Asia Cup 2018., India
India needs to address middle-order problem in Asia Cup 2018. (Credits - BCCI)

The highly anticipated Asia Cup 2018 is on its way to entertain Asian cricket fanatics. As many as 6 teams are fighting for the title this time. Meanwhile, let’s look at the defending champions, India’s chances for clinching the title.

Though India looks pretty strong on the paper, we figured out three lapses in the team which might affect the team during the Asia Cup.

Here are the three reasons:

3. Lack of finisher:

Yes, it is harsh to say the lack of finisher with MS Dhoni in the team. The stalwart of India, MS Dhoni’s skills to finish the matches have dropped a bit in the 50-over format. Though he has shown his ability in the recently-concluded Indian premier league, he looked quite different in his recent tour to England.

Asia Cup 2018, Hardik Pandya
Hardik Pandya and MS Dhoni. (credits – BCCI)

With MS Dhoni taking the balls to settle in and the inconsistency of Hardik Pandya as a batsman certainly affects India in coming Asia Cup 2018. ODI matches always demands a decent finish to get over the opposition in the game.

Of late, cricket has turned out to be a fast-paced game and the requirement for finishing the games have been very high. The all-rounder Hardik Pandya and the all-time great MS Dhoni needs to excel their skills to lift Indian team.

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Meanwhile, the upcoming selection for Asia Cup 2018 will also be tricky for the selectors. The form of Rishabh Pant might push the selectors to pick him ahead of under-performing Dinesh Karthik as well.

The addition of Rishabh Pant can bring a flourishing batsman for India but the exclusion of Dinesh Karthik will send a negative vibe for the experienced campaigner. However, India needs to sort it out ahead of Asia Cup 2018.

2. Unstable middle-order:

The lack of application by the middle-order batsmen might once again affect India. The problem of number 4 slot has become a never-ending for India of late. Surely, India might experiment that position with a newcomer in Asia Cup which might backfire as well.

The dominant Ambati Rayudu looked pretty apt to the number 4 slot but the yo-yo test has other ideas. Meanwhile, the likes of Hanuma Vihari, Mayank Agarwal and Rishabh Pant are scoring heavily in domestic circuits.

Asia Cup 2018, KL Rahul
KL Rahul (Credits – AFP)

In a case of experimentation, it might come either way for India. If the result is positive, all fortunate for India but if the newbie cannot adjust to the situation, the burden will once again fall on the under-performing lower-middle-order.

They gave a chance for KL Rahul, Suresh Raina and Dinesh Karthik in the recent tour of England. But, all fared poorly for India thus leaving the team in tatters against dominant Englishmen.

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However, it would be interesting to see how things would pan out for India in the middle-order. All in all, India needs a solid player with a great temperament to solve the issue.

1. Being over-dependent on top 3:

Of late when it comes to White-ball cricket, India became over-reliant on top 3. The opening duo Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan and the master at number 3, Virat Kohli is the prime scorers for India.

Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are chief scorer for India. (Image Courtesy: Getty Images)

The solid striking from the top trio has lifted India from various circumstances. Probably, it affected the batting of middle-order who hardly gets a chance to get into the middle.

However, being a professional, one can’t escape from the critics and most importantly, numbers will always keep an eye as well. India had tried various combinations in the middle-order but unfortunately, never got successful.

It might once again play a villain role for India in the upcoming Asia Cup 2018. The sudden fall of wickets isn’t helping Team India which certainly affecting the result as well.

All in all, Indians need to sort it out as quickly as possible in order to avoid any obstacles in the upcoming Asia Cup 2018.

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