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Legendary India cricketer Sunil Gavaskar believes that Abhishek Sharma will continue his red-hot form in the final of the Asia Cup against Pakistan. This comes after the left-hand batter scored half-centuries in each of his last three matches and is also the highest run-getter of the ongoing tournament with 309 runs under his belt. Gavaskar also stated that Abhishek will be aiming to reach triple figures as he steps out to bat against Pakistan.
"Abhishek Sharma, in particular, won’t let opportunities slip by. He’s been in good form with three half-centuries and, despite an unfortunate run-out that cost him a potential century, he’s likely to aim for another big innings—possibly even a three-figure score," Gavaskar told India Today.
Abhishek was the star performer for the Men in Blue in their previous clash against their arch-rivals in Asia Cup. He played a match-winning knock of 74 and guided the side to the target of 172 as they made a brilliant start to the Super 4 stage. He will definitely be among the players to watch out for in the all-important final that is set to be held on September 28.
Gavaskar's advice for out-of-form Suryakumar
On the other hand, Gavaskar also shared an advice for India skipper Suryakumar Yadav, who hasn't been in great form in the tournament so far. Notably, the 35-year-old has only scored 71 runs in the five innings he has played in the tournament and hasn't really been able to fire with the bat. Gavaskar feels that the batter needs to stick some time in the middle so that he can get a proper idea of the conditions.
“He’s undoubtedly a class player. All I would suggest is that he give himself three or four deliveries in the middle to assess the conditions—check for pace, bounce, or turn. Watching from the dugout and stepping onto the field can feel very different,” Gavaskar stated.
“Sometimes, if a batter is ahead, it might seem like there’s nothing in the pitch, but it’s always better to take a few balls to gauge the conditions before playing your natural game,” he added.
India set to take on Pakistan in the final
Meanwhile, it will be for the first time in Asia Cup history that India and Pakistan will clash against each other in the final. The Men in Blue have managed to get the better of their arch-rivals on the two occasions that they have come up against them in the ongoing tournament and it remains to be seen if they will able to do the same in the penultimate game as well.
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