India vs Sri Lanka Live Updates, Asia Cup: IND need to address middle order concerns before Asia Cup final vs PAK

India have enjoyed success thanks to two astonishingly strong lefties at the peak of their powers through this tournament: Abhishek Sharma blitzing bowling attacks in the powerplay and providing remarkable start after remarkable start, and Kuldeep Yadav looking almost untouchable when he has the ball in hand and can outplay opposition batters almost as if it is a game of chess and not cricket. These two have been the stars, and are in an argument with each other for who the player of the tournament should be: it is the pieces around them that need to sharpen up before Sunday’s final.

In particular, India will want the middle order to wake up in a tournament where it has been dormant. The match against Bangladesh, albeit a win, was a wake-up call: after Abhishek’s dismissal, nobody could quite get going at the death. Suryakumar Yadav hasn’t been at his best, Tilak Varma’s question marks against spin become louder, and Sanju Samson seems to find himself in a situation where he is neither one thing nor another. The balance of that middle order is a little mixed up at the moment, with Samson’s move down the order raising eyebrows: is that truly going to bring the best out of him? Is it even India’s best option if Shubman Gill is going to open, or is Jitesh Sharma, a player more suited to finish innings, a player you would prefer? These are questions Yadav and Gautam Gambhir will need to answer.

India vs Sri Lanka Predicted XIs

India's predicted XI: Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson (wk), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah/Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy

Sri Lanka's predicted XI: Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (wk), Kusal Perera, Charith Asalanka (c), Dasun Shanaka, Kamindu Mendis, Chamika Karunaratne, Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Dushmantha Chameera, Nuwan Thushara

India are very strong even with these problems, but they will be aware that it is cracks such as these that tend to open up and cost them in key matches. A wary eye will already be on the final, where Pakistan wait with all the hostility and aggression they already offered last weekend. How do you save your best for that crunch match? Do you do today as you will on Sunday? Do you give Jasprit Bumrah another break to keep him fresh and raring to go? Are you heading into that match with more questions than answers? There isn’t anything riding on this match against Sri Lanka, but it still has the potential to send some quiet tremors through India’s camp.

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