Last Updated on 2 hours ago by Charbel Coorey
The historic duel between India and Afghanistan – the first bilateral ODI series between the nations – comes to a close at Chepauk on Saturday. India have turned on the style, with Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan smashing centuries in the Lucknow heat to guide the hosts to a massive score of 402. The total was 170 too many for Afghanistan in the end.
It doesn’t get much cooler with the final match of the series in Chennai. AccuWeather forecasts a top of 36 degrees, but the humidity factor gives a feel of 45 degrees. There is also a chance of rain that may impact this day/night encounter.
Chepauk Chennai weather for IND vs AFG 3rd ODI: Conditions should allow for a full match
According to AccuWeather, there is a chance of thunderstorms around the start of the match. The first ball is scheduled to be bowled at 1:30pm local, and the hourly forecast shows the possibility of rain from 2pm to 4pm.
However, chances of precipitation remains low, and conditions will be fine thereafter, which should allow for a result. Also, the cloudy conditions may limit dew despite the oppressive heat, which will once again test the players.
“The way our fast bowlers are bowling in this heat, on these wickets, it’s not easy to keep hitting the deck, keep hitting those areas consistently with that pace,” said Shubman Gill after India’s win in Lucknow.
The bowlers from both teams will be required to toil in the Chepauk heat, which will put further spotlight on the BCCI’s scheduling of this series. Usually, international matches in India are played between October and March to avoid the extreme heat throughout the country. On Saturday, spectators will also be put to the test in Chepauk’s first ODI since South Africa’s thrilling win over Pakistan at the 2023 World Cup.
India have won five of six ODIs against Afghanistan, with one tie in the 2018 Asia Cup. Gill’s team will be looking to put the icing on the cake in Chennai, with Rohit Sharma among those looking to make a big statement.
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