Asia Cup 2022: "India are trying too many things, trying to fix something that is not broken" - Robin Uthappa on Men in Blue's frenzied approach
Wicketkeeper batter Robin Uthappa reckons Team India are making too many changes to their line-up at the Asia Cup 2022.
The Men in Blue are on the cusp of elimination after losing their first two Super 4 games. They are scheduled to play Afghanistan on Thursday (September 8) and will need other results to go their way if they are to make it into the final.
Rohit Sharma's side are yet to play an unchanged XI in the tournament so far, with injuries also plaguing the team. Many combinations have been experimented with, particularly in the wicketkeeper and second spinner slots, but no player has offered the required consistency.
Another close match in Dubai and it is Sri Lanka who win by 6 wickets.
Scorecard - bit.ly/AsiaCup2022-IN… #INDvSL #AsiaCup2022 https://t.co/zxOAo5yktG
The batting has also struggled in the final five overs of the innings despite getting decent starts. Opining that an aggressive approach will not amount to anything if the team does not have wickets in hand at the death, Uthappa said on ESPN Cricinfo:
"India are trying too many things, trying to fix something that is not broken. They have over-thought this. Be as aggressive as you want, but if you do not have wickets at the back end, you are always going to be under the pump."
Apart from the win over Hong Kong, batting performances in the last five overs have been subpar at best. The lower middle-order has had to bear the brunt of Hardik Pandya and Rishabh Pant's struggles with the bat, leading to the team posting below-par totals.
"I think India could have played Dinesh Karthik" - Cheteshwar Pujara
Veteran wicket-keeper batter Dinesh Karthik was dropped following India's group-stage encounter against Pakistan. He was picked in the side for his exploits in the final overs, but has not found a place in the playing XI for the last three matches.
The team is currently struggling to find a combination, a task that became trickier after Ravindra Jadeja was ruled out due to a knee injury.
Every day may not be our day but we stay strong and move on. 🇮🇳
#INDvsPAK https://t.co/Gmi4ATP5VE
The updated list of most runs scorer in Asia Cup can be viewed here.
Commenting on the selection conundrum between Karthik and the struggling Pant, Pujara said after India's encounter against Sri Lanka:
"I think India could have played Dinesh Karthik because he played the first game and they should have continued with him as the finisher. The only reason everyone is talking about is that they needed a left-handed batter."
Pant had another lackluster outing against the Islanders, scoring 17 runs off 12 deliveries before holing out to deep mid-wicket in the penultimate over. He has scored just 31 runs in two innings at this year's Asia Cup.
What should Rohit Sharma and Co. do to rectify their ongoing situation? Let us know what you think.