Asia Cup 2018 final: Key battles to watch out for
India will enter the final as favorites when they clash against Bangladesh today in the Asia Cup 2018. The Men in Blue defeated the Tigers earlier in the Super Four stage. Notably, India had also beaten Bangladesh in the previous edition of the Asia Cup to clinch the trophy. The final will see some key battles that will determine the tie. Here we decode.
Mustafizur Rahman vs Rohit Sharma
Mustafizur Rahman will be key player, for Bangladesh, with the new ball. He found the rhythm in the game against Pakistan as he picked up 4 wickets. Importantly, Fizz got the wickets with the new ball. Fizz has dismissed the in-form Rohit four times earlier. Further, Hitman faces an issue against left-arm pacers with the incoming ball. This sets up a crucial battle.
Mehidy Hasan vs MS Dhoni
Veteran wicket-keeper batsman, MS Dhoni, has found it tough in the tourney as runs have dried up. Dhoni hasn't found the rhythm against spinners since quite sometime and this is one area that might trouble him even today. Mehidy has the knack of picking key wickets and he will be brought in when MSD comes to bat. It will be a tough battle.
Jasprit Bumrah vs Mahmudullah
Jasprit Bumrah has been really consistent throughout 2018. He has an exceptional economy rate that indicates he hasn't allowed batsmen to score freely. Bumrah has used his variations accurately especially at the death. It will be interesting how Mahmudullah, known for his exploits at the death, gets going. He provides the solidity for Bangladesh in the final overs. Can he trump Bumrah?
Ravindra Jadeja vs Mushfiqur Rahim
Mushfiqur has generally played well against Jadeja in previous meetings between the two sides. But in this edition of the Asia Cup, Jaddu foxed him in playing the wrong shot. Rahim had gone unorthodox to play the reverse sweep, and was caught. Mushfiqur has scored immensely in this tourney and Jadeja too has picked wickets. Therefore this promises to be the most crucial battle.
