For India, the roadmap is going perfectly to plan. Their build-up to ICC World Twenty20 (WT20) will hit the home straight in Bangladesh. After conquering Australia Down Under and Sri Lanka at home, Asia Cup will be the perfect precursor to the big-ticket WT20.
A series win over possibly their biggest challengers and the defending champions has set India up nicely to vie for Asian supremacy. But in a way, though, there is no defending champion for the 14th edition of the Asia Cup that will make its debut in a new avatar.
The Asian Cricket Council has added flexibility to the region’s limited-overs crown, allowing it to switch nature between ODIs and T20Is – depending on the World Cup that follows. And the three Asian giants couldn’t have asked for a better setting to claim Asia and the World together in the space of about two months.
Talking about five-time champions India, they find themselves in the best shape and space among their chief challengers Pakistan, Sri Lanka and not-to-be-underestimated hosts Bangladesh.
If the Yuvraj-Raina partnership of Sydney 2016 reminded of the 2011 World Cup quarter-final in Ahmedabad, blooding youngsters like Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya and Pawan Negi reminds of Dhoni’s ‘boys’ of 2007.
But it will still be a little premature to talk in terms of World Twenty20, when even Bangladesh pose a threat in the battle for Asia.
India’s last visit to Bangladesh ended in an ODI series defeat at the hands of the hosts who have been on a roll at home. That makes it difficult to pin a ‘favourite’ tag to any of the four Test nations, who will be joined by an Associate (qualifier) in the Main Draw.
Pakistan too will be in the groove coming from the Pakistan Super League and Sri Lanka’s stalwarts will return to beef up the experimental squad that lost in India.
India, though, have most bases covered with batting in form, bowling unit well oiled and the squad carrying as many as six allrounders in Ravindra Jadeja, Hardik Pandya, Pawan Negi, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina and Ravichandran Ashwin.
Virat Kohli will return well rested after skipping the three T20Is against Sri Lanka. He, along with Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan, was on a roll in Australia, and the trio forms the best top order in the world currently – giving India a clear edge in the Asia Cup.
Raina is undoubtedly the leader of the middle order, which has welcomed Yuvraj back but is waiting for the MS Dhoni of old to return. The skipper showed a glimpse of his old self with trademark big hits in a couple of knocks against Australia and Sri Lanka. If he can do that consistently, it will add a bit of more fearlessness to the middle order.
Playing with seven batsmen will be more than a luxury in T20I, that too on batting-friendly subcontinent tracks. That makes it difficult to find a place for Rahane, who, according to Dhoni, serves better as an opener in limited-overs cricket than a middle-order batsman.
Like Yuvraj, Harbhajan Singh too has made a comeback to India colours, but he has been on the bench since the Australia tour. And with Jadeja and Ashwin Dhoni’s preferred spin pair that also has the potential of long-handle hitting, fitting Harbhajan in the scheme of things looks difficult as of now.
Dhoni has been mighty pleased with his latest seam-up all-round option Pandya. Even if he gives Dhoni two good overs, with a lot of other allrounders at the skipper’s disposal, and 25 quick runs lower down the order, he will be more than happy.
Jasprit Bumrah’s rise, ever since his unplanned ODI debut in Sydney, has been one of the stories of the season for India. His unflinching nature and holding his own even when bowling to the world’s best is a refreshing addition to the team. With Ashish Nehra, who has made a remarkable return at the age of 37, Bumrah has formed a very capable pair since both love to bowl at the start and end of the innings, which is when the pressure is at its peak in T20 cricket.
Where this pair is different from many in the past is with Bumrah’s knack of bowling good yorkers, which is what India have been missing for a long time to contain oppositions in death overs.
Misfortune failed to leave Mohammed Shami who was ruled out of the tournament in the eleventh hour, with his hamstring injury lingering on from the Australia tour. World Cup semifinal last year was Shami’s last international appearance, which followed a foot surgery and a nine-month recuperation period. He then picked up a hamstring injury before the Australia tour which further delayed his India return, and he was checked out of the team hotel to fly back home.
With the WT20 less than a month away, it clouds Shami’s appearance in the showpiece event at home. Luck once again smiled on Bhuvneshwar Kumar who has been named as Shami’s replacement. But getting a game in Mirpur looks a far cry for the swing bowler who has mostly been left on the bench of late.
A lot of eyes are also waiting to see what the most newsy man of Indian cricket in 2016, Pawan Negi, can do. After securing a place in the squad against Sri Lanka, Asia Cup and World T20, he bagged a Rs. 8.5 crore contract from Indian Premier League franchise Delhi Daredevils. Not just Negi himself, but the Indian cricket fans are eager to see how the uncapped allrounder justifies the wealth of fortune he has enjoyed at the start of a New Year.
SQUAD: MS Dhoni (c/wk), Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, Ajinkya Rahane, Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Harbhajan Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Ashish Nehra, Pawan Negi, Mohammed Shami, Hardik Pandya
COACH: Ravi Shastri
STRENGTHS: Batting and all-round options
WEAKNESS: Inconsistent performance of fast bowlers.
CHANCES: Looking in best shape among all the teams to qualify for the final.
FEB 24: India vs Bangladesh
FEB 27: India vs Pakistan
MAR 1: India vs Sri Lanka
MAR 3: India vs TBD