Favourites India faced minnows Nepal in the final group A match of Asia Cup 2023 in Pallekele. A momentous occasion for the Nepalis who are able to compete at this stage thanks to their grit, hard work and determination. Conversely, India were looking to have a proper outing after their first match against Pakistan was called off due to inclement weather conditions.
Team Lineups
Nepal fielded their best eleven against India who were without the service of their pace bowling icon Jasprit Bumrah.
Nepal:
1. Kushal Bhurtel 2. Aasif Sheikh (WK) 3. Bhim Sharki 4. Rohit Paudel (CAP) 5. Kushal Malla 6. Gulshan Jha 7. Dipendra Singh Airee 8. Sompal Kami 9. Sandeep Lamichhane 10.Karan KC 10. Lalit Rajbanshi
India:
1. Rohit Sharma (Cap) 2. Shubhman Gill 3. Virat Kohli 4. Shreyas Iyer 5. Ishan Kishan 6. Hardik Pandya 7. Ravindra Jadeja 8. Shardul Thakur 9. Kuldeep Yadav 10. Mohammed Shami 11. Mohammed Siraj
Indian captain Rohit Sharma won the toss and invited his counterpart to bat first.
Key Performances
Ravindra Jadeja was the key difference maker between the neighbors. He made full use of the two paced wicket. The Nepal batting had no answer to his turn and bounce. He picked up 3 for 40. Mohammad Shiraj also took 3 wickets after his leaky initial overs.
Aasif Sheikh’s poised 58 off 97 and Sompal Kami’s daredevil 48 off 56 took Nepal beyond the 200 mark. These are early days for Nepal on this level, but the signs have been promising so far.
Rohit Sharma and Shubhman Gill came out swinging their bats after the god of weather was finally appeased. The skipper and his partner were in a hurry to end the match early. They wrapped the innings within 21 overs with two spectacular half centuries.
Batting Performance
The Nepali opening pair got off to a flying start as they looked to set a total that would challenge India’s strong batting lineup. They were able to find the middle of the bat regularly and scored boundaries for fun.
Kushal Bhartel was living dangerously and eventually got out on 38 from 25 balls. His opening partner Aasif Sheikh made an impressive score of 58. The wicketkeeper-batsman made the most of the gaps and played with poise and grace that belied his little experience on this stage.
After the collapse Gulshan Jha (23) & Dipendra Singh Airee (29) got off to decent starts but eventually holed out. It was Sompal Kami who entered the stage late and entertained the avid Nepali fans with some fireworks. The right arm quick hit two massive sixes on his way to 48. His action packed innings helped the score to reach 230 mark.
The Indian innings was just one way traffic. Several bouts of rain reduced their target to 145 in 23 overs. Rohit Sharma started to smash the ball all around the ground with disdain. The Indian captain displayed his full array of bat swinging and left the field with a well made 74. Finally much needed runs for the Indian skipper and would do his confidence the world of good.
Shubhman Gill was also eager to torment the Nepali attack and ended with 67 off 62. The Punjabi youngster was in exquisite form and it was evident why he is hailed as the future of Indian batting.
Bowling performance
India missed their main pace weapon Jasprit Bumrah because the Mumbai pacer had to rush back to homeland for a family emergency. Mohammad Siraj and Mohammad Shami failed to create any early chink on the Nepali armor. The tides turned when Ravindra Jadeja came out to bowl. The dauntless Gujrati all-rounder let the ball have some air and it worked like a charm. Three quick from the left-arm orthodox spinner caused some panic in the Nepali camp.
Mohammad Siraj came back strongly to claim three wickets at the back end of the innings. Kuldeep Yadav didn’t pick any wickets but his accurate bowling stifled the run rate.
Nepal’s attack tried their best to manoeuvre anything but to no avail. The Indian batsmen delineated the massive gulf that lies between them in class and ability. Not one of them except Karan KC were able to upset their momentum let alone picking up a wicket.
Fielding Performance
Team India has been lauded profusely for their impeccable fielding performances over the years. But the men in blue had an uncharacteristic off day in terms of catching. Iyer, keeper Kishan and even the great Virat Kohli missed were among the culprits. Captain Rohit Sharma redeemed some amount of pride with a brilliant reaction catch that dismissed Kushal Malla. From that point on, the Indian fielders performed accordingly.
The Nepali fielding was unable to do anything as the opening pair was in the mood for destruction. The Sharma-Gill pair didn’t give any chances to pounce upon and reached the target in double quick time.
Captaincy and Tactics
After seeing the opening bowlers failing, Rohit Sharma summoned Shardul Thakur to the attack. It proved a masterstroke as it opened the floodgates of wickets. The Indian skipper used his seam and spin options wisely to good effect.
His counterpart Rohit Paudel had little opportunity to show his acumen in terms of decision making. The dominating force of Indian batting dismantled any plans of the Nepali skipper.
Turning Point
The Nepali opening pair was demolishing the Indian quick bowlers after some early reprieves. Eventually Rohit Sharma turned to Shardul Thakur on the ninth over. The pacer from Maharashtra removed Bhurtel with a brilliant delivery. It came at the right time for the men in blue as the situation was slowly slipping out of their hands.
Match Result
India secured their spot in the last four of Asia Cup 2023 with a comprehensive win by 10 wickets (DLS method).
Match Highlight
Brief Scorecard
| Nepal: 230/10 (48.2 overs) | India: 147/0 (20.1 overs) |
| Aasif Sheikh 58 (97) | Rohit Sharma 74* (59) |
| Sompal Kami 48 (56) | Shubhman Gill 67* (62) |
| Ravindra Jadeja 3/40 | Gulshan Jha 0/11 |
| Mohammed Siraj 3/61 | Kushal Malla 0/11 |
Player of the Match
Indian superstar Rohit Sharma was awarded the best player of the match as his bombastic 74 erased any lingering doubts about the ability of the Indian batting lineup.
Match Wrap-Up
The match started off in an intriguing fashion but eventually there were no upsets in the cards. The Nepali batters seemed to have accumulated a fighting total under overcast conditions. But the Indians were eager to finish the game early and their opening pair finished the game with no harm done to the batting lineup. Nepal can take a lot of heart moving forward after their intrepid performances in the tournament. Team India would look to reassess and marshal their troops as they eye the most coveted trophy of the continent.
