India’s Performance in the Asia Cup: A Closer Look
A: Approach
- India showed a refreshing approach to batting in the Asia Cup
- They pressed the accelerator right from the start to end, especially against Pakistan
- This batting template seems to have been set for the World Cup
B: Boom boom
- Jasprit Bumrah’s fitness was a concern for India, but he proved his readiness to lead the pace attack
- His absence had haunted India in previous tournaments, but he ran in hard throughout the Asia Cup
- He is now ready to lead the pace attack in the upcoming World Cup
C: Comeback K(L)ing
- K.L. Rahul made a strong comeback after a four-month lay-off
- He scored an unbeaten hundred and has been appointed as the stand-in captain for the first two ODIs against Australia
- The management and selectors have shown full faith in him
D: Depth
- The management has focused on increasing the depth of batting by persisting with lower-order all-rounders
- This gives India six bowling options and at least eight batters
- This strategy is set to be continued in the World Cup
E: Efficiency
- Kuldeep Yadav’s efficiency in picking wickets in the middle overs is a positive sign for India
- The top four batsmen have been scoring runs consistently
- If the all-rounders continue their good work, India will be a strong contender in the World Cup
F: Fitness concerns
- Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel have faced fitness issues during the Asia Cup
- Shreyas is expected to play in the series-opener against Australia, but his fitness is a concern
- Axar sustained a muscle tear and missed the Asia Cup, while R. Ashwin’s addition to the squad complicates the situation
