Title holder India will start their Asia Cup campaign with the match against Sri Lanka that will take place on 13 March at Shere Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur.
India will fight against other contestants to hold their trophy for a second consecutive year. However, it seems that they will have to face a tough competition to defend their title.
Indian cricket team is not in their good form. They lost two overseas tours in England and Australia. In the tri-nation CB series, they won just three out of eight matches. Skipper, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, is under pressure because of his team’s poor performances.
It is a big opportunity for MS Dhoni and his co to restore their battered reputation in the ongoing Asia Cup event. No doubt, they will hope to start the tournament with a victory.
Indian selectors have brought some changes in the squad that played in Australia. Hard-hitting opener, Virender Sehwag, and experienced pace duo Zaheer Khan and Umesh Yadav have been rested because of their injuries while all-rounder Yusuf Pathan and Bengali pace bowler, Ashok Dinda, have been drafted into squad.
It is also a best opportunity for Little Master Sachin Tendulkar to reach his 100th international ton that he is seeking since last’s year’s ICC World Cup.
It is thought that India will get future stars from this tournament. Young players like Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina and Ravindra Jadeja will give an opportunity to prove their talent and permanent their position in the squad.
Sri Lanka will be looking confident after their good performance in the tri-nation series in Australia. They will aim to carry on their good form into Asia Cup. Their squad looks balanced and strong.
There is no doubt that the match between India and Sri Lanka will be a hard fought game. Both teams will have equal chance to win the match. Lankan players will be tired after the long tri-series in Australia, where they played five matches in the last 10 days.
If Sri Lanka wants to win their fifth Asia Cup title, they will have to revive themselves.
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