In conversation with Uthappa, Rohan

Bol News sat down with former Indian batters to talk about Asia Cup 2022

Asia Cup 2022 is finally underway in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) where six teams are battling it out to secure the ultimate prize — winning the title.

Out of the six teams, two are particularly in focus because of having a large fan base in the Middle East and also because of not playing each other in any bilateral series.

Those two are India and Pakistan as the sides will face off for the first time since the 2021 International Cricket Council (ICC) T20 World Cup which was also organised in the UAE.

Bol News had a chance to interview former Indian batters Robin Uthappa and Rohan Gavaskar who shared their views about how the fixture is likely to turn out to be.

India’s Rohit Sharma (L) walks past Pakistan’s captain Babar Azam as he arrives to bat during the ICC mens Twenty20 World Cup cricket match between India and Pakistan at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai on October 24, 2021. (Photo by Aamir QURESHI / AFP) (Photo by AAMIR QURESHI/AFP via Getty Images)

BN: What do you think about this fixture. Who do you think will come out on top?

RU: I think that the fact that these countries do not play against each other nowadays that any game looks like a seesaw battle. I think it’s good that we have got at least a couple of games in this tournament [between India and Pakistan]. That will ease the nerves in this kind of competition. The fans will also like to see these guys playing.

I think both the contest will be interesting and I think whoever plays better cricket on that day will end up winning the game which is generally the case in T20 cricket because it is such a fast-paced game that one unbelievable skill, one particular over, can swing the whole game in the other direction.

We saw that in the World Cup where Shaheen Shah Afridi bowled an exceptional first over and took that game away from India. Also in that match, dew played a massive factor.

We don’t know will the dew play a factor this time around as well. We don’t know these aspects as well. But both teams will be aware of it.

RG: It will still be a very intense game. A game which will be closely fought and I expect it to be a very exciting game.

I would go with India starting as a favourite just because of what we have seen from them in this last year. I think India will start favourites but I don’t think they will start as clear favourites. Like I said it will be a closely fought game but for me, India definitely starts as a favourite.

 BN: Since the T20 World Cup in 2021, a lot has changed in both teams. How do you see both teams overcoming those hurdles?

Ru: I think the new generation is slowly coming in. The likes of Shubman are not even a part of that because the team has so much talent but even then it’s hard to imagine not having a player of Shubman’s calibre. But he will get his time.

RG: I think what happened is that over the last few years, we have seen the quality of cricketers from India and Pakistan, we have such talented cricketers coming up that even though some players won’t be there, it won’t affect the quality of cricket on display.

BN: There is a sense that India’s golden generation is towards the twilight of their careers, do you agree?

RU: I think the youngsters are coming in and they are extremely talented. For me, the player to watch out for this season should be Suryakumar Yadav. He is the talk of the town in India and he is in exceptional form. He has this ability to open up gaps in the field that is seldom seen in cricket today.

We have seen AB de Villiers do that and Surya is right up there. He is a high-quality player. He has waited for his opportunity to come into this team.

Another player who really excites me in T20 cricket is Deepak Hooda. I find him extremely exciting and I think he is one player for the future.

Another one for the future would be Rishabh Pant. He is there for a while but he is only 24. Once you start young you feel like you have seen them in the system for so long but he is only 24.

RG: No, I don’t agree with that [that golden generation is coming to an end]. For me, this is a really good phase of Indian cricket. Like, look at the depth. In my opinion, India right now can field two international teams at a minimum.

It’s a bit like how Australia were in the late 1990s and early 2000s. They had so much depth that they had players like Brad Hodge, Stuart Law couldn’t get a game.

I think India is going through that phase right now where a lot of talented players are not getting a game. For instance, Sanju Samson and Shubman Gill are unlikely to get a game.

If you look at the team that played in Zimbabwe, many of them are unlikely to get a chance because there is so much talent and depth now. So I genuine believe this generation is going to achieve bigger and better things.

BN: With Bumrah missing, how much is that going to affect India in this tournament and against Pakistan?

RU: I believe that we have enough ability in the tank. We have exceptional pace battery in India. I think we are going through the best phase of fast-bowlers in Indian cricket history. The kind of fast-bowlers coming through the ranks are high quality. We will definitely miss Bumrah but it doesn’t mean we don’t have bowlers who have enough skills to perform well and win the tournament for us.

RG: It might sound crazy but we have some outstanding fast bowlers to choose from, like Mohammad Siraj, we have Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur so right now we have a lot of quality fast bowlers.  Bumrah not being there will be a miss for any team because he is such a quality bowler but I think we have enough quality bowlers to make a difference.

BN: Let’s talk about Pakistan. Which players do you think will be a miss or who will the players to watch out for?

RU: Of course Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan. These two guys are the most dangerous players going around at the moment in world cricket, especially in white-ball cricket.

If you see Rizwan’s growth over the last few years, it has been exceptional. I have really enjoyed the way he has batted. His attitude, and the way he has carried himself onto the field, it has been fantastic and I think he is a perfect fold for someone like Babar.

I think those two works really in tandem and they look after the other players. You can see the boys rallying around, even from the outside and it’s good to see. And these two are leading from the front.

RG: It makes a big difference not having someone like Shaheen Shah Afridi around. He has got this knack of picking up wickets in his first over, putting teams on the back foot from early on.

So him not there will definitely going to be a big miss but when you talk about Pakistan, you have to talk about Babar, like what a fantastic player he is.

I mean he is so easy on the eye, just the kind of form he is in, the consistency he has shown, is just amazing. He is a matchwinner. And in white-ball cricket, you just need one or two of your matchwinners to have a good day and that would really turn things around.

 BN: Which two teams do you think are favourites to play the final of the competition on September 11?

RU: The two sides that will step up to the rest will be India and Pakistan. Don’t count Afghanistan as they are a solid T20 team. Let’s be honest. Sri Lanka have been going through a rebuilding period. Let’s call it what it is.

Bangladesh have not been the best T20 sides going around. They are coming off a very humbling experience here in Zimbabwe. So, therefore, going by current form, my two favourites will be India and Pakistan.

RG: India and Pakistan obviously look strongest and because of the format, I really think it is going to be the India – Pakistan final.