How Afghanistan can get better at Test cricket

There was much fanfare surrounding Afghanistan's entry into the fold of Test cricket. Although expected to put up a much better display, the debutants disappointed fans with their batting, getting bowled out twice within two sessions.

The argument that Test debutants always fare badly in their first outing doesn't really hold. Only West Indies (vs England) and Pakistan (vs India) conceded innings defeats in their debut Tests. Afghanistan's cumulative total of 212 runs is, however, worse than what both West Indies and Pakistan managed.

While all Test debutants (except Australia and Zimbabwe) lost their first game, many teams gave their opponents a good fight. England, playing Australia in the first ever Test match, lost only by 45 runs. Zimbabwe (vs India), who are now languishing in the doldrums of Test cricket, managed to put up 456 batting first on a dead track and managed a draw.

Most recently, Ireland won many hearts all over the cricketing world by almost pulling off an impossible victory after being asked to follow-on. Every other team, Afghanistan included, that has been asked to follow-on, has conceded an innings defeat. Ireland lost by 5 wickets.

Clearly, Afghanistan has a lot of catching up to do. Here is what they need to do to become a competitive Test side.

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#1 - Play more Tests

This is the basic requirement for any debutant to improve. Afghanistan cricket is at a loss here because they, as yet, cannot play Test cricket at home. It is also highly unlikely to happen in the near future. Their best bet, therefore, will be to play Test cricket away from home, travelling to opposition camps.

As their captain, Asghar Stanikzai, mentioned in the post-match interview, Afghan players had never experienced a Test match before and hence were unable to cope with the pressure put on them by a premier Test team. However, until they get to play more Tests, they would do well to implement Ajinkya Rahane's suggestion to visualize match situations in practice.

#2 - Play more first class (domestic) cricket

Mujeeb ur Rehman had never played a first-class match before his Test debut

While playing more Test cricket is not exactly within their hands, playing more domestic cricket is. No one expected Afghanistan to play like seasoned campaigners but the fact that they had played very little first-class cricket in itself put them on the backfoot even before a ball had been bowled.

Mujeeb-ur-Rahman and Wafadar Momand were making not only their Test debut but also their first-class debut in the match against India. Among the rest, except for Mohammad Shahzad, Yamin Ahmadzai, Mohammad Nabi and Asghar Stanikzai, no one has played even 20 first-class fixtures. It is unacceptable for a player of Rashid Khan's calibre to have played only 5 first-class matches.

#3 - More A team tours

Games like the four-day Intercontinental cup matches will help a team like Afghanistan

Players in established cricketing countries are put to the grind from a young age, and by the time they make their Test debut, they have often played a tremendous amount of age group cricket, followed by A team tours to many a cricketing nation. Afghanistan loses out on this front because although they have exceptionally talented players like Rashid, Mujeeb and some excellent fast bowlers, they are short on the experience of playing competitive cricket.

There is no doubt that A team tours give young players the exposure they need in foreign conditions and allow them the time and space to hone their skills and craft. There is no better example than India, of how competitive A team tours can improve the player pool for a country. Afghanistan will be greatly benefitted if they pick a leaf out of India's book.

#4 - County cricket

A player like Rashid Khan could easily get a County cricket contract

Cricketers from Afghanistan aren't exactly experienced first-class cricketers and that might prove to be an impediment in their attempt to play county cricket in England. However, Afghanistan has proved many times over on the world stage that they have many individual players of exceptional capacity. It is quite possible, and likely even, that county teams might be interested in some of these exceptionally talented Afghan cricketers.

In Test cricket, the onus is on a core group of players to provide performances that will lift the rest of the players and the team as a whole. That did not happen for Afghanistan.

The Indian team, for example, has often been bailed out of tight spots by players like Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ravichandran Ashwin. Most of these core members of the Indian Test team have played county cricket and many have acknowledged the positive impact that it has had on their career.