When the Indian squad landed in Sri Lanka for the 2023 Asia Cup, they had more questions about the team’s composition than answers. Their first-choice wicketkeeper K L Rahul was injured and missed the first two games. Their bowling spearhead Jasprit Bumrah was coming back after a long injury layoff, and so was their No. 4 batter Shreyas Iyer. To add to the worries, the top order collapsed against Pakistan’s fearsome attack in their very first match.
Fortunately, the following two weeks showed that it was just a blip. Bumrah showed that he is still lethal. Rahul, back from a long thigh injury (he played his last match in May), was among runs and scored a hundred against Pakistan while batting in the middle. Seasoned batters Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma rediscovered their exquisite timing and scored gleefully. However, what would have pleased the team management more is India’s performance as a unit. Wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan’s adaptability in the 50-over format has lent more flexibility to the team. Opener Shubman Gill’s knocks and Mohammed Siraj’s back-breaking bowling, including his first fiver in one-day internationals (ODIs) against Sri Lanka, will give much confidence as India prepares for the ODI World Cup at home next month. India have featured six times at the event and won four. They lost one to Bangladesh and another to the weather before they got hold of the Asia Cup for the eighth time.
India has a settled top order with multiple options; for one, Kishan opened the batting in the final. Unless someone gets injured again, the middle-order picks itself and the pace battery is such that they had to keep out Mohammed Shami for the better part of the tournament. There are a few concerns, too. Shreyas, who according to Rohit has recovered ninety-nine per cent, got injured and missed matches. And now Axar Patel’s injury is a big worry. India must realise bigger challenges await them in the World Cup. They must also realise that there is no place for complacency. The intensity and hunger for victory should not wane. The Bangladesh game that India lost was a case in point. After resting their main players, they failed to top a modest target. India seems to have got the team in place. Perhaps, the Asia Cup will catapult them to greater heights on the grandest stage, the cricket World Cup.