Spilled catches and weak bowling tempered India’s 10-wicket victory against Nepal in the Asia Cup
India’s lackluster performance with the ball was highlighted when it took 48.3 overs to dismiss Nepal after allowing them to score 230 runs.
With exactly one month till the World Cup, India demonstrated they are still a long way from being a well-oiled machine in a second consecutive match in the span of three days. In their second Group B match of the Asia Cup, India faced Nepal in Pallekele, where the Sri Lanka leg is still being pummeled by rain. India’s bowling lacked bite and elegance, and their fielding was so prone to mistakes that they allowed Nepal to score 230 runs before being dismissed in 48.3 overs. Even a 10-wicket victory couldn’t disguise their subpar bowling.
Ultimately, the captain Rohit Sharma’s frustrated expression was worth a thousand words. Even India’s solid batting performance, which saw them reach the revised target of 145 in 23 overs (DLS method) with 17 balls remaining and 10 wickets in hand, failed to make anyone happy. It was a night when India ought to have displayed their cunning and seriousness. Instead, they were ineffective in every way, assuming riskily that their rivals would eventually run out of gas at some point or another. Although Nepal experienced it, they are barely able to afford such days during the World Cup.
India came across like a side that was suffering from Monday blues from the moment they walked the field after winning the toss because they wanted to test out their bowling unit before the Super 4 stage. Instead of putting on the game face that Rohit wanted prior to the competition, they were hesitant on the field, dropping as many as three catches within the first five overs, allowing Nepal to fly off in the first powerplay.
In 48.3 overs, Nepal scored 230 runs thanks to shoddy fielding, misfields, and the occasional theft of additional runs.
With fewer than a few games left before the World Cup, this should be the competition where India were anticipated to start strong. Instead, India’s bowling unit displayed lackluster performance against a batting order they should have easily defeated, two days after their top-order struggled against a high-octane speed attack. Of course, they succeeded in doing so in the end, requiring 48.4 overs, with Nepal’s inexperience occasionally showing. This gave India’s thought tank ample justification to review their bowling combination prior to the Super 4 stage.
This looked like a completely different outfit for a side that had previously displayed such a hardened focus on the field even against lesser-known teams. Shreyas Iyer dropped a fast-moving ball off Kushal Bhurtel’s blade off the final ball of Mohammed Shami’s first over. And Virat Kohli misplayed a sitter supplied by Aasif Sheik off the opening ball of Mohammed Siraj’s second over. The opportunity presented by Bhurtel down the leg-side was then fluffed by Ishan Kishan in the fifth over, causing Rohit to put his head in his hands.
Rohit’s face and body language were enough to convey a thousand stories that night. This bowling unit had the chance to make a strong first impression. Instead, frustrated by the missed opportunities, Siraj began to lose his cool when Bhurtel, following a perfectly executed on-drive, let the ball go with a pull shot that only reached the car park beyond the grassbanks.
Siraj was on fire with rage. even more Rohit. India ought to have been awake at this point. They appeared to wait for the majority of the evening for the Nepal batsmen to make mistakes on their own rather than rushing for the kill and exhibiting no remorse. Nepal went about ticking the scoreboard without the sense of urgency. Even Kuldeep Yadav, whose left-arm wrist spin and wrong-arm delivery are difficult for seasoned batsmen to choose, was unable to get past the Nepali batting order that was ready to play him out.
Thakur unimpressive
India will be concerned if Siraj played badly given Shardul Thakur‘s performance, which was 4-0-26-1. India is confident that Thakur would give them the depth they need because the other pacers are not prepared to bat at No. 8. His bowling, meanwhile, has rarely looked menacing and continues to be pricey despite the breakthroughs. He had the chance to end the commotion on Monday by turning in a noteworthy performance because if Shami or Siraj are benched to make room for Thakur, there will inevitably be concerns. Instead, he was one of those who had a forgettable performance since he often made mistakes in the field, even giving up a boundary.
It would be intriguing to watch how far India can go with Thakur, who has only completed his entire quota of overs in seven of the 40 matches he has played, averages 29.11, and costs 6.17 runs per over, after it was decided to compromise on bowling choices and ones who could be relied upon to deliver 10 overs.
Shami and Ravindra Jadeja stood out on a night when others struggled. The latter, who is renowned for darting his deliveries far more quickly in white-ball cricket, didn’t mind providing ample air, inciting the Nepali batsmen to chase him as he finished with three wickets. Shami, on the other hand, offered yet another reminder of his seamers and demonstrated why he still qualifies as an all-conditions bowler who can make early inroads as long as fielders seize the chances he presents.
