Asia Cup 2018 Final: 3 Reasons Why The Team Winning The Toss Should Bat First

The ongoing Asia Cup has been no less than a roller coaster ride. In the end, the two best teams in the tournament - India and Bangladesh - are playing in the final. One can argue that Afghanistan deserved to be there, but the cruelty of the result-oriented close games meant that Afghanistan - who won both their matches in the group stage, ended the super fours stage without registering even one victory there.

However, now that we are less than 24 hours away from the final, it is tomorrow's game that really matters. The nature of the pitches in UAE has not been near the conventional one-day pitches around the world in today's time.

That is one reason I feel it would be a safe option for the team winning the toss to bat first. Let's have a look at a few reasons why it would be best to bat first after winning the toss.

Slow Nature of the Pitches

The pitches used in the ongoing Asia Cup, whether in Dubai or in Abu Dhabi, have been relatively slow compared to most one-day pitches around the world. Plus, the pitch slows down as the game proceeds into the night. Lack of humidity is also not helping the dew factor, which means no extra help for the batsmen.

Teams have found it difficult to chase targets. In fact, in the eight matches when a score of 200 or more has been posted, only once has the team batting second successfully chased down the target.

With batsmen from both teams having enjoyed a fair run with the bat, chances of a 250-plus score are quite likely. In such a case, none of the captains would risk their chances by putting the other team in to bat.

The Heat Factor

In Dubai, it only gets cooler during the night.

The maximum temperature in Dubai is expected to touch 40 degree Celsius tomorrow. Plus, it is going to be a sunny day without any chances of rain. Though both the teams will be facing the heat, two things need to be taken into account. First is that the temperature definitely goes down as the lights come on, that is by the time the team chasing comes in to bat.

The second is that during the hot hours, captains would rather expose two of their players - their batsmen - at any one point in time, rather than having the whole team field in the sun. Exposure to the hot sun has also led to physical issues with the players - something both teams would not want, with a tight schedule and the World Cup just half a year away.

Big Match Pressure

Both teams have players who relish pressure situations, but batting first in a final would provide lots of relief

In any big match, any team that bats first and puts up a competitive score always has a slight psychological edge over the team that is chasing. In tense situations, one or two mistakes from a bowler can be compensated, but one bad mistake from a batsman can result in the loss of a wicket.

If either India or Bangladesh bat first and put up a score of around 250, the team batting second would definitely feel the pressure of chasing under the lights. The crowd pressure and help for the spinners due to a slower pitch would definitely pressurize the chasing team. Therefore, there are more reasons to bat first in this all important final than to be chasing, provided you win the toss.