India vs Hong Kong, Asia Cup 2022: Match 4 Preview- Pitch Report, Live Streaming, Predicted Playing XI
India will face Hong Kong in Match 4 of the Asia Cup 2022 on August 31.
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Aug 30, 2022 5:00 pm
Indian Cricket Team-Hong Kong Cricket Team (Image source- Twitter)
India will lock horns with Hong Kong in Match 4 of the Asia Cup 2022 on August 31 (Wednesday) at the Dubai International Stadium. India is coming into the game after defeating Pakistan in a last-over thriller. The Men in Blue will look to carry on the good work against the Hong Kong side.
Hong Kong, on the other hand, is coming into the tournament high in spirits. They were unbeaten in the Asia Cup Qualifiers and would look to pose a tough challenge against the defending champions.
India
India had taken the tough call in the previous match of taking Dinesh Karthik over Rishabh Pant and shall give Karthik a longer run. In the bowling department, they went with three frontline pacers and it paid off, given the sticky nature of the surface. So, it’s highly likely they will stick to the same XI.
KL Rahul
KL Rahul has not looked in rhythm after his return from injury. In the last match, he got out on a golden duck. He has been a run machine in the T20 circuit pre-injury and will be key for India at the top of the order in this tournament. The Indian vice-captain would look to be back amongst the runs in the match against Hong Kong.
Suryakumar Yadav
Suryakumar Yadav has been the in-form batter for India in the last couple of months. With a strike rate of 172 in T20I, he has been the vital cog in the middle order. However, he was not able to get going in the previous match. The 360-degree player of India would like to give a solid performance in the coming match.
Avesh Khan
Avesh Khan has been given an opportunity to stake his claim for a spot at the upcoming World Cup 2022. But, the pacer has not been consistent in the recent T20Is. All eyes will be on Avesh as he is yet to produce a solid performance.
Hong Kong
Hong Kong has not tinkered with the composition in their previous two matches and it’s highly likely they will stick with the same XI that won them the Asia Cup Qualifiers.
Predicted Playing XI:
Yasim Murtaza, Nizakat Khan (c), Babar Hayat, Kinchit Shah, Aizaz Khan, Scott McKechnie (wk), Zeeshan Ali, Haroon Arshad, Ehsan Khan, Mohammad Ghazanfar, Ayush Shukla
Players to watch out for:
Yasim Murtaza
Yasim Murtaza has been a trump card for Hong Kong of late. The all-rounder has provided his team fast starts with the bat and delivered when asked for with the ball. He will be a vital cog in the Hong Kong campaign this tournament.
Babar Hayat
Babar Hayat has stitched a series of impactful knocks in the Asia Cup Qualifiers and played a crucial role in his team’s qualification. The 30-year-old would look to keep up his good form and shepherd his team to a decent total.
Ehsan Khan
Ehsan Khan has been the leading wicket-taker in the Asia Cup Qualifiers. The wily spinner has been economical and also amongst the wickets. He will be important for Hong Kong if they want to keep Indian batters silent.
India vs Hong Kong, Asia Cup 2022 Match Details
India vs Hong Kong
Date – 31st August 2022
Time – 7:30 PM IST
Venue – Dubai International Stadium, Dubai.
Broadcast and Live Streaming – Star Sports Network
Pitch Report
The pitch at Dubai is pretty even with a good amount of assistance for batters and bowlers. Batting has been not easy and pacers have come into play more often than not in the previous two encounters played here. Dew might come into the play and the teams winning the toss might be inclined to chase.
