Manjrekar picks Pakistan over India in Asia Cup

In a comment that may raise a few eyebrows, former India top-order batsman Sanjay Manjrekar picked Pakistan as the favourites to lift the Asia Cup over India. Manjrekar kept Pakistan ahead only because of their familiarity with the conditions in UAE.

In a comment that may raise a few eyebrows, former India top-order batsman Sanjay Manjrekar picked Pakistan as the favourites to lift the Asia Cup over India. Manjrekar kept Pakistan ahead only because of their familiarity with the conditions in UAE.

The Asian giants did prove their might in their opening encounter mauling Qualifier Hong Kong by 8 wickets in their opening match, warming up nicely for the much-awaited clash against India on September 19.

"I think Pakistan start as favourites more than India because they have been playing in those conditions (in the UAE) for a while now and it's a team which is on the surge.

India, who are without the services of their regular captain Virat Kohli as he opted to rest, will start their campaign against Hong Kong on Tuesday.

“India, of course, are resting Virat (Kohli), which takes a lot of strength away from the team," Manjrekar, an ESPNcricinfo expert, told PTI here.

He was quizzed whether, in the absence of Kohli, India were the favourites going into the tournament.

“India are obviously one of the contenders, but when you look at favouritism, (question arises) which team can be rated as the strongest.

"It's Pakistan because of where it (the tournament) is being played," explained Manjrekar.

According to Manjrekar, who donned the national colour in 37 Tests and 74 One Day Internationals, the wrist spin duo of Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav has made the Indian team more balanced.

“India is a very good 50 overs outfit. India in the Test matches struggled a bit overseas, but if you look at their 50-over record, it's very good in all conditions.

"Earlier, India had batting strength but the bowling did not quite measure up.

Now they also have game changers in the middle, so the team wins more matches than it used to because of Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav in the middle. It's a more balanced 50 overs team in a long, long time," said Manjrekar.

India are trying to settle their middle order woes and Manjrekar insisted that Mumbai batsman Shreyas Iyer should get a look-in ahead of the next year's ICC World Cup in England.

"At the moment Ambati Rayadu, Dinesh Karthik and Manish Pandey are in the fray. Kedar Jadhav is also there, but I would like to see Shreyas Iyer get a look-in before the World Cup. K L Rahul will get (to bat at) number three because Virat is not there," he said.

"We will have a look at him (Rahul) and he is also another middle order option for India. So it is very important (to settle middle order woes).