Asia Cup 2022, IND vs SL: India seeks balanced gameplay in must-win tie against Sri Lanka
India and Sri Lanka will lock horns in Asia Cup 2022's Super 4 game in Dubai on Tuesday. It will be a must-win match for India, as a loss could seriously affect its chances of entering the final, while it would seek balanced gameplay.
FollowIndia would require to get the best out of its delicate bowling resources and bypass experimentation when it clashes with Sri Lanka in its must-win Super 4 game in the 2022 Asia Cup at the Dubai International Stadium on Tuesday. In the absence of injured all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, pacers Harshal Patel and Jasprit Bumrah, India does not have good options to play with in the bowling division. India moved in with five bowling alternatives against arch-rival Pakistan on Sunday, which did not work out in its favour as senior seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar had an off day.
After a match-winning measure in the opening match against Pakistan, all-rounder Hardik Pandya proved expensive with his fast bowling, and so was leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, who has not been his best in the tournament. The five-bowler approach also makes Pandya's four overs more acute. All-rounder Axar Patel, a like-for-like replacement for Jadeja, can be brought into the XI, who could lend more equilibrium.
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Pacer Avesh Khan, who was unhealthy ahead of the Pakistan tie, could also make a comeback as a third specialist fast bowler. While head coach Rahul Dravid emphasised that India would aim to play its best XI in the lead-up to the ICC T20 World Cup, the Rohit Sharma-led team continues with its experimentation.
With the fierce debate over wicketkeeper-batters Rishabh Pant versus Dinesh Karthik in the side, the management decided to give Deepak Hooda a chance at the expense of the latter, who scarcely got a chance to bat in the opening couple of matches. The bowling aids might not be sufficient, but India needs to resolve the issue fast on its middle-order dilemma.
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The Pakistan match's greatest upbeat was the high-profile top-order execution. Rohit, KL Rahul and Virat Kohli delivered aggressively, giving India an electric opening. Kohli's critics can finally rest after his second straight Twenty20 International (T20I) half-century in the competition. He might not be back to his best, but he gave enough signs that he is getting there on Sunday.
One can expect Kohli and the openers to go all-out against Sri Lanka from the opening delivery. Having pulled off twin compact chases against Bangladesh and Afghanistan, Lanka has turned its drive around following a significant loss in its opening match. Barring number three Charith Asalanka, the Lanka batters have impacted, whether it's skipper Dasun Shanaka and Kusal Mendis against Bangladesh or Danushka Gunathilaka and Bhanuka Rajapaksa versus Afghanistan.
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The Chris Silverwood-coached side now believes that it can win in any situation. It is a budding squad, but India would be careful. Another flop will eradicate India from the final race. "It's the belief of the dressing room. We believe we can chase anything on these kinds of wickets as a team. When chasing, we have a clear idea of how the wicket behaves," Shanaka had stated post win over Afghanistan.
Squads
India: Rohit Sharma (c), KL Rahul (vc & wk), Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wk), Deepak Hooda, Hardik Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ravi Bishnoi, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Avesh Khan, Axar Patel and Ravichandran Ashwin.
Sri Lanka: Dasun Shanaka (c), Danushka Gunathilaka, Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (wk), Charith Asalanka, Bhanuka Rajapaksa (wk), Ashen Bandara, Dhananjaya de Silva, Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Jeffrey Vandersay, Praveen Jayawickrama, Chamika Karunaratne, Dilshan Madushanka, Matheesha Pathirana, Nuwanidu Fernando and Dinesh Chandimal (wk).
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Match details
Date and day: September 6, 2022 (Tuesday)
Venue: Dubai International Stadium, Dubai
Time: 7.30 PM (IST)
Where to watch (TV): Star Sports 1, Star Sports 1 Hindi & Sports Select (Also available in HD)
Where to watch (Online): Hotstar
