Tight schedule almost cost India dearly

It was great escape against minnows Hong Kong without some key players

India’s tight schedule may have been to blame for their poor performance against Hong Kong in the Unimoni Asia Cup on Tuesday.

The schedule is seen as pushing their players to the limit, with some not getting enough rest after a series while others have been unable to prepare better.

India rested their main bowlers and some star batsmen for the narrow Group A win over Hong Kong. If India lost the match, it would have been the biggest defeat in ODI cricket. Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan, who bagged the Man-of-the-Match award, said: “Some of our bowlers were playing after a long time. Like Bhuvi [Bhuvneshwar Kumar] coming after a break, Shardul [Thakur] was in England but he didn’t play a match for two months. So it takes time to get into the rhythm as well.”

India were back at the stadium to play Pakistan after the Hong Kong match — barely 13 hours after they reached their hotel well past midnight. Dhawan admitted the schedule could have been better planned. He said: “The ideal situation will be to have a break and then play,” he agreed.