Asia Cup 2022: 3 experiments Team India can try out against Hong Kong
Team India came up with a clinical effort to get the better of arch-rivals Pakistan in their opening match of the Asia Cup 2022 in Dubai on Sunday (August 28). Bowling first after winning the toss, they held Pakistan to 147. Bhuvneshwar Kumar was brilliant with figures of 4/26, while Hardik Pandya surprised Pakistani batters with his bouncers and claimed three for 25.
Pandya continued his great work with the bat as well, smashing an unbeaten 33 off 17 balls, including hitting the winning six off left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz. There were good contributions from Virat Kohli and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, who made 35 each.
Team India's triumph over Pakistan has all but sealed their berth in the Super 4. With all due respect to Hong Kong, unless they come up with something exceptional, they are unlikely to get the better of the Men in Blue when the sides meet in Dubai on Wednesday, August 31.
The match against Hong Kong presents India with a good opportunity to try out some experiments, keeping the upcoming T20 World Cup in mind.
#1 Opening with Pant instead of Rahul
Team India made an interesting move in the match against Pakistan, which surprised many. They dropped Rishabh Pant from the playing XI and instead picked veteran keeper-batter Dinesh Karthik.
While it is too early to conclude that Karthik, 37, has been earmarked as Indiaβs first-choice keeper for the T20 World Cup, the think tank definitely made a statement.
It was always going to be difficult to fit in both Pant and Karthik in the playing XI once most of Team India's first-choice players returned from their breaks. Having said that, there is still a slight window of opportunity for both the glovemen to sneak into the first XI.
Ever since making a comeback into the Indian team following his injury and fitness issues, KL Rahul has looked extremely rusty. He had an opportunity to get some batting practice in Zimbabwe, but in a bizarre move, he decided to bowl first after winning the toss in the first two ODIs.
He did not open the innings in the first match and did not get to bat at all as India won by 10 wickets. In the next two games, he was dismissed for one and an unconvincing 30.
Rahul was bowled for a golden duck in the Asia Cup 2022 encounter against Pakistan, dragging a delivery from debutant Naseem Shah back onto the stumps. The Indian vice-captain is clearly looking out of sorts.
The management and selectors will, of course, back him to rediscover form ahead of the T20 World Cup. However, considering Rahul's fragile fitness, it is imperative for Team India to figure out who could be their backup opener at the marquee ICC event in Australia later this year.
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With that motive in mind, they can give Pant a go at the top of the order against Hong Kong and a few other upcoming games.
#2 Trying Deepak Hooda as an all-rounder
In the wake of his stupendous return to the Indian team, Hardik Pandya has effectively sealed his spot for the T20 World Cup Down Under later in the year.
After impressing during the white-ball series in England and coming up with some handy performances against West Indies, Pandya was stupendous in Team Indiaβs Asia Cup 2022 opener against arch-rivals Pakistan. He starred with both the bat and ball (3/35 and 33), and deservedly walked away with the Player of the Match honor.
There is nothing much India can achieve by playing him against Hong Kong. Keeping in mind his history of injuries, it would in fact be a good opportunity to rest Pandya. Instead, the Men in Blue can try out Deepak Hooda as an all-rounder and give him some game time.
Hooda has done a decent job as a hard-hitting batter in the few games that he has played for India. He is a reasonably good off-spinner as well. Hooda might not make the cut for the T20 World Cup. However, he could be a good standby option in case of injury concerns to any of the key players. Hence, it is important to keep him in the mix ahead of the ICC event.
#3 Opening the bowling with Ravichandran Ashwin
Leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal seems set to lead Indiaβs spin bowling attack at the T20 World Cup in Australia later in the year. He has been the sideβs standout spinner in white ball matches since returning to international cricket. With Ravindra Jadejaβs all-round skills, he is also more or less a certainty in the playing XI. Ravi Bishnoi has also impressed in the few matches he has played.
Veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin was recalled to the T20I squad for the series against West Indies and is part of the Asia Cup 2022 team as well. However, Ashwinβs chances of making the T20 World Cup squad hang by a thread. He needs to prove that he can offer something unique to the team.
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The veteran spinner has opened the bowling in T20s in the past. Team India could perhaps experiment with him opening the bowling against Hong Kong and a few other subsequent clashes. If the ploy works, the selectors could think of fitting Ashwin into the 15-member World Cup squad.
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