India have reached the Asia Cup final without facing much of a test. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that Team India have been error-free in their cricket.
In their last couple of matches, India dropped several catches, even though the results went in their favour. Batting-wise too, the Bangladesh clash on Wednesday was a bit of an eye-opener for India, although their bowlers ensured to fire to help register a 41-run win.
Their final Super Four clash on Friday, against the already-ousted Sri Lanka, will be a dress rehearsal for Sunday’s summit clash. It’s an opportunity for India to address the minor flaws in their game.
Precisely, Abhishek Sharma’s fireworks at the top have made the going so smooth for India in the Powerplay that hiccups later on haven’t become a major factor. The left-handed opener seems to be in prime form, away from unforced errors and dealing merrily in boundaries.
However, on Wednesday, Bangladesh did have the opportunity to get him out on
7 had keeper Jaker Ali not botched up the caught-behind chance.
It’s worth noting that the Indian innings could never regain the momentum once Abhishek was run out after his impactful 75 off 37 balls.
Also, the ploy to shuffle the batting order and promote Shivam Dube to No. 3 did seem to unsettle India somewhat, though skipper Suryakumar Yadav defended the move later, citing Bangladesh had a leg-break bowler and a left-arm spinner, adding it could be tried out again.
Trying out such a move may not go on to hurt India much against their opponents from the subcontinent, but could well be costlier when facing stronger teams.
If the idea was to throw the spinners off their lengths, sending even a Sanju Samson at No. 3 was an option. If the ball is in his arc, Samson, too, is good enough to dispatch them away. But on Wednesday, the keeper-batter didn’t even get a chance to bat.
To make the best utilisation of Samson, he needs to go up the order. Already having slipped to the middle order because of Shubman Gill’s presence in the opening slot, placing Samson at No. 8 threatens to make him rusty, something that won’t bode well for India.
Skipper’s struggle
What happens if Abhishek departs early in the final and Gill too falls cheaply? Given the depth in their batting, such a scenario should not be much of a worry. Especially when there is someone like Suryakumar Yadav. Depending on the situation, he can be an aggressor as well as a stabiliser in the top four.
But the captain’s current form is the least inspiring. In his last 12 innings, Surya tallies only 113 runs with a highest score of 47 not out (in the group-phase game against Pakistan) and an average of 11.30. The last time he got a 50-plus score was in October 2024 during the home T20Is against Bangladesh, hitting a 35-ball 75.
Besides, the deliveries that got him out in the last two matches are the ones Surya usually puts away for a boundary or a maximum. For the time being, his struggle hasn’t really affected India much. But on the road to the T20 World Cup, scheduled early next year, it might become a headache if he can’t break free of the lean patch.
