India vs Afghanistan 1st ODI HPCA Stadium Pitch Report, Dharamshala Weather Forecast: Rains have delayed toss ahead of the first ODI between India and Afghanistan at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamshala. India are looking to get back to winning ways in ODIs when they start their three-match series against Afghanistan. However, their wait for a win could end up being extended with the picturesque hill town being lashed by rains overnight and early in the morning on Saturday.
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India have lost three of their last five ODIs, and this includes a rather historic series defeat at home to New Zealand. There is no Virat Kohli for this series but Rohit Sharma will be there and there will be significant focus on him due to the rather patchy last few months he has had in India’s recent ODI matches and in the . Rohit managed 61 runs in the last home series against New Zealand in January — three forced lofts, three soft dismissals in what felt like uncertain territory. Coupled with 283 runs in nine innings in the IPL season, it has only added fuel for the detractors.
It had been raining all night prior to the day of the match in Dharamshala and in patches throughout the morning. However, the forecast for the city during the game itself looks somewhat bleak, particularly towards the second half of the match. According to Accuweather, it could be cloudy for much of the day in Dharamshala with possibility of showers and thunderstorm later. It means that there could be disruptions during the second innings of the match.
Match day morning: Not the brightest of starts in Dharamshala today. Plenty of rain overnight too.
— Lalith Kalidas (@lal__kal)
The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) had earlier issued an Orange Alert for June 12, warning thunderstorms, hail and gusty winds throughout the state. Additionally, the IMD has predicted wet conditions to persist throughout Himachal Pradesh until June 16.
This is the first time a bilateral ODI will be played at this stadium since 2017. There could be some movement on offer for the pacers with the new ball but overall, Dharamshala has generally been good for the batsmen. Teams chasing have won five ODIs here, while teams batting first have won four. The last ODI here, in the 2023 World Cup, saw Australia pile on 388, with New Zealand falling short by just five runs.
