With Yuvi missing in the middle-order, it's time for Sharma, Raina and Kohli to stand up and be counted as India play Pak in a high-voltage clash today
With Yuvi missing in the middle-order, it's time for Sharma, Rainau00a0and Kohli to stand up and be counted as India play Pak in a high-voltage clash today
It's a bit of a clich ufffd, but Team India are confident they will not blink first tonight playing old nemesis and rivals Pakistan in the key Asia Cup clash at Rangiri Stadium.
It is going to be a tough game as India need a victory to get a chance of qualifying for the final and Pakistan a victory to have an outside chance.
While MS Dhoni, unlike Sri Lanka's captain Kumar Sangakkara, has not placed an emphasis on the importance of the toss at a venue where lights have come in for heavy criticism by players and officials, he did suggest that India are hoping to improve the modus operandi of the middle-order in terms of the team's rotation. Also some areas of the seam and swing bowling, where the team management were not a hundred percent happy, needed to improve.
As he pointed out, this is because with Yuvraj Singh missing, India are hoping to find an established number four replacement. But this did not mean, should either Rohit Sharma or Suresh Raina make a success of the role that Yuvi will need to find a new place in the batting order when he returns.
"It depends largely on who is selected for the next series," he said during the team's extensive net session Friday. "It needs to be remembered that we are playing in this series without Sachin (Tendulkar) and he plays a big role in our side.
"Gautam Gambhir has filled the role well on occasions in his (Tendulkar's absence) when there is a need, but to be frank it is the middle-order area where we need to focus some attention," he commented. "It is why there is a need for the top three to do well and get some runs on the board to lessen the pressure on the middle order."
"There are any number of possibilities in our batting strategies," he added. "One is who will be batting in what position when there is a need to chase a total. Rohit (Sharma) and Suresh (Raina) will be tested.I can move up if needed," said Dhoni.
