After a slightly nervy start against Hong Kong, the Indian team finally found its groove and they ticked almost all the boxes in the match against Pakistan and later against Bangladesh.
While the bowlers have been exemplary, the batsmen have looked at ease while chasing down totals. Hence, if the recent track record is anything to go by, India start as favourites against Pakistan, who were comprehensively beaten by India and then had to strain every muscle to carve a win against an inspired Afghanistan.
Rohit has been consistent in the Asia Cup so far
Indian captain Rohit Sharma has been consistent at the top of the order and has driven home the point that he is the best opener in world cricket at the moment. In the match against Pakistan, Rohit needs 94 runs to score 7000 ODI runs and he will join an elite list of batsmen who have done so.
In the current bunch of players, only Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni can boast of such records. If he gets to the record against Pakistan on Sunday, he will be the third-fastest Indian after Virat Kohli and Sourav Ganguly to breach the record. Kohli scored 7,000 runs in 161 innings, while former captain MS Dhoni did it in 189 innings.
It seems as if Rohit is enjoying the added responsibility as in the three matches so far, he has scored 158 runs at an average of 79, including two fifties in his last two matches.
This has drawn praise of former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar.
"The first time he led Mumbai Indians to an IPL win, that was his first season as a captain and he impressed straight away with his knowledge of what to do next more than what to plan," Gavaskar wrote in his column for the Times of India.
"Over here as well, every time he has got an opportunity to captain India, he has shown his acumen and he has shown how patient he can be and then as a batsman, the added responsibility, only makes him better," he further wrote.
