Chance to impress for Hong Kong against heavyweights India

Overview

**Hong Kong v India**Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai
Asia Cup, Group A
Tuesday, 18 September, 15:30 Local, 11.30 GMT

Hong Kong came into the Asia Cup main draw after coming through the qualifiers with flying colours. They were expected to have it tough against Pakistan and India in the group stage, and the first test didn't go too well – they were beaten comprehensively by Pakistan in their tournament opener, who first bowled Hong Kong out for 116 and then chased down the target quite comfortably with eight wickets in hand.

Only four Hong Kong batsmen got into double figures and Pakistan overhauled Hong Kong's total in just 23.4 overs. But if that was tough, what awaits them in their next match is no sweeter, even if it comes against an Indian side sans Virat Kohli. The second-ranked side on MRF Tyres ICC ODI Team Rankings will be tough to beat.

For Hong Kong, a lot depended on their captain Anshuman Rath, his opening partner Nizakat Khan, and senior pro Babar Hayat. But some disciplined bowling by Pakistan and lack of experience among the Hong Kong batsmen made it a one-sided contest. Rath and Khan scored 19 and 13, respectively, while Hayat managed just seven.

Kinchit Shah (26) and Aizaz Khan (27), meanwhile, were the best for Hong Kong. There were other lapses too: Nizakat did not ground his bat while completing a run and was sent back by a direct hit, while three of Hong Kong's bowlers conceded in excess of five runs per over while defending just 117.

For them, the best bet will be to forget the bad day in the field and come out fresh against Rohit Sharma and his men, who will be playing their first game of the tournament with some of them having just arrived in the UAE. Indeed, the best part for Hong Kong is that they have absolutely nothing to lose and a lot to gain.

Under Sharma, India have the opportunity to try out different players in the middle order, most importantly the No.4 spot that has become a game of musical chairs of late.

After Suresh Raina's disappointing show in England, Ambati Rayudu, who was originally in the squad for England before failing a fitness test, is back and is one of the contenders to take Raina's place.

Another contender is Manish Pandey, who made a case for the ODI side after racking up 306 runs in his last four innings, and so is Dinesh Karthik, who must want to put his disappointments in England behind him. With Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan likely starters at the top, KL Rahul is expected to occupy the No.3 slot in the absence of Kohli.

MS Dhoni, Kedar Jadhav and Hardik Pandya should start in the middle order, with Jadhav likely to be slotted at No.6, and be a bit of an all-rounder with his right-arm off-spin, which has proved to be crucial for India in the past.

"It is not settled, we all know about it, because there's been a lot of guys who have played at that position," said Sharma of India's headache for the No.4 spot.

"Going forward we want everything to be settled, but it gives an opportunity to the guys to come and play the cricket they like to play and seal the spot. Nos.3 [for this tournament], 4, 6 are all up for grabs. All these guys are eyeing that.

"Obviously, we want to give as many chances as possible to the guys to make sure the No.4 and 6 spot is sealed. As a team we're very much looking forward to that."

India may look to try out Shardul Thakur and Khaleel Ahmed on the fast-bowling front in this game in order to test their bench for sterner challenges that may come later on in the tournament. Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal are the obvious choices to start as India's frontline spinners.

Key players

Anshuman Rath (Hong Kong): The 20-year-old Rath averages 50.33 in ODI cricket, which shows his prowess. Although he was troubled by the Pakistani left-arm fast bowlers in the first match, he will look to start anew against India, who have only one left-arm seamer in their midst. The Hong Kong captain will look to give his team a good start and lay a platform for the middle order to capitalise on.

Rohit Sharma (India): The stand-in India captain has already declared that the Asia Cup is an important tournament for him personally, and in the absence of Kohli, a lot will rest on how the two most experienced batsmen, Sharma and Dhawan, go about their business. Sharma could aim to hit some form in the tournament opener ahead of the big-ticket clash against Pakistan on Wednesday.

Conditions

It is expected to hot and humid in Dubai, as usual, with the pitch assisting the batsmen, as has been the case in the two games that have been played there so far. The spinners will also play a key role throughout the game.

Squads

Hong Kong: Anshuman Rath (c), Aizaz Khan, Arshad Mohammad, Babar Hayat, Christopher Carter, Ehsan Khan, Ehsan nawaz, Cameron McAuslan, Scott McKechnie, Nadeem Ahmed, Nizakat Khan, Kinchit Shah, Jhatavedh Subramanyan, Tanwir Afzal, Waqas Khan

India: Rohit Sharma (c), Shikhar Dhawan, Khaleel Ahmed, Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal, MS Dhoni, Kedar Jadhav, Dinesh Karthik, Kuldeep Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Manish Pandey, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, KL Rahul, Ambati Rayudu, Shardul Thakur