World Cup is just a couple of months away, and even after even a 0-2 loss in the just-concluded T20 series there won't be any shift in plans as far as skipper Virat Kohli and coach Ravi Shastri are concerned.
Roundup for Ranji Trophy matches played on Friday
Srinivas Bhogle and Purnendu Maji list the Most Valuable Players of the India-New Zealand ODI series.
Indian captain Virat Kohli, on Friday, slipped a rung to third in the International Cricket Council (ICC) rankings for ODI batsmen but his predecessor Mahendra Singh Dhoni gained a spot to be 13th in the latest list issued in Dubai.
India have a couple of middle-order slots still up for grabs and Shreyas Iyer sees this as an 'opportunity'
Indian openers have not replicated the kind of starts the Indian batting has grown accustomed to from its top-order.
It will be a big statement if Virat Kohli's young side could start off with a bang at Mahendra Singh Dhoni's 'spritual home', a task which will be easier said than done.
Hosts Australia will pull on a classic uniform from the 1980s featuring green strip on bright gold top and pants when they take on India in the three-match ODI series.
The Indian Playing XI will also have Bhuvneshwar Kumar on Sunday as he replaces Mohammed Shami, who was hit on the leg in his follow through during the third match.
Check out the Delhi Daredevils squad for IPL 2014.
Royal Challengers Bangalore got back to winning ways after they squeezed past Delhi Daredevils by 15 runs on a batsman-friendly wicket in their Indian Premier League match at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Saturday.
A fit-again pacer Jasprit Bumrah, who missed the last One-Dayer in Ranchi, bowled with vigour as eight Indian players turned up for the optional practice session on the eve of the series-deciding fifth and final game against New Zealand in Vishakapatnam on Saturday.
With the three-match T20I series ahead and also the World Cup round the corner, India will have to address this weakness to ensure that their much-vaunted batting doesn't crumble on an odd day when the condition aids swing bowling in England.
India are eyeing a place in the final after three wins in as many matches, while Pakistan will look to step up their game in the Super Four match, after a scare against Afghanistan.
Australian fast bowler Pat Cummins, on Tuesday, was added to the growing list of injured players in the Indian Premier League
The IOA ad-hoc committee on Wednesday decided to hold much-awaited Asian Games wrestling trials on July 22-23.
Will India retain the team that won the semi-final? Should India bring back Umesh Yadav?
After a shock defeat against Bangladesh 'A' in the second One-dayer, India 'A' will look to get their act together and clinch the unofficial three-match ODI series as they go into the third and final match, in Bengaluru, on Sunday, with both teams locked 1-1.
Flamboyant Australian Glenn Maxwell is expected to be a favourite, despite his under-whelming record, along with England's spin bowling all-rounder Moeen Ali, while Kerala's batting sensation Mohammed Azharuddeen could be in hot demand during a condensed IPL players' auction, to be held in Chennai, on Thursday.
'This win is going to take a while to sink in'
A vintage Yuvraj Singh blasted a quickfire half-century to help champions Sunrisers Hyderabad outclass Royal Challengers Bangalore by 35 in the opening match of the tenth edition of the Indian Premier League in Hyderabad, on Wednesday.
Leg-spinner Shreyas Gopal claimed the first hat-trick of his career to guide Ranji Trophy champions Karnataka to a convincing innings and 222 runs victory over Rest of India in the final of the Irani Trophy, in Bangalore, on Wednesday.
Injured Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Virat Kohli, who is yet to feature in the ongoing Indian Premier League, on Wednesday, went through some fielding drills during the team's net session, in Bengaluru.
A formidable India will fancy their chances of taking an unassailable 2-0 lead against a weakened West Indies when the two sides lock horns in the third game of the ongoing five-match ODI series, in North Sound, Antigua, on Friday.
Captain Rohit Sharma's form with the bat and bowling in the death overs will be a huge concern for hosts Mumbai Indians when they take on Royal Challengers Bangalore on Tuesday.
Stung by a batting debacle, Royal Challengers Bangalore have the onerous task of picking up pieces when they face defending champion Sunrisers Hyderabad on Tuesday, with a singular aim of keeping their hopes alive in the Indian Premier League.
Cheteshwar Pujara made 49 and 43 in his two innings as Saurashtra lost to Haryana by four wickets.
Rohit Sharma will be back in his familiar opening position with an aim to get some quality batting practice when India take on Bangladesh in their final warm-up game before the Champions Trophy opener against Pakistan.
Premier off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin will be in focus alongside speedster Mohammed Shami when defending champions India take on New Zealand on Sunday in their opening warm-up game ahead of the Champions Trophy in London.
All-rounder Hardik Pandya returned to the Indian squad for the three-match ODI series against South Africa after a six-month injury lay-off along with fit-again senior opener Shikhar Dhawan and seasoned seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar. This was the first selection meeting under new chairman Sunil Joshi. However, vice-captain Rohit Sharma is yet to fully recuperate from his calf muscle injury and is expected to return to action during the Indian Premier League later this month.
Chennai Super Kings all-rounder Dwayne Bravo, who has been ruled out of the remainder of Indian Premier League because of a groin injury, tells fans CSK is going to come back stronger and better like champions.
"Can't be so defensive against the spinners," Sehwag tweeted.
Star batsman Suresh Raina will look to get some batting practice ahead of the upcoming South Africa series along with some of the other fringe players as India 'A' take on Bangladesh 'A' in a three-match One-Day series, starting in Bengaluru, on Wednesday.
Pakistani players made a prolonged appeal but umpire Marais Erasmus was not convinced.
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