Inda vs Afghanistan: Stanikzai not nervous ahead of historic Test

So, can they be expected to play the same brand of aggressive cricket in the five-day format too? "There is a difference between T20s, ODIs and Test cricket

There wasn't a seat to be had and it was hardly the eve of a World Cup final. Yet that was the case at the Chinnaswamy Stadium Media Conference Hall when Asghar Stanikzai, the Afghanistan captain walked in for the pre-match briefing along with coach Phil Simmons yesterday. There was a translator too in tow and although a lot of what Stanikzai said was lost in translation, his excitement at being at the cusp of history always came through.

"It is itself history that we are playing the inaugural and historical Test match against the No. 1 team in the world," said the visiting captain, who refused to admit to any nervousness, saying he's hearing the word 'nervous' for the first time. Back home the mood is positive he said. "They are very positive and supportive and looking forward for the best performance. They expect we will perform well because recently Afghanistan performed really well in the T20s and ODIs and their expectation will be the same from us," said Stanikzai.

So, can they be expected to play the same brand of aggressive cricket in the five-day format too? "There is a difference between T20s, ODIs and Test cricket. It depends on our plans. We have succeeded in our plans in the past and we will take this match the same way and you will see tomorrow [Thursday] how we play," was his response.

Also Read: India Vs Afghanistan: Ajinkya Rahane's Team Won't Take Newcomers Lightly

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