Asia Cup 2022: "I feel that the toss is playing a big factor" - Cheteshwar Pujara bemoans the lopsided advantage that comes with fielding first in Dubai

Team India batter Cheteshwar Pujara noted that the toss has been dictating the results in the ongoing Asia Cup 2022 in the UAE. Chasing sides have gone on to win 25 out of the last 28 T20 matches at the Dubai International Stadium, with five of those coming in this tournament.

Captains have unequivocally chosen to field first after winning the toss, as evident by the results in the second leg of the 2021 Indian Premier League (IPL) and the subsequent T20 World Cup.

India have failed to defend targets for two matches in a row now, leaving them on the brink of elimination from the Asia Cup.

Noting that the result could have been different had India won the coin toss, Pujara said on ESPN Cricinfo:

"I feel for the Indian team, the guys have been playing good cricket. I still feel it is a good learning curve, they can think about this Asia Cup moving into the WC, but credit goes to the Sri Lankan team. I feel that the toss is playing a big factor in this Asia Cup. If India would have fielded first, I feel things would have been a little different."

The likes of Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri also highlighted the importance of the toss when India were forced to bowl second in crucial fixtures of the 2021 T20 World Cup. The ball coming on to the bat better under the lights, coupled with the onset of dew, makes it very difficult to defend totals in Dubai.

The updated list of Asia Cup teams and squads can be viewed here.

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"You need to get to 190 for it to be a competitive defending total" - Robin Uthappa on key to winning while batting first in Dubai

India have arguably failed to post a par score in both of their Super 4 stage matches so far. The constant fall of wickets along with misfortune in the final overs meant that the side were 15-20 runs short at the innings break.

Opining that India needed to attain a healthy total to defend at this venue, wicketkeeper-batter Robin Uthappa said during the same interaction:

"It was known that it was difficult to defend in Dubai, there is so much information at hand. You can't justify what happened, just because of the toss. You need to get to 190 for it to be a competitive defending total. India have fallen short by 15-20 runs against both Pakistan and Sri Lanka."

The Men in Blue scored 181 and 173 in their last two matches against Pakistan and Sri Lanka, respectively, at the Dubai International Stadium. Both totals were chased down by the opposition in the final over, leaving India pondering over their combination and strategy.

Is the result of the toss dictating the fate of matches in the ongoing Asia Cup 2022? Let us know what you think.