Indian skipper Rohit Sharma did not pick designated finisher Dinesh Karthik in the team against Sri Lanka in the must-win Asia Cup Super 4 encounter. The obvious explanation behind not including Karthik seemed that Rohit wanted a sixth bowling option in the team. However, Hooda’s services were not used against Sri Lankan batters. After the last-over loss, Rohit explained why he did not hand the ball to Hooda.
“With the ball, it was a good effort to take it to the last over considering the start they had. The spinners bowled aggressively and got wickets in the middle overs, but Sri Lanka held their nerve. We thought with the bigger boundary we could use the spinners well. But the plan didn't work out. Their right-handers batted for very long. I thought of bringing in Hooda and using the longer boundaries. But I was happy with the three seamers,” Rohit said in the post-match presentation.
While Rohit made it clear that Sri Lanka’s right-handed openers batting for a long period of time was the reason behind Hooda not bowling, it raised further questions.
In the previous game against Pakistan, left-handed batter Mohammad Nawaz dominated India in the middle overs. Nawaz took the game away from India with his 20-ball 42 while opener Mohammad Rizwan anchored the run chase.
As India had two leg-spinners Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravi Bishnoi operating in the middle overs, Hooda would have been a good match-up against Nawaz who was going all guns blazing.
As Hooda has not bowled a single over in the two matches he has played in the ongoing tournament, Karthik would have made perfect sense at no.7. Hooda has not played at this position in the bilateral series before the tournament. On the other hand, Karthik had proved himself in the death overs a few times.
Rohit said in the press conference that India were 10-15 runs short as they suffered a collapse. Karthik’s presence in the lower order against Sri Lanka could have made the difference.
