Asia Cup 2022: 3 reasons why India's bowling lineup will be under pressure
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) will play host to the Asia Cup 2022 that is set to commence on Saturday (August 27). The group stage and the Super Four will be played across Dubai and Sharjah before the summit clash at the Dubai International Stadium.
Defending champions India will be eyeing a record eighth Asia Cup title, returning to the very land where they last won the crown. Rohit Sharma will lead a near full-strength squad with the tournament being played in the T20 format, owing to the T20 World Cup in Australia not far away.
It's a cliched statement, but there's no denying the fact that bowlers win championships. To that end, how India's bowling unit fares against their Asian counterparts is bound to attract a lot of scrutiny.
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We dissect three reasons as to why the Indian bowling lineup will be under pressure in the upcoming Asia Cup 2022.
#1 The absence of Jasprit Bumrah
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According to reports, Jasprit Bumrah is likely to miss the Asia Cup 2022 due to a back injury 😳🇮🇳
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India suffered a massive setback ahead of the Asia Cup 2022 when lead pacer Jasprit Bumrah was ruled out due to a back injury. His absence throws a spanner into the Men in Blue's work ahead of the marquee tournament.
Of course, in the larger scheme of things, the management will be hopeful of Bumrah returning to full fitness for the T20 World Cup. His absence also opens the door for the likes of Arshdeep Singh and Avesh Khan to nail down a spot in the playing XI.
That said, it's almost impossible to cover up for the absence of a player of Bumrah's ilk. Bhuvneshwar Kumar brings experience on the seam-bowling front, but the absence of his trusted new-ball partner is only going to mount more pressure on him as well as the rest of the attack.
The tournament is set to begin from August 27th, click here for the complete Asia Cup schedule.
#2 Competition for spots
The makeup of India's T20 World Cup squad could wear a look similar to the one selected for the Asia Cup 2022. That said, there are a couple of players jostling for spots in the side, given that only 15 will make the final cut to board the plane to Australia.
Apart from Bumrah, Harshal Patel is another notable absentee from the Indian setup. While this is an opportunity for Avesh to make a statement, it could well be a last-chance salon for the Madhya Pradesh quick, given the difficult start he has had to his international career.
The backup spinner's spot could come down to a shootout between Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravi Bishnoi, with Yuzvendra Chahal all but set to feature in the playing XI. The intra-squad competition for a spot in the final set of players to go down under for the World Cup is bound to test their nerves.
#3 The Babar Azam factor
India and Pakistan return to Dubai, the venue that hosted their clash in the ICC T20 World Cup last year. It was a historic victory for Pakistan as Babar Azam and Co. scripted a famous 10-wicket win - their first against India in a senior World Cup game.
At the cost of sounding like a broken record, Babar is one of the world's finest batters of the current generation. He has looked in pristine touch and once he gets stuck into a contest, it is hard to breach his defense.
India's bowling unit will remember the clinical manner in which Babar and Mohammad Rizwan sauntered through their run chase last year. The marquee clash in the Asia Cup 2022 is bound to have eyeballs fixed firmly on how India manage to plot Babar down, adding an extra layer of intrigue to the high-voltage clash.
The Indian bowling attack sure has its task cut out then, doesn't it?
Which team begins as the favorite for the Asia Cup 2022? Let us know what you think in the comments below!
Also read: Asia Cup 2022: 3 major clashes to watch out for apart from IND vs PAK