Even though they are still unsure about whether to use a third spinner or a specialist pacer in their opening Asia Cup match against the hosts, the United Arab Emirates, in Dubai on Wednesday, India will once again rely on the tried-and-true model of all-rounders adding sufficient balance.
Head coach Gautam Gambhir has placed a strong emphasis on multi-skilled players in all formats since he took over, particularly those who can provide batting depth so that the lineup can score runs up to No. 8. The game against the United Arab Emirates will serve as a practice match for the September 14 matchup with Pakistan. The management of the Indian team will gain insight from the perceived minnows into the combination that can be regularly fielded as the competition progresses.
It will be the most important game for many players in the United Arab Emirates. It is uncommon for an Associate nation cricket player to bowl to a Shubman Gill or face a Jasprit Bumrah, but the Asia Cup does introduce them to elite settings.
With the Vidarbha keeper’s finishing prowess being valued higher than Kerala swashbuckler’s pyrotechnics at the top, the Sanju Samson vs Jitesh Sharma match appears to have been resolved for the time being in the Indian setup.
Despite being a free-flowing stroke-maker, Samson appears destined to wait out due to the necessity of getting the combination correct, so Shubman Gill’s return to the top of the order has undoubtedly forced a realignment in approach.
Since Gill and Abhishek Sharma were starting the batting, there was only room for No. 3, and Samson is not a possibility outside of the top three. However, Tilak Varma has excelled in that role, moving up to the second spot in the ICC T20I batters’ rankings, while captain Suryakumar Yadav naturally occupies the third or fourth spot.
The multi-skilled cricketers come next. At number five is Hardik Pandya, who is a fantastic batsman and, on his best days, a fast bowler on par with any front-line pacer. Next up is Shivam Dube, a southpaw who can dominate spin bowling, even on slow wickets. He is also bowling his seam-up stuff more during net sessions thanks to bowling coach Morne Morkel’s constant encouragement.
Given his performances during RCB’s first IPL winning season, keeper-batter Jitesh would be the ideal choice at No. 7. Gambhir has consistently favored batting depth at No. 8. Consequently, that berth is given to Axar Patel, the lusty hitter and vicious wicket-to-wicket left-arm spinner.
There is just one spot left to be decided between Jasprit Bumrah, India’s best fast bowler after Kapil Dev, and Arshdeep Singh, the country’s most successful T2OI bowler. Compared to the pitches in March, when they are completely worn out, the Dubai International Stadium track will look greener and fresher with more bounce and carry because the Asia Cup is being held there in September.
For the 50-over Champions Trophy, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, and Varun Chakravarthy were the four spinners that were justified by the conditions.
There might only be room for one more spinner on Wednesday: either the erratic Kuldeep Yadav, who always seems to receive the short end of the stick despite having an incredible skill set, or Varun Chakravarthy, who has been outstanding in Twenty20 Internationals since his international return.
The entire team was there at India’s practice session on Monday, and Abhishek, who also bowls left-arm spin, was observed rotating his arm around for a long time.
The competition is a fantastic chance for the UAE to demonstrate their abilities, and players like Rahul Chopra, Muhammad Waseem, and Simranjeet Singh are more than happy to leave their mark under seasoned coach Lalchand Rajput.
“We had a good preparation playing the three nation T20 tournament in Sharjah. We had Pakistan five down for less than 100 in one game. We should have closed that game,” Rajput told PTI.
“Against India, we know it is a tough game but also an opportunity to test ourselves against the best in world cricket. It is a tough match but I am a Khadoos Mumbaikar. My boys won’t let India have it easy,” he promised.
Teams (from):
India: Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Sanju Samson, Rinku Singh
United Arab Emirates: Muhammad Waseem (c), Alishan Sharafu, Aryansh Sharma, Asif Khan, Dhruv Parashar, Ethan D’Souza, Haider Ali, Harshit Kaushik, Junaid Siddique, Matiullah Khan, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Zohaib, Rahul Chopra, Rohid Khan, Simranjeet Singh, Saghir Khan
