Bangladesh hero Tamim ruled out of Asia Cup
▶ Chitrabhanu Kadalayil analyses key talking points for Rohit’s side
Two days after his heroic batting effort with a broken hand, Bangladesh opener Tamim Iqbal has pulled out of the Asia Cup.
Tamim was ruled out despite bravely batting on with his injury in the tournament opener at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Saturday.
“He got two fractures in his hand. He would not be able to continue here and also for the next three to four weeks,” team manager Khaled Mahmud told AFP.
Tamim was hailed as national hero after he returned to bat with his injured hand for the final wicket during Bangladesh’s 137-run win against Sri Lanka.
The left-hander received a blow to his wrist in the second over of Bangladesh’s innings from a short ball from Suranga Lakmal.
After leaving the field to head off for a scan at hospital, he returned to the ground with his hand in a sling, his Asia Cup seemingly over.
But the opening batsman, who made his international debut as a 17-year-old in 2007, stunned everyone by striding out to bat after Bangladesh lost their ninth wicket for 229 runs.
He fashioned a hole in his glove in order to fit his taped wrist and used one hand in facing a single delivery to give the strike back to Mushfiqur Rahim, who was batting on 112.
Mushfiqur then scored 32 off 16 balls alone in their 10th-wicket partnership, guiding Bangladesh to 261 runs before he was dismissed in the final over for 144.
Bangladesh later bowled out Sri Lanka for 124 runs to record their biggest win on foreign soil, making a giant leap towards the Super Four round of the continental competition.
Bangladesh will face new Test entrants Afghanistan, who are the third side in Group B, in their second match of the tournament in Abu Dhabi on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Pakistan top Group A after beating Hong Kong by eight wickets in Dubai on Sunday. The latter will meet reigning champions India, also in Dubai, today.
When India begin their Asia Cup title defence today with their first Group A fixture against Hong Kong in Dubai, they will be desperate to put a run of poor results in recent times behind them.
The team will be led by Rohit Sharma, in the absence of the rested Virat Kohli, as the men in blue seek the perfect start to the competition by beating Hong Kong, before they turn their focus to the third team in the group – arch-rivals Pakistan – whom they face tomorrow.
India will also do well not to lose sight of the fact the 2019 World Cup is less than a year away, with some niggling issues left to iron out.
India seeking redemption after English lesson
India began their 2018/19 season well with a crushing win over Afghanistan in a one-off Test, before collecting wins in back-to-back Twenty20 series in Ireland and England.
But after they beat the home team in the first of three one-day internationals, the wheels started to come off. India lost the next two ODIs before being handed a 4-1 thrashing in the five-match Test series.
Hence, the team – battle-hardened from their experience in England – will look to hit the reset button in the UAE. It will be a concern if they do not.
Absence of captain Kohli is a double-edged sword
A team short on confidence will ideally want all their best players available for a tournament as big as the Asia Cup. So in that sense, Kohli’s absence is bad news for the men in blue. But in a recent interview to
The National, former India captain Kapil Dev pointed out that it could actually be a good thing, for it gives the rest of the players a chance to raise their game and win some matches for their country.
There is a sense that the team are overly reliant on Kohli, partly due to the fact he has dominated world cricket for the past two or three years, but also because there may be complacency on the part of his fellow batsmen – aside from, perhaps, Rohit himself and opening partner Shikhar Dhawan.
Therefore, Indian fans will hope Kapil proves prescient and some of the other batsmen take ownership – particularly Lokesh Rahul and Ambati Rayudu.
One half overcooked, the other half undercooked?
Rohit landed in the UAE earlier in the week with only a part of the squad, given that at least seven of the 16 players were still in England at the time. One wonders then how prepared the team will be for the tournament.
There is a real possibility that the players arriving from England will be tired, perhaps even overcooked, after a long tour of England. Consider someone like Rahul, who played in all three formats while there.
On the other hand, those who arrived with Rohit, will find themselves swinging into international action after a month of relative inaction.
UAE spinner Ahmed Raza told The National last week that modern-day cricketers were increasingly able to adjust to the change of pace – even formats in India’s case – considering there was so much cricket being played these days. He may well be right, but it is something the management will be thinking about while picking Tuesday’s XI.
Needing to weather the conditions in Dubai
Another factor the Indians, especially those flying in from England, will need to consider is the weather.
While England experienced warmer than usual
temperatures this summer, there is little that can prepare anybody – however fit they may be – for the UAE weather.
The heat and humidity, the latter in particular, are certain to test India’s players.
This is where Pakistan, who for the past decade have played all their ‘home’ games in the country, will have the edge.
India’s biggest problem: shoring up the middle order
India’s success in ODI cricket for the past five years has been underpinned by consistent contributions from the top order and the bowling attack.
However, their biggest problem continues to be the absence of a strong middle order, and Kohli’s absence at No 3 will only compound it.
It is likely Rahul, the most recent player to be tried at No 4, will move up a place.
This again leaves a gaping hole at four, where they should turn to wicketkeeper MS Dhoni.
Gone are the days when Dhoni could score quick runs. At 37, he is past his best as a finisher. But he has enough experience to anchor the innings, guide the younger batsmen at the other end, and keep the scoreboard ticking over.
Rayudu could bat at No 5 and the hard-hitting Kedar Jadhav at No 6, but neither can yet be expected to do the allimportant job at No 4. So leave that to Dhoni.