Having already sealed the Asia Cup 2023 Final spot, Rohit Sharma & Co will face Bangladesh in the last Super 4 clash which is nothing but a formality. There has been a plethora of changes as India made 4 crucial changes. Tilak Varma gets his ODI debut as Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya, and others get a much-needed rest. Prasidh Krishna, and Suryakumar Yadav come in the playing XI.
India Playing XI: Rohit Sharma(c), Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan(w), Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Shami, Prasidh Krishna
“We have made five changes, Tilak makes his debut. Shami and Prasidh also come in. Suryakumar also gets a game,” said Rohit at the Toss
With two wins in two Asia Cup Super 4 clashes, India are through to the final. But it has come at a great cost: fatigue. Team India had a rest day on Thursday having played on three consecutive days against Pakistan and Sri Lanka. But the concerns remain as India will play two 50-over games in 48 hours.
The Good, Bad & Ugly
The good: Rohit Sharma has used India’s pace battery diligently, not overusing Jasprit Bumrah. The star pacer bowled five overs against Pakistan and seven overs against Sri Lanka to keep him fit. Mohammed Siraj has also bowled just 10 overs in two games combined. Hence, their workload is not an issue.
The bad: The only concern going into Friday’s fixture will be Hardik Pandya. He has been excellent with both bat and the ball. But he has already 10 overs besides fielding for 73.3 overs. Should India risk Hardik in India Playing XI in a customary IND vs BAN match considering the fixture pile-up? That is the question the team management must answer.
The ugly: Nothing as such apart from Kuldeep Yadav. The leg-spinner seems to be the best Indian bowler at present going into the World Cup 2023. But he has bowed 17.3 overs this week already bagging 9 wickets already. He has been injury prone and should India risk him in an inconsequential IND vs BAN game?
IND vs BAN: What to expect?
- The top-order is set to remain unchanged with Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma set to open in IND vs BAN.
- India could have tried Shreyas Iyer at No 3 to give him more game time. But he is unfit and hence, Virat Kohli is unlikely to be rested from India Playing XI in India vs Bangladesh.
- At No 4, KL Rahul has been in great form and the team would like him to get as much game time as possible.
- Suryakumar Yadav is yet to get a game. With Ishan Kishan already set for World Cup 2023, the World No 1 T20 batter could make a comeback in India vs Bangladesh.
- Rohit Sharma has also utilised Ravindra Jadeja well to keep him fit. And apart from workload management, he is set to feature in IND vs BAN.
- But Team India will face the Hardik Pandya question. The all-rounder has been excellent with the ball even though his batting form has been up and down.
- But considering India play the Asia Cup final on Sunday, Shardul Thakur could slot in IND vs BAN.
- If Hardik does play, India will have to think about a possible Shardul vs Axar conundrum.
- The surface of R Premadasa Stadium will dictate who will play. If it aids spin like the one against Sri Lanka, it is going to be Axar or in case of pace, it will be Shardul.
In the pace attack, despite managing well, Mohammad Shami needs game time. He has only bowled 7 overs in the tournament. And with the World Cup 2023 just three weeks away, Team India would want him to get some overs under his belt. If the team management decides to unleash Jasprit Bumrah again in IND vs BAN, Mohammed Siraj could take the bench role for Mohammad Shami.
India squad for Asia Cup 2023:
Rohit Sharma(c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul(w), Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Mohammed Shami, Suryakumar Yadav, Axar Patel, Shreyas Iyer, Prasidh Krishna, Tilak Varma
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