The second phase of the Indian Oil Asia Cup gets under way after a two-day break and this is the phase which matters. All four qualified teams start from zero as no points are carried forward coming into this round and rightly so. This format was necessary to accommodate upcoming Asian teams like Hong Kong and UAE and I think it's a very fair structure.
Our first match is against Bangladesh at the Sinhalese Sports Club. It is a day match and I know from experience, the SSC wicket is perhaps the best in Lanka if it does not rain. It affords a lot of help to fast bowlers in the morning and aids spinners later in the day.
Bangladesh under Dav Whatmore are a much improved side. Even the UAE and Hong Kong were no pushovers and it goes to show how the game is growing in the region. Matches like these can be dangerous affairs especially for the favourites. The so-called minnows have nothing to lose and everything to play for. The pressure will be on us to perform and get the result we want.
Our performance has to improve. In our two outings at the Dambulla ground, we were sloppy. Against Sri Lanka, our fielding was not up to the mark, our bowlers bowled poorly in the last 10 overs and we lost too many wickets early on. We will have to quickly iron out these creases if we are to make the final.
{{/usCountry}}Our performance has to improve. In our two outings at the Dambulla ground, we were sloppy. Against Sri Lanka, our fielding was not up to the mark, our bowlers bowled poorly in the last 10 overs and we lost too many wickets early on. We will have to quickly iron out these creases if we are to make the final.
{{/usCountry}}For me, the key is not losing early wickets. Our strength is batting and if you look at our recent record we have generally won matches when we have had wickets in hand. We are capable of chasing imposing targets if we don't lose early wickets, but our eagerness to preserve wickets have to be tempered with aggression, for we can't afford to get bogged down either.
However, with a proven batting line-up like ours I am confident we can deliver the goods when it matters most. On the bowling front, Zaheer's latest injury is a major concern. This is the fourth time in the last 12 months that he has broken down. Although, this time it is his thigh muscle that is bothering him, I know that one leg injury often leads to another. I am keeping my fingers crossed for him.
The only positive from the Sri Lanka game we can take into the second phase is the display by our lower order with the bat. The top-order can play a lot more freely if they are secure in the knowledge that the lower order -- right down to Balaji -- is capable for getting a few runs.
Basically, what we need to do is raise our game a few notches and up the ante. We have been in this situation before and there is no reason why we can't do it all over again. (Café Cricket)