The Indian Asia Cup team was announced and it was more or less along the expected lines. Kohli and Rahul have returned and there is no room some players who have proved quite good in the recent past. All in all, the selectors would not have deliberated for too long to pick the squad. This blog is about the Indian Asia Cup team review.
Kohli is back and rightly so
There have been calls recently, more famously from Kapil Dev & Sehwag that Kohli be dropped from the T20 squad. Be that as it may, but Kohli unless and until he himself asks for a long break from the game, it is nonsense to drop him from any team. He is an excellent batsman and has proved that in every condition. Unfortunately, he is going through a lean patch and every support must be extended to him to come out of it. One is not sure whether he will play the usual pivotal innings in the Asia Cup but it is time other batsmen rally around Kohli and support him during the struggle. Having said that, Kohli may just play against certain teams that do not have the firepower. It just may help him regain form.
Only three fast bowlers
The surprising fact is that there are only 3 fast bowlers. In the absence of Bumrah, Kumar is the only fast bowler with experience. The others, Avesh Khan and Arshdeep Singh are inexperienced with hardly a few games between them. The only thinking behind this must be the fact that the pitches in UAE will hardly have anything for the fast bowlers. However, if the fast bowlers are able to mix it up with slower ones and bouncers, they will also have a role to play.
Rahul is back in the team
Rahul as expected is back in the team and one can only assume that he will open the innings with Rohit. It is a mistake that the Indian team keeps repeating. Rahul is not an opener as I have often said. He will be really good in the middle order.
Why make Rahul the vice-captain?
Rahul has often proved that he is not captaincy material. In 4 attempts, he did not manage to win a single game for India and his multiple failures as captain of Punjab in IPL, has categorically proved that he is not a good captain. Why is that the selectors goes back to him every time is beyond me? Considering Rohit’s poor fitness, he will once again become the captain whenever Rohit is injured. This I am afraid is extremely poor planning.
Why is Ashwin back in the team?
I really does not make much sense to keep picking Ashwin in the T20 squad. Yes, the pitches will assist spinners but in Jadeja, Bishnoi & Chahal, the spin department is more than adequately taken care of. So, what is the need for Ashwin? Agreed, that both Bishnoi and Chahal are absolute mugs with the bat and if the team needs a spinner who can bat, Ashwin fits the bill. The point to note is that, will Ashwin be in the team to fly to Australia? The answer I think will be no. Unless he plays and performs exceptionally well that makes it impossible for the selectors to drop him. However, I do think that it is wrong to give him false hope that his T20 career is back on track.
The inexperience of Arshdeep & Avesh
Shami would have fitted the bill in the absence of Bumrah. The problem is his strike rate and economy rate in T20 is too high. Arshdeep is quite promising with his change of pace and Avesh Khan has pace but will their inexperience, especially when playing Pakistan come to the fore?
The opening conundrum
Rahul is back. It is safe to assume that he is considered as the opener with Rohit. It is not just the fact that Rahul is not an opener but the opposition that must decide the opening combination. India’s main opposition is likely to be Pakistan with the other teams unlikely to offer stiff competition. Shaheen Afridi and Harris Rauf are the main threat. How the Indian batsmen fare against these bowlers will decide the winner. Rohit is traditionally known to struggle against left-arm quicks and Rahul will not bat any better. It is better to counter the threat of Afridi with a left-hander. Pant is the only batsman who will be scared of Afridi and will take him on from the first over. It is better to open the batting with Pant and Rohit with Rahul at lower middle order.
Under the circumstances, it really is a pity that the selectors weren’t able to find a spot for Ishan Kishan. A left-handed opening bat would have been the perfect anti-thesis for Afridi.
The other threat is the slower balls of Rauf. India I do not think have an answer for those.
Will Karthik make the cut?
The only spot that Karthik can get through is if the team decides to go in with 4 middle order batsmen with Pant opening the innings. Otherwise, I do not see a way in for Karthik.
Wrapping up the Indian Asia Cup team
The selectors have almost all the bases covered. It is tough luck on the part of Ishan and Sanju to not be in the squad. Their chance will come and until then, they will have to remain patient. I can only hope that the selectors have told the team management that they do not see Rahul as an opener and he must not be considered for that role. The Indian supporter do not want to see a repeat of the World T20 2021 when Rahul and Rohit struggled to get the ball over the square. India needs flamboyance at the top and they need that against Pakistan whom they will likely face in the finals. As for Shreyas, I am afraid he has been found out at the international level already. His road ahead is tough.