Lack of clarity in team combinations has affected India’s Asia Cup 2022 campaign: Wasim Jaffer

Following the loss against Sri Lanka on Tuesday (September 6), India is on the verge of elimination from the 2022 Asia Cup. However, they remain on the hunt for finals if other results to go in their favour. Ahead of the game between Pakistan and Afghanistan, former cricketer Wasim Jaffer spoke on how the lack of clarity in choosing the players has negatively affected the Indian team.

Jaffer thinks the team has not yet finalized the right combination for the Asia Cup, while also highlighting the injury concerns of Jasprit Bumrah, Harshal Patel and Ravindra Jadeja. The 44-year-old also added that the key players have not stepped at the right time to contribute to the team.

“This team has quality, and it’s not the case of the absence of Bumrah and Harshal Patel, and Ravindra Jadeja getting injured. [it is] just that the team is not playing with the right combination, or the players have not performed in crucial situations.

“T20 World Cup squad will soon be announced, and with what combination you will play. Will you consider Mohammed Shami, Deepak Chahar, and where does Dinesh Karthik stand?”

We wanted to try out certain things: Rohit Sharma

Due to the lacklustre performances of the Men in Blue in the ongoing six-team tournament, skipper Rohit Sharma has been receiving flak over his selection choices. Many questions have been asked ranging from bowling combinations to choosing Rishabh Pant over Dinesh Karthik.

In a recent press conference, he reckoned that the team is trying to test different combinations and will soon draw the line when they find the best one. Meanwhile, despite the availability of Deepak Chahar, India played two spinners and three seamers, with all-rounder Hardik Pandya as the third seamer against Sri Lanka.

"When you talk about experiments, yes, we wanted to try out certain things. If you look at the combination we have been playing before the start of the Asia Cup, it was with four seamers, two spinners and the second spinner was an all-rounder. "I always wanted to try and find answers as to what happens if you play with three seamers and two spinners, and the third spinner being an all-rounder. We are still looking for answers," Rohit explained after India lost agaist Sri Lanka. 

"I want to be prepared for the World Cup where you are challenged as a team. When you go to the World Cup, you want to have all the answers. Since Hardik Pandya has come back, we have played with 3 seamers. "It's good to know what can happen when you play with three seamers, two spinners … These defeats teach us a whole lot of things," he added.