New Delhi: Asia Cup has its Super 4 after Pakistan thrashed Hong Kong in a 155 runs victory. India, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and Pakistan will play a game against each other to determine the finalists. The clashes are not as predictable as one thought them to be as India and Afghanistan are unbeaten and at the same time, Pakistan seems to have regained its form and Sri Lanka has sorted out some of their issues before going ahead.
India’s squad analysis
India looks like the most balanced squad with batters who can anchor, power-hitters, fine all-rounders and good powerplay bowlers. With Virat Kohli returning to form, India looks like a dominating side. We witnessed what Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya can do with the bat and with Bhuvneshwar Kumar leading the bowling attack, India has a high chance to qualify for the finals.
However, Ravindra Jadeja’s injury is a big blow to the side, as he was contributing in all three departments. Axar Patel, who is replacing Jadeja, is doing well but Jadeja added is a match winner of his kind. The team has not sorted the choice between Rishabh Pant and Dinesh Karthik, while both have them have not batted in the tournament yet. Another thing to worry about is Avesh Khan and Arshdeep going for runs. With wicket-taking abilities, containing runs also puts pressure on the opposition and it is important to not leak runs in crucial situations.
Pakistan’s squad analysis
Mohammad Rizwan is the key batter for Pakistan and he is delivering time and again. Oppositions need to have plans to get him out, otherwise, he can drive the game as he wishes. The bowling department is working well for the team. With in-form Naseem Shah leading the pace attack and Shadab Khan and Mohammad Nawaz delivering with spin, Pakistan has fewer concerns in the bowling department.
The only thing that is a big concern for the team right now is Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman not being able to perform in the first two games. With a big game against India ahead, Pakistan would require both of them to deliver. Some experts say that Fakhar should open with Rizwan, and if Pakistan wants this, this is the right time to experiment before the T20 World Cup.
Afghanistan’s squad analysis
Things are going well for Afghanistan till now. Their bowling department is on fire with Mujeeb Ur Rahman taking five in two games and Rashid Khan picking up three against Bangladesh. The pace attack is also doing a fine job under Fazalhaq Farooqi and Naveen-ul-Haq. With Rahmanullah Gurbaz scoring in the first game and Ibrahim Zadran and Najibullah Zadran scoring in the second game, the team has not faced any issues with the batting.
Afghanistan will surely face tougher opponents ahead and while the strike rate is not an issue for the team, batters’ consistency is. The team needs someone to anchor the innings, especially during a difficult chase.
Sri Lanka’s squad analysis
Good news for Sri Lankan fans that Kusal Mendis and Dasun Shanaka are back. With the striking power of Bhanuka Rajapaksa and Chamika Karunarathne, the batting order looks better now. Hasarnaga, though not at his best, is still delivering along with Maheesh Theekshana. There were some positives from the game against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka needs to back on them.
Though Dilshan Madushanka did well in the second game, one would still not have much trust in the Sri Lankan pace attack. The bowling is heavily dependent on the spin. Even in the last game, it was Asitha Fernando who had to finish the chase while the batters got out. Even captain Dasun Shanaka did not believe that Fernando could do it. This is a big concern for the batting lineup.
The India-Pakistan clash
After a dominating victory against Hong Kong, Pakistan will look for revenge with no Jadeja in the Indian team. For India to win against Pakistan, they need to counter the Naseem Shah threat while delivering with the ball as they did in the first game. Short ball has been a weakness for Pakistan in the first game and with Babar and Fakhar not at their best, Bhuvaneshwar and Pandya will look to exploit it. It will be a thrilling encounter again.
Conclusion and prediction
We might see India and Pakistan facing each other in the finals if Afghanistan cannot win against any one of them. Sri Lanka’s chances of entering the finals look really bleak while Afghans are the real underdogs to root for.
