Asia Cup 2023: Workload concerns for India after Super 4s match against Pakistan moves to reserve day

Team India sure isn’t having it easy at the moment. In what has been a frustrating Asia Cup campaign so far, the Men in Blue would have spent as much time in the dressing room as they have on the field, if not more.

India, who are aiming to win their eighth Asia Cup title overall and third in the last four editions, have had the worst luck as far as the weather is concerned. Especially since all of their matches are taking place in Sri Lanka after BCCI’s reluctance to send the Indian team to Pakistan, where none of the four matches faced any weather-related interruptions.

India ended up sharing points with Pakistan in their opening game in Pallekele on 2 September after getting bundled out for 266, with the Men in Green not getting to face a single delivery.

Rain nearly spoiled their subsequent fixture against Nepal at the same venue two days later. This time however, Rohit Sharma and Co ended up chasing down a revised target of 145 runs after the ‘Rhinos’ posted a competitive 230 on the board.

And erratic weather was back to spoil things for them on Sunday in their first Super Four game, against arch-rivals Pakistan with the action now shifting to Colombo’s R Premadasa Stadium.

The match began under bright sunshine with the Men in Blue coming up with a strong response after being invited to bat by Pakistan skipper Babar Azam. Rohit and Shubman Gill slammed fifties and stitched an attacking 121-run opening stand, helping lay the foundation for a sizeable total for the Men in Blue

It wasn’t long before the RPS ground staff swung into action as a heavy downpour that was accompanied by strong winds caught everyone off guard.

Virat Kohli and KL Rahul ran back to the dressing room with India’s score reading 147/2 after 24.1 overs, and that was to be it as far as the day’s action was concerned. Wet patches on the outfield along with a second spell of rain later in the evening ultimately forced the match officials to take the fixture to the reserve day, i.e. Monday, 11 September.

Playing three days on the trot

India are set to continue from where they left off on Sunday. Leg-spinner Shadab Khan — who broke the opening stand by dismissing Rohit for 56 — will bowl the second delivery of his seventh over at 3 pm local time (also IST) on Monday. Given that the match is taking place on the reserve day, it will be a full 50-over contest with no overs deducted.

Read | Social media abuzz after IND-PAK Super Four match moved to reserve day

India will be hoping to make the most of the reserve day and collect a second win on the trot instead of having to settle for a solitary point for a second time in three games. However, playing on the reserve day does bring with it some workload concerns for the Men in Blue.

Rohit and Co, after all, are scheduled to face defending champions Sri Lanka the very next day in what will be another crucial encounter for them in their quest for an eighth title.

In an age where players often complain of “too much cricket” being played, both internationally as well as in the franchise-based T20 leagues, workload does become a crucial talking point for teams. And having to take the field three days in a row might come as a worry for skipper Rohit as well as head coach Rahul Dravid.

India, after all, had been dealing with a spate of injuries in recent months with key players such as Jasprit Bumrah, KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer only returning to action after spending months on the sidelines due to injuries. There are also a handful of others who have been playing a majority of the fixtures this year, including wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan.

Read | What happens if India vs Pakistan Super Four clash gets washed out?

Additionally, with the ICC World Cup drawing near, Team India — who will enjoy home advantage at cricket’s showpiece event — will need to ensure their core players remain as fresh as possible. The current schedule therefore, is unlikely to find support in the Indian camp.

It’s not as if India can afford to rest key players in the remaining Super Four fixtures either; both Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have been competitive so far in the tournament, with the former the only team to win all of their games so far in the tournament.

For now, the Men in Blue have no choice but to brave through the gruelling week and hope to come out with the trophy in their hand on Sunday. As a compensation of sorts, some of the senior players might just be given a breather during the subsequent one-day series against Australia at home, and instead called to action in the event that ultimately matters the most.