Match Preview – India vs Sri Lanka, Asia Cup 2022, 9th Match, Super Four – newsdubai
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One poor result is all it takes to leave a team staring at possible elimination from the Asia Cup. Pakistan faced – and overcame – that challenge after losing to India in the group stage. And now it is India who are in a precarious position after losing to Pakistan in the Super 4 round.
Rohit Sharma’s side cannot afford to lose to Sri Lanka in Dubai on Tuesday. If they do, the defending champions will have to rely on other results going their way to have any chance of making the final. And Sri Lanka will be favorites for a place in the summit.
Sri Lanka did not start the tournament well. They were dismissed for 105 in the opening match and then saw Afghanistan run down the target with 59 balls to spare. Since then, however, Sri Lanka have had two morale-boosting wins, followed by 184 in a must-win group game against Bangladesh and 176 in their first Super 4 match against Afghanistan.
Sri Lanka’s batters are not globe-trotting T20 superstars, but a big target looks set to set them free. Against Afghanistan, Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Danushka Gunathilaka and Bhanuka Rajapaksa smashed quickfire 30s to overpower Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s 45-ball 84. They may follow the same plan in a chase against India.
Although India lost the penultimate ball against Pakistan, they had a few big positives in that game. After a first-ball duck and a 39-ball 36 in his first two innings, KL Rahul found his fluency and played some fantastic shots during his 20-ball 28. His straight whip for six off Naseem Shah was undoubtedly the shot of the match. Virat Kohli also looked close to his best and made a “conscious effort” to score at a higher rate. While on the field, Kohli scored 60 runs off 44 balls; batters at the other end scored 45 of 45.
But as far as their campaign is concerned, it’s crunch time and India need to beat Sri Lanka to maintain control of their own destiny at the Asia Cup. They will draw confidence from whitewashing them at home in the three-match T20I series earlier this year.
Form guide
Sri Lanka WWLWL (Last Five Completed T20Is, Latest First)
India LWWWW
In the limelight
Pakistan’s Mohammad Nawaz and Shadab Khan suffocated India on Sunday and Sri Lanka will be hoping their spinners Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana can do the same. Both Hasaranga and Theekshana have impressive numbers in the UAE and also have experience of bowling to the Indian batters at the IPL. On the flip side, India will also be aware of the tricks they have. All in all, it could be a contest that decides the game.
After going wicketless in India’s first two matches of the Asia Cup, Yuzvendra Chahal had figures of 1 for 43 from his four overs in the Super 4 match against Pakistan. That performance was on a pitch where the other three spinners in the match had combined figures of 4 for 82 from 12 overs (economy 6.83). In the absence of Jasprit Bumrah, Harshal Patel and Ravindra Jadeja, India needed Chahal to up his game.
Stand and conditions
The last three matches in Dubai featured five innings with scores above 180. However, it all depends on which track Tuesday’s match will be played on and its pitch position will determine whether there is a shorter boundary for batsmen to exploit. Evening temperatures will be around 35°C and the night won’t get much cooler, reducing the chances of dew playing a role in the hunt.
Keep news
Expect Sri Lanka, looking for a hat-trick of wins, to stick with the same XI.
Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Pathum Nissanka, 2 Kusal Mendis (wk), 3 Charith Asalanka, 4 Danushka Gunathilaka, 5 Bhanuka Rajapaksa, 6 Dasun Shanaka (capt), 7 Wanindu Hasaranga, 8 Chamika Karunaratne, 9 Maheesh Theekshana, 1 Fernando Asitha. 11 Dilshan Madushanka.
With Avesh Khan available, India could revert to their original combination of three specialist fast bowlers, one specialist spinner and two all-rounders. This could mean that Ravi Bishnoi, despite doing well against Pakistan, makes way for Axar Patel.
With Axar being a left-arm batter and Hasaranga the only spinner with a ball that turns away from right-handers, India could also replace Rishabh Pant with their designated finisher Dinesh Karthik.
India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 KL Rahul, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Suryakumar Yadav, 5 Dinesh Karthik/Rishabh Pant (wk), 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Axar Patel, 8 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 9 Avesh Khan, 10 Arshdeep Singh, 11 Yuzvendra Chahal
Quotes
“When you are under pressure, anyone can make a mistake. It was a big game. The situation was also tight… but when the environment is good, you learn from those situations. And you look forward to the next opportunity. I give it credit to the captain and the team management for creating such an environment where everyone feels that the next time such an opportunity comes, we will take it.”
Virat Kohli backing Arshdeep Singh after the bowler dropped a crucial catch in the defeat to Pakistan