Asia Cup 2022: "I am not seeing wicket-taking options in this team" - Aakash Chopra on India's weaknesses
Aakash Chopra has picked the lack of genuine wicket-taking options as one of Team India's weaknesses heading into the Asia Cup 2022.
The continental tournament will be staged in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from August 27 to September 11. The Men in Blue will be without the services of their premier pacer Jasprit Bumrah, who has been ruled out due to a back injury.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra pointed out that India will rely on Yuzvendra Chahal and Bhuvneshwar Kumar to be their chief weapons with the ball. The cricketer-turned-commentator elaborated:
"I am not seeing wicket-taking options in this team. Yuzi Chahal is my genuine wicket-taker. Bhuvneshwar Kumar will have to be the wicket-taker. Other than them, I am not seeing wicket-takers, I am seeing defensive options, where batters can get out if they try to hit them."
Chopra reckons Rohit Sharma's side might also be short in the seam-bowling department. He explained:
"Fast bowling is extremely inexperienced, it is also very less. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Avesh Khan and Arshdeep Singh - you have gone with only three fast bowlers and Hardik is the fourth fast bowler."
Chopra wants India to add Deepak Chahar to their Asia Cup squad. The former India batter said:
"Deepak Chahar is with the team, by the way, so include him. Other teams have squads of 17 or 18, so you also do that, because I am seeing fewer options. I feel the fast bowling is weak."
Chahar is one of the three reserves named for the Asia Cup, alongside Axar Patel and Shreyas Iyer. The swing bowler made a comeback to international cricket after a long injury layoff in the recently concluded ODI series against Zimbabwe.
"Lack of game time for two out of the top three" - Aakash Chopra on Team India's other weakness
Chopra feels KL Rahul and Virat Kohli's lack of game time could also prove to be a stumbling block for the Men in Blue. He observed:
"Lack of game time for two out of the top three. If we are expecting Rahul and Rohit to open and Virat to play at three, then Rahul and Kohli have not played much cricket. There could be a starting problem, the ignition issue can come. They have an amazing reputation but game time is less."
"Virat Kohli is the most fittest player in the Indian team and nobody can match Virat Kohli's work ethics the way he trained. He is a machine. No question, he will definitely comeback in his best form. His hunger and passion unbelievable." - Ravi Shastri
Rahul looked far from his best on his return to international cricket against the Chevrons. Kohli, who has been in indifferent form lately, missed the limited-overs series against West Indies and Zimbabwe.