India, June 15 -- For Afghanistan, Lucknow holds mixed memories and nagging unfinished business. The city doubled as their 'home' in India in 2019, when Afghanistan arrived hoping to build a fortress away from home soil.

Instead they left wounded after a 0-3 whitewash in the ODI series against the West Indies that exposed both tactical frailties and inconsistency under pressure. They were also beaten in a one-off Test, but they managed to win the T20I series 2-1. That series remains a useful touchstone as Afghanistan prepare to return to the same venue on Wednesday, this time to face India in the second ODI of the three-match series.

The first ODI in 2026 delivered a sobering reminder that gaps remain. Afghanistan were beaten by seven w...