'Rohit, Kohli & Rahul didn't hit the ground running': Ex-Pakistan cricketer on India's Asia Cup debacle

Rohit Sharma-led India were favourites to win the Asia Cup, held in the UAE from August 27-September 11. Rohit & Co. topped their group and stormed into the Super Four. However, what followed was sheer disappointment from thereon. India lost their opening two fixtures in the Super Four round, losing to Pakistan and Sri Lanka respectively, to bow out of the multi-nation tournament without featuring in the final.

The summit clash was held between Pakistan and Sri Lanka which saw the Dasun Shanaka-led Islanders emerge on top by 23 runs, at the iconic Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai. Nonetheless, with India not even reaching the finale, it was a forgettable campaign for the Men in Blue. Recently, former Pakistan cricketer Bazid Khan shifted the blame on India's famed top three -- Rohit, vice-captain KL Rahul and Virat Kohli -- to not hit the ground running together from the first game itself; causing India's downfall in the continental tournament.

"India, I thought. I mean Kohli got a hundred in the last game although he was looking good throughout. But India also had the problem that their top-three weren't in form at the start of the tournament, but found form as the tournament progressed. So those three didn't hit the ground running which meant that they lost those games, and all were close matches. And they would look at and think that now with players like Bumrah coming in and working towards that T20 World Cup they are in a better space but I reckon that because a few of their batters weren't in top gear, that was a huge issue," Bazid told in an exclusive interaction with Hindustan Times.

While Kohli ended with 276 runs in the Asia Cup -- second-most overall -- Rahul managed only 132 runs at 122.22 whereas captain Rohit ended with 133 runs, including a 42-ball 71 versus Sri Lanka in the Super Four clash. Rahul managed only one half-century, in the inconsequential tie versus Afghanistan (scoring 62) whereas Hitman was also slow to get going. Kohli looked in good touch throughout -- barring the Sri Lanka encounter -- but his strike rate increased considerably in India's last game, versus the Afghans, where he slammed a breathtaking 61-ball 122 not out.

Further, Bazid lauded India's aggressive approach with the bat in the shortest format, ahead of next month's T20 World Cup in Australia. In this regard, he pointed out, "That's the way forward. I don't think there is merit in playing those 20 overs and being at 150 for 5. It's just that you have wasted your resources. India have done very well playing this brand of cricket and it has actually helped them become a more dangerous and evolved T20 side. Every team has attacking players in their line-up, look at Sri Lanka, in that final they had lost 5 wickets but they kept on attacking. Their thought process was if you bat out the overs, and get to 130, that is equivalent to getting bowled out for 110. So you might as well get to 170 or 180, rather than settle for 130. And things worked in their favour."