Asia Cup: Final blues continue

The last time I wrote on Team India’s hiccups in the finals, many might have agreed with me that something goes wrong every time it goes to grab the cup. In a month, from Dhaka to Karachi, in two finals our continuing dry run is something to think about. In Kitply Cup, it was Pakistan, now in Asia Cup it is Sri Lanka that snatched victory from us.

Restricting the Sri Lankan to 273 was a good job as far the earlier 300 plus scores that have been piled up and successfully chased in Karachi is concerned. Though bowlers did a fair job, India felt the need of the fifth bowler. Perhaps Chawla must have been the best bait, seeing the performance of Pragyan Ojha who conceded only 38 runs in penultimate 10 overs, while RP Singh and Irfan Pathan went for 67 runs each in as many overs. The absence of Parveen Kumar was also felt as he has been a consistent performer for the last few months.

In the Asia Cup final on July 6, everything was going smooth and Team India was well on top with fiery Sehwag was on rampage, dispatching even good length deliveries to the boundary. Even the experience of Chaminda Vaas was unable to stop the dashing Indian opener. Gambhir, who on the other hand had not scored much, cut a rising delivery from Vaas and India lost the first wicket in the fifth over, as the ball landed in the safe hands of Dilshan at cover.

But then, it was A Mendis – a new comer to the stage and things changed from bad to worse for India. He beguiled the Indian top order with his googlies, flappers and fast straight deliveries. Raina and Yuvraj were foxed and lost their middle stumps. With 4/93 on the scoreboard, India was on the defensive.

In fact, things started looking dim for Team India, as the way the young Mendis was pitching every ball on the good length and making it straighten to the wicket with odd ball turning sharply. Skipper Dhoni took charge and against his batting style, he started playing with firm determination to guide India to victory. But when Rohit Sharma, the most talented new comer in the team was trapped lbw, Team India was reeling at 5/97.

Robin Uthappa was shaky and devoid of confidence for sometime that he showed in ASIA Cup final as well. He along with skipper Dhoni managed to take India to 135 with their 38 valuable runs partnership in little over 11 overs. I don’t know why Uthappa was preferred over Yusuf Pathan, as in such situations a few big hits provide much needed confidence to the batting side.

Attack, at most of times, proves better strategy to counter the opponent who has upper edge. Irfan did not last long and edged a bumpy delivery to the Sri Lankan skipper M Jayawardene in the slip. Indian supporters were left with little hope of victory. The departure of skipper Dhoni in the 35th over sealed the fate of Team India, as the rest was a formality left to be completed.

If we look at the whole play in the Asia Cup final, we can be disappointed the way our batsmen performed or we can laud the efforts of A Mendis. Gambhir’s departure was the first blow as the dashing Delhi opener has been in good nick in recent times. Sehwag’s stepping out on the first ball from A Mendis was a poor decision to which India paid the price. Raina has also been in great touch as well, and whose loss was no less than a setback, while Yuvraj completely misread the ball, which was straight and fast. Yuvi was unlucky to get such beauty of a ball in the first over when batsman tries to settle his eyes with ball, movement from the pitch and bowler’s style.

Surprisingly, it was A Mendis, not Muthiah Muralitharan, who destroyed Team India in the Asia Cup final. Team India needs to craft a different strategy for the finals in future. Only then we can have winning final like the Twenty20.