3 concerns that remain for Team India despite Asia Cup 2023 win
It was a performance for ages by Team India as they thrashed Sri Lanka by 10 wickets in the Asia Cup final to lift their 8th title. Riding on a breathtaking spell with the new ball from Mohammed Siraj, India skittled out Sri Lanka for just 50 runs.
The ball was seaming and swinging and Siraj was all over the Sri Lankan top order. After Jasprit Bumrah bagged the early wicket of Kusal Perera, it was Siraj who blew away the Sri Lankan middle order in his 2nd over.
He became the first Indian bowler to bag four wickets in an over in ODIs as Sri Lanka was reduced to 12/5. He then rattled the stumps of Dasun Shanaka and Kusal Mendis to finish with remarkable figures of 6/21 in 7 overs.
Rohit Sharma decided to send Ishan Kishan up the order and in the company of his good mate Shubman Gill, India made light work of the target, chasing it down in just 37 deliveries.
The Men in Blue was by far the most dominant side in the competition. They defeated Pakistan by 228 runs in their Super 4 game and followed it up with a hard-fought victory against Sri Lanka.
India lost the inconsequential match against Bangladesh but that proved to be a good wake-up call ahead of the final.
It's not just the win but the manner in which they won the matches which would give India an abundance of confidence and self-belief going into the World Cup.
Despite India's utter domination in the Asia Cup, they still have a few areas to ponder on. They will play a three-match ODI series against Australia before the World Cup and need to fine-tune their combination before the showpiece event.
That said, let us decipher three areas of concern for India despite the Asia Cup win:
# 1 Lack of variety in the bowling department
Despite India's superb showing with the ball during the Asia Cup, they don't have enough variety in their bowling attack. The likes of Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami have the ability to run through any batting lineup.
However, India lacks a left-arm seaming option and many cricketing pundits felt that Arshdeep Singh could have solved a few problems for the Men in Blue. Even in the spin department, India lacks variety.
The three options available for them in the World Cup are all left arm bowlers. While Kuldeep poses a different challenge with his wrist spin but the likes of Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel are from the same mould.
India might miss someone like Yuzvendra Chahal or Ravichandran Ashwin in the 2023 World Cup. Spinners are expected to have a big say in the World Cup and variety is what India lacks at this stage.
# 2 The No 4 conundrum
Ever since the retirement of Yuvraj Singh, India hasn't quite found a reliable No 4 in the ODI format. Several players were tested in that position but none of the batters could make it his own.
Before the start of the Asia Cup, it was Shreyas Iyer who was tipped to be the ideal No 4. Iyer was out of the national team for a long time after sustaining a back injury which required surgery.
Iyer was included in the playing XI for the first match of the Asia Cup against Pakistan but had to warm the benches for the rest of the tournament after complaining of back spasms just before the Super4 game against Pakistan.
In his absence, KL Rahul made a comeback and immediately made an impact by scoring a century. He looked in great touch and it didn't seem he was out of action for a long time.
Despite his prowess with the bat, it was Ishan Kishan who was sent in at No 4 in the next match against Sri Lanka. While Shreyas Iyer has almost regained full fitness, it will be interesting to see India's No. 4 in the Asia Cup.
# 3 Bench strength
India named a strong squad for the Asia Cup and it was expected that everyone will get a game, especially with the World Cup just around the corner.
India managed to qualify for the final even before playing their final Super4 game against Bangladesh which gave them the opportunity to test out their bench strength.
They made five changes but ended up getting a reality check as Bangladesh eventually won the game by 6 runs. None of the fringe players could make a significant impact.
It needed a superb century from Shubman Gill to get them agonisingly close to the target. The bowling department in the absence of Siraj, Bumrah and Kuldeep couldn't quite seize the early opportunity and ended up conceding 265.
Injuries are part and parcel of every cricketer's career and India should be prepared well in case one of their premier players get injured ahead of the showpiece event.