The way India performed in the group stage at Asia Cup they can give Pakistan a run for their money for the unpredictable tag. Their performance against Hong Kong and Pakistan was like two ends of a spectrum. On one hand, India were clinical in their performance against Pakistan and on the other hand, they were erratic against Hong Kong.
India would need to be on top of their game during the super four stage of the tournament. There won't be an easy game during super four stage as all the other teams are formidable. Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Pakistan and India, all have the ammunition to beat each other on any given day.
It will be important to start off the super 4 stage on a winning note against Bangladesh, on Sep 21. India would need to get their selection right for the all-important game. Let's take a look at the expected eleven for India.
Openers: Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma
Picking Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma for the opening slot is a no-brainer. While Shikhar Dhawan has been in excellent form in this tournament, Rohit Sharma also looked in decent nick against Pakistan. Sharma would want to carry on and convert his starts into a big score against Bangladesh.
#3 Ambati Rayudu
Rayudu has batted well in both the matches which makes his place certain for the match against Bangladesh.
Rayudu would need to step up his strike rate against Bangladesh as he tends to be on the slower side at times, which effects Indian team's ability to set up a big total for the opposition to chase.
#4 Dinesh Karthik
Dinesh Karthik also made good use of both the outings so far in the Asia Cup. He is under a lot of pressure to perform in this tournament. Karthik would like to get a big score under his belt in the match against Bangladesh which will further cement his place in the team.
#5 Kedar Jadhav
Jadhav was outstanding as a bowler in the outing against Pakistan. The more Jadhav bowls in the one-day arena the more recognition he gets.
Jadhav is turning out to be a really good part-time bowler for India. He is really pushing his case for the role of the finisher in the Indian team with the help of his golden arm, which keeps picking up wickets at crucial stages.
Wicket-Keeper: MS Dhoni
It's again a no-brainer to pick MS Dhoni as the wicket-keeper batsman. Dhoni didn't get much to do during the first two matches, but, his experience will come in really handy during the super four stage.
#7 Hardik Pandya / Khaleel Ahmed
Hardik Pandya suffered a back spasm during the Pakistan clash. Though Indian team management did not clarify the extent of his injury so far, he was on his feet soon afterward, which is a good sign.
If Pandya is fit then he should play against Bangladesh, otherwise, Khaleel Ahmed is expected to come in as the fifth bowling option. Bringing in Khaleel Ahmed in place of Pandya will affect the balance of the Indian team, but, the team doesn't have many options either.
If team management brings in a batsman in place of Pandya then it will leave the side with just four specialist bowlers, whereas the Indian team likes to play with five specialist bowlers nowadays.
Fast bowlers: Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar are straightforward picks for the fast bowler slots. Bhuvneshwar Kumar who was looking out of sorts against Hong Kong bowled superbly against Pakistan and ended up being the man of the match.
The form of Burmah and Bhuvneshwar augurs really well for India for the super four stage.
Spinners: Kuldeep Yadav and Yujvendra Chahal
Kuldeep and Chahal automatic pick themselves. As the tournament progresses, wickets are expected to get low and slow, which will make the role of these two spinners even more important.
India would expect Kuldeep and Chahal to do a good job with their mystery and guile against Bangladesh.
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