The Asia Cup 2022 is just two games old. But there are already some patterns starting to emerge. These are the trends to watch out for in the main stage of this year’s Asia Cup.
Managing the dew
The Asia Cup is being played in August and September when the temperatures in Dubai and Sharjah — the two venues — have been regularly touching 40C. Although all matches start at 6 PM, the first two games in Dubai have seen no dew.
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That said, India and Afghanistan chose to field after winning the toss. But that perhaps had more to do with both captains wanting to exploit the fresh, semi-grassy Dubai wicket early on than a countermeasure against dew.
As the temperature in the UAE cools down, the dew has a greater bearing on evening matches, evident during the last T20 World Cup played at the same venues — 2 of the 3 — in the months of October and November.
It had made winning the toss and chasing very important. Of the 33 games played from the Super 12 stage onwards, 22 were won by the team batting second. And 12 of the 13 contests played in Dubai had been won by the team chasing. How all teams grappled with the dew was ultimately one of the defining features of who won in the tournament.
Case for Ravindra Jadeja at 4?
The bigger boundaries in Dubai give the bowlers an advantage. Another factor that makes a difference in Dubai is the location of the pitch. The pitches on the edge of the square have shorter boundaries on one side. So, teams could target that boundary with a left-right combination.
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“I was the only leftie in the top 7. Pakistan had a left-arm spinner and a leg-spinner in the Playing XI. So, I had a feeling that I would have to go up the order,” Jadeja said on Tuesday.
Dinesh Karthik replacing Rishabh Pant in the Playing XI against Pakistan meant India had a clutch of right-handers in the top six. So, left-hander, Ravindra Jadeja was promoted to No. 4 to break the monotony. While it may be a one-off, depending on the position of the pitch, Jadeja could be promoted up the order in the upcoming games as well.
Dropping anchor
Of the two venues for Asia Cup, Dubai has the larger boundaries. The ground dimensions in Dubai will vary based on the pitch being used but power-hitting in Dubai is difficult compared to Sharjah. So, strike rotation is likely to become more important as the tournament progresses. Once set, a player should look to bat through on pitches that are likely to play slow.
Contrary to popular perception, pacers tend to do well in the UAE. At the last T20 World Cup, the breakdown of wickets across three venues was thus - Pace: 45 matches, 297 wickets, Spin: 45 matches, 190 wickets. How players negotiate pace could be a decisive factor this time as well.
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