India will kick off its campaign in the Asia Cup 2023 with a match against arch-rivals Pakistan. The match which promises to be a blockbuster will be India’s first ODI match against Pakistan since the 2019 World Cup in England.
Since then the arch-rivals have played each other a lot in T20 cricket where the matches have been quite close which includes India’s come-from-behind victory in the 2022 T20 World Cup at Melbourne courtesy of a Virat Kohli masterclass where the batter single-handedly took India over the line in a last over thriller.
The Bowling Trio
One of the key factors in India’s dominance in the fifty-over format of the game has been its bowling lineup. The trio of Bumrah Shami and Siraj were instrumental in India’s away series win in England where Jasprit Bumrah picked up six wickets in the first match of the three-match ODI series setting up the tone for India throughout the series.
He was well supported by Shami and Siraj. The duo picked up crucial wickets at regular intervals which helped India bowl England out cheaply. A lot has changed since then as the trio never played together due to a back injury that ruled Bumrah out for almost a year as India struggled to find the right bowling combination with Prasidh Krishna also nursing an injury.
Happy Captain
Bumrah eventually made a comeback in the Indian team in the T20I series against Ireland and was looking fit and bowling fast and with accuracy. It was a good sight for the Indian fans just before the Asia Cup as two of the key bowlers in the Indian lineup were back to full fitness. Rohit Sharma is also elated by having a fully fit pace attack at his disposal.
“I am happy that Bumrah is back, he has come out of injury and is playing now. It is difficult to stay out like this for a long time but I do not want to put pressure on them by saying such things, It is expected that as long as you play for Team India, the pressure and expectation will be on you. It goes without saying, so it’s important to focus on your team’s strategy” Rohit said.
