India haven’t played a T20I since February, when they faced England at home. This match would have been a home game as well, but the Asia Cup shifted out of India to make UAE the host team. Though that doesn’t make it a cakewalk for UAE either. They have to face India, the reigning T20 World Cup champions, in their opening game. One could argue that it doesn’t exactly resemble the team that lifted the trophy, but it isn’t too far off either. Tightening just a few loose screws could make things fall into place for them, and the opening game can give them the room to do so before they face their archrivals, Pakistan, on Sunday.
Team Overview:
India are still in their trial-and-error phase, and having played five T20Is this year did little to expedite it. They called in Shubman Gill, and as the vice-captain no less, which means his spot as an opener in the team is guaranteed. This also means India will have to make the tough decision of either benching Sanju Samson or making another player sacrifice his spot. However, the latter isn’t warranted to bring any results. India’s top four, barring Gill, pick themselves. Abhishek Sharma is the first choice as an opener, and Tilak Varma and Suryakumar Yadav are too good at their No. 3 and No. 4 positions. It’s almost similar for the middle order too, where Jitesh Sharma is touted to come in along with Axar Patel and Hardik Pandya. And even if there were a spot, playing Samson anywhere below No. 3 would be as far from the ideal setting as can be.
Their bowling lineup needs some balance as well, as India have made no bones about wanting an attacking No. 8 batter who can throw in a few overs as well. Ironically, their picks for the tournament lack that genre of cricketers. Rinku Singh has some hallmarks of such a player, which makes him someone India can work with.
For the pace attack, Arshdeep Singh has made a comeback and is very likely to share the new ball with Bumrah. But what will India’s spin attack look like? Barring Axar Patel and the part-time options, India have Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy. Ideally, they will not need both of them unless Dubai dishes out a turner, which too isn’t probable.
UAE, meanwhile, will have their spirits boosted after taking the tri-series game against Afghanistan to a close finish. Alishan Sharafu and Muhammad Waseem opened in the tri-series, and that is in line to continue in the tournament too. Aryansh Sharma and Rahul Chopra will have a clash for the wicketkeeping duties as well as the one-down position, with the latter more well-suited for both roles. Asif Khan, arguably the side’s most explosive batter, will come in at No. 4. Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Rohid, and Haider Ali, having done well with the ball in the tri-series, will form the core of their bowling lineup.
Head-to-Head Matches:
India and UAE have only played one T20I, in the 2016 Asia Cup. Unsurprisingly, the game was won by India.
Weather and Pitch Report:
Indian bowling coach Morne Morkel, who was at Dubai International Cricket Stadium for a fielding session on Monday, said the surface had a tinge of green. With the weather hot as ever, that green colour could have been discoloured by the sun by now, but India still wouldn’t be getting the spin havens they played the Champions Trophy on.
Prediction:
It’s India’s game, though UAE’s captain said they have eyes to create an upset against the big guns in their group.
Where to Watch:
Pakistan: PTV Sports, Tapmad, Myco
India: Sony Sports Network, Sony Liv app
UAE and MENA: CricLife Max via eLife TV and Switch TV, StarzPlay
Australia: Kayo Sports
Bangladesh: Gazi TV, Toffee, and Tapmad
Sri Lanka: Sirasa TV and TV-1, Dialog ViU app
