Asia Cup 2023 Update: India have sealed their ticket to the final of the Asia Cup after grinding out a hard-fought win over a determined Sri Lanka. It was not pretty by any stretch of the imagination, but India have managed to grind out a result in a challenging situation which can only be considered as a good omen in their build-up to the upcoming home World Cup.
Over the course of the 4 matches that they have played, there have been quite a few boxes ticked, while another few still require to be ticked. With that being said, we take a look at the 5 talking points from India’s campaign in the Asia Cup so far.
1. Brisk opening starts
The biggest change in the Indian side in the ODIs has been their approach in the first 10 overs, with the fielding restrictions in place. Gone are the days when India started conservatively and waited until the final 10 to accelerate. The opening pair of Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill have been playing aggressively right from the outset to apply the pressure on the opposition bowlers and not give them any breathing room whatsoever. In the games against both Pakistan and Sri Lanka, they have scored at over 6 runs an over, which bodes we’ll for the rest of the batters to follow.
2. Middle order strength
Coming into this tournament, India’s biggest quest was who would assume that all-important position of number 4. The lack of the number 4 was the biggest reason India fell short in the 2019 WC and the same mistake cannot be afforded to repeat itself again. And sure enough, the number 4 question still persists, but this time it’s a happy problem to have because the two contenders for that spot have been brilliant.
While it was Ishan Kishan who kickstarted things with that matured knock of 82 vs Pakistan in Kandy, KL Rahul carried it forward with a splendid ton on his return to the fold. To add to it, both of them joined hands in a very crucial 60+ run stand vs Sri Lanka as well. So whoever is picked for that Number 4 slot has well and truly made their mark for it.
3. Pace bowlers shine
The arrival of Bumrah has once again single-handedly lifted the Indian bowling attack from good to elite. The pace spearhead didn’t bowl in the first two games, but announced his return with an absolutely brutal spell of fast bowling vs Pakistan and then continued the same thing against Sri Lanka. Complimenting him perfectly was Mohammed Siraj, who has a happy knack of taking wickets in the Powerplay and has increased his pace as well, so it’s a pleasant surprise seeing him bowl at a pace of over 140+ clicks.
Hardik Pandya completes the trio with his brand of aggressive bowling and his use of the hard length to his advantage. The pace battery has been coming along beautifully this tournament, and with Shami in the wings, this attack will only get better.
4. The Kuldeep juggernaut
12 wickets in 3 games. Kuldeep Yadav is becoming unplayable and that is a boon for this Indian side. He has been one of India’s leading wicket takers in ODIs since 2021 and is now clearly reaping the benefits of the changes that he has made to his action. Pakistan batsmen were unable to read his variations and by the time they understood it, they were walking back to the pavillion. With two games left in the tournament, there is every chance that Kuldeep reached the 20 wicket mark in this tournament.
5. Axar’s mixed bag
Axar’s inclusion in this side vs Sri Lanka was a good call in the sense that he was expected to be a handful in conditions that were very much well-suited for the slower bowlers. However, while his exploits with the bat ensured that India breached the 200-run threshold, his performance with the ball, which was the reason why he was picked, left a lot to be desired.
He was the only spinner on both sides to barely get any turn, and he struggled to find the right lines and lengths to cause any sort of trouble to the Sri Lanka batsmen. With better batting units lying in wait against India in the world cup, Axar’s bowling could very well be the weak link in what is shaping up to be a very formidable bowling unit.
Author Credit- Delwyn Serrao
