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The Asia Cup 2023 has commenced with a high-octane clash between India and Pakistan on Saturday, September 2, at Pallekele. Adding more fuel to the pre-match discussions, former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar questioned India's strategic decision to leave out seasoned pacer Mohammed Shami for their Group A game against arch-rivals Pakistan.
The exclusion was particularly surprising given that Shami had been rested for the West Indies tour to ensure his freshness for the Asia Cup and the upcoming ODI World Cup.
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In Shami's absence, India opted for Shardul Thakur, an extra all-rounder, raising eyebrows among cricket pundits. Notably, Shami was initially rested after the World Test Championship final to be in top shape for both the Asia Cup and the ODI World Cup slated for later this year.
With KL Rahul out for the first two Asia Cup 2023 matches, India selected Ishan Kishan as their wicketkeeper. Team India also included Shreyas Iyer, who is coming back from a five-month injury layoff, to bolster their batting lineup, highlighting Captain Rohit Sharma's focus on deep batting.
Manjrekar, during his interaction with Star Sports, expressed his reservations about the team's approach. "Hearing murmurs that India wanted batting depth. But nobody is talking about bowling depth. Shardul Thakur is in and I am slightly against this thought. Is Mohammed Shami more a threat to Pakistan batters or Shardul Thakur?" he questioned.
"I wouldn't worry about batting depth. Somebody like a Shami on this pitch, especially when we have seen the ball moving around… India should have gone in with 3 genuine bowlers - Bumrah, Shami, and Siraj, just like Pakistan have done," Manjrekar emphasised.
He added, "The batting depth thing… this just shows signs of insecurity from the team. You have got to trust your batters like Jadeja, who is batting at No. 7. That's enough batting."
India's lineup against Pakistan featured Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah as the two frontline pacers, along with spinners Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav. As the tournament progresses, it remains to be seen whether India's strategic choices, questioned by experts like Sanjay Manjrekar, will prove to be effective or will become a subject of post-mortem analysis.
India's playing XI: Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan (WK), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj.
Pakistan's playing XI: Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam (C), Mohammad Rizwan (WK), Agha Salman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf.
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