India Still Unbeaten, But Not Perfect – What It Means for the Asia Cup Final and Beyond
India’s journey to the Asia Cup final has been exciting but not smooth. They’ve won all their matches, including a nail-biting Super Over win against Sri Lanka. But these wins haven’t come easy — and that shows India still has work to do before the World Cup at home.
Arshdeep Singh Shines in Super Over
In the match against Sri Lanka, India needed something special — and fast bowler Arshdeep Singh delivered just that. His brilliant Super Over bowling helped India stay unbeaten in the tournament. India now has a perfect record in tied matches, winning all six they’ve played, including one bowl-out.
However, even though they won, India looked shaky. At times during the second innings, it seemed like they wouldn’t be able to defend their total. This inconsistency is becoming a pattern.
Coach Morkel: “We’re Not the Finished Article”
India’s bowling coach Morne Morkel summed it up clearly:
“We, by no means, are the finished article. We’ve won — sometimes in ugly fashion — but we’ll take that.”
He pointed out that India hasn’t played a complete game yet in the tournament. Every match has shown areas where the team must improve — especially before the high-pressure World Cup.
Issues with Batting and Bowling
India’s batting has left runs on the field. Conditions haven’t been easy for middle-order batters, but that’s no excuse. Suryakumar Yadav’s form is a concern — he has only scored 99 runs in 10 T20I innings this year, despite a big IPL season.
Morkel wants the team to focus on strike rotation and running between the wickets. Also, when a new batter comes in, India must protect partnerships better.
On the bowling side, the main problem is the death overs. Jasprit Bumrah often bowls early, and without him at the end, India struggles to control the run rate. Morkel suggested improving length, accuracy, and variety, especially in the middle overs.
Fielding: India’s Weakest Link
India has dropped 12 catches in this tournament — more than any other team. Eight of those drops came in just the last two matches, and four were off spinner Varun Chakaravarthy’s bowling.
“We’ve worked hard on catching under the lights. Maybe it’s a confidence issue,” said Morkel.
Clearly, fielding is another area India must fix before the final against Pakistan.
Bright Spots: Samson, Tilak, Abhishek, and Spin
Despite the flaws, there were some positive signs:
Sanju Samson finally got runs.
Tilak Varma showed he can finish games well.
Abhishek Sharma scored another solid half-century.
India’s legspinners were game-changers, giving away only 62 runs in 8 overs — even on a pitch that helped batters.
What’s Next?
India will face Pakistan in the Asia Cup final this Sunday. The team is unbeaten, but to beat a strong Pakistan side, they must bring their A-game. The question isn’t whether India can win — it’s whether they can win cleanly and confidently, without needing a Super Over or relying on luck.
With the World Cup coming soon, fans and experts — including us here at CricketMan — are watching closely. India’s talent is clear, but turning that into consistent performance is the real challenge.