India came up with a dominant display to emerge champions in the Asia Cup. The thumping 10-wicket win over hosts Sri Lanka at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Sunday evening also ended the Men in Blue's five-year wait for a multi-nation title.
Rohit Sharma & Co couldn't have hoped for a better preparation for the upcoming World Cup as they ticked almost all the boxes. The comeback men K L Rahul and Jasprit Bumrah pulled their weight, while the top three of Rohit, Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli were among the runs. Ishan Kishan proved his value as a floater. Hardik Pandya had a good time both with the bat and ball. Pacer Mohammed Siraj, who wrecked Lanka in the final with career-best figures of 6/21, was at the top of his game, while left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav continued to bamboozle the rival batsmen.
India registered their biggest win over Pakistan - by 228 runs - and then scored a hard-fought 41-run win against Lanka to book their place in the final. The lone blip being the narrow loss to Bangladesh in an inconsequential tie when they rested as many as five first eleven players.
However, the Indians raised their level in the final. The game was as good as over once the Lankans lost half their side for 12 in the first four overs, with Siraj claiming four in an over.
There was no respite as the home side was bundled out for a paltry 50. The opening combination of Gill and Ishan knocked off the target in just 6.1 overs to complete a memorable triumph.
Despite the comprehensive win, the Indian think tank will be worried about the injuries to middle order batter Shreyas Iyer and spin-bowling all-rounder Axar Patel. Indian head coach Rahul Dravid admitted that injuries so close to the World Cup could really cost the team. Iyer is woefully short of match practice.
The three-match series against Australia, which begins at Mohali on Friday, is the lone assignment for India ahead of the World Cup.
India's struggles against spin bowlers on tracks which offer assistance to the tweakers were on view in the Super Four games against Lanka and Bangladesh. The batsmen need to mix caution with aggression on such wickets. But overall it was a highly satisfying tournament for the Indians and one can look forward to the World Cup with optimism.
