Riding on composed knocks from Ravindra Jadeja (33) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (21) under pressure, India defeated Bangladesh in a nail biting encounter to clinch the Asia Cup title for the second time in the row. India's middle order which was under scrutiny for a quite some time delivered in style, taking India across the line on Friday at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. All the batsmen in the middle order chipped in with useful contributions helping India beat Bangladesh by 3 wickets. Chasing a relatively low target of 223, India lost Shikhar Dhawan (15) and Ambati Rayudu (2) in quick succession after a solid start. But Rohit Sharma (48) along with Dinesh Karthik (37) steadied the run chase for India in the middle overs. Post the departure for Rohit, Karthik built an important 54-run partnership with MS Dhoni. But Bangladesh bowlers dismissed Dhoni and Karthik at crucial intervals putting India right back under pressure. Ravindra Jadeja and Bhuvneshwar Kumar then stitched a brilliant 45-run partnership for the seventh wicket taking India close to the target. Kedar Jadhav, who went back to the dressing room after suffering an hamstring injury, returned in the second last over took India across the line on the final ball of the match. For Bangladesh, Mustafizur Rahman and Rubel Hossain chipped in with two wickets each while Nazmul Islam, Mashrafe Mortaza and Mahmudullah picked up a wicket apiece.
Indian skipper Rohit Sharma won the toss and elected to bowl against Bangladesh in the 2018 Asia Cup final in Dubai. Indian team is back to full strength. All five players who were rested in the last match against Afghanistan are back in the team. Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan are back in the opening slot for India. In the bowling department Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah have come in to replace Khaleel Ahmed and Deepak Chahar. Manish Pandey also misses out. Siddarth Kaul has been replaced by Yuzvendra Chahal. Injury-hit Bangladesh have opted to go in the match with five bowlers. They have one change in the team. Mominul misses out and left-arm spinner Nazmul Islam comes in his place.
Highlights Between India vs Bangladesh, Asia Cup Final straight from Dubai International Cricket Stadium
01:25 IST: Thank you for joining us on our live coverage for the 2018 Asia Cup final between India and Bangladesh.
India beat Bangladesh by 3 win to win the 2018 Asia Cup
01:23 IST: Kedar Jadhav does it for India on the final ball of the innings. Mahmudullah bowls on the pads and Jadhav takes an easy single down the leg side taking India across the line.
01:21 IST: Kuldeep Yadav takes a quick single. Match has tied. India require 1 run to win from 1 ball.
01:20 IST: Kuldeep Yadav hits Mahmudullah on the leg side to pick a couple of runs. India require 2 runs off 3 deliveries.
01:15 IST: Kedar Jadhav manages a couple of runs on the final ball of Mustafizur Rahman over. India require 6 runs from 6 deliveries. Mahmudullah will bowl the final over for Bangladesh.
01:10 IST: OUT! Bhuvneshwar Kumar (21) departs after edging the ball straight into the hands of wicket keeper Mushfiqur Rahim. Brilliant bowling from Mustafizur Rahman at the death. India require 9 runs off 11 balls.
01:09 IST: Terrific spell from Rubel Hossain comes to an end. He finishes with figures of 10-2-26-2. India require 9 off 12 balls.
01:04 IST: OUT! Review from Bangladesh! Original decision is not out. Replay clearly shows that took the outside edge off Ravindra Jadeja's bat. Rubel Hossain gets the crucial breakthrough. Jadeja walks back after scoring 33 runs. Injured Kedar Jadhav comes back at the centre.
01:02 IST: FOUR! Mustafizur Rahman drifts on to the pads and Bhuvneshwar Kumar flicks the ball fine on the leg side to collect a boundary. India now require 12 more runs from from 18 balls remaining.
00:54 IST: Six and 200 comes up for India! Colossal strike from Bhuvneshwar Kumar straight down the ground. Full length delivery from Rubel Hossain, Bhuvneshwar clears his front leg and clobbers the ball straight down the ground for a massive six. IND 203-5 after 45.3 overs.
00:41 IST: Excellent over from Rubel Hossain under pressure. Just one run from it. India require 36 runs more to with from 42 deliveries.
00:34 IST: FOUR! Terrific shot from Ravindra Jadeja. Nazmul Islam bowls it full and Jadeja hits the ball hard straight down the ground to collect a boundary. What a strike under pressure from Jadeja. IND 185-5 after 41.4 overs.
00:29 IST: Excellent running between the wickets from Ravindra Jadeja and Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Mehidy Hasan drifts on to the pads, Kumar sweeps the ball fine and the and collect three runs. Both batsmen are playing smart cricket at the moment. IND 178-5 after 41 overs.
00:26 IST: 40 overs are up and India have 172 runs on the board for the loss of 5 wickets. They require another 51 runs from 60 balls. Ravindra Jadeja (5) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (1) are at the centre for India.
00:17 IST: Bad news for India! Kedar Jadhav is leaving the ground with a problem in his hamstring. Bhuvneshwar Kumar has come in to replace him. This is horrible from the Indian perspective. IND 167-5 after 38 overs.
00:15 IST: FOUR! Mashrafe Mortaza drifts on to the pads. Ravindra Jadeja manages to get his bat on the ball and it races down to the fine leg boundary for four runs. IND 167-5 after 38 overs.
00:05 IST: OUT! Mustafizur Rahman gets the crucial breakthrough for Bangladesh. MS Dhoni goes for an uppish drives but only manages to edge the ball. Mushfiqur Rahim takes a good catch behind the stumps. Dhoni walks back after scoring 36 runs. IND 160-5 after 36.1 overs.
00:01 IST: FOUR! Kedar Jadhav sweeps and sweeps it fine for a four. Places the ball beautifully in the gap. Picks Nazmul Islam's delivery from outside off and places the ball to perfection. IND 158-4 after 35.2 overs.
23:49 IST: 150 comes up for India! MS Dhoni pushes the ball to long-on for a single and India reach the 150-run mark in 33.3 overs. They require another 73 runs from 99 balls with 7 wickets remaining.
23:44 IST: SIX! What a shot that was from Kedar Jadhav. Hits Mahmudullah straight down the ground to collect six runs. Charges down the track and smashes the ball straight over Mahmudullah's head. That will certainly release some pressure from both Jadhav and Dhoni. IND 145-4 after 32.2 overs.
23:42 IST: Maiden! Terrific over from Rubel Hossain comes to an end. Bangladesh trying to put on pressure on MS Dhoni and Kedar Jadhav with some tight overs here.
23:33 IST: OUT! Mahmudullah gets the crucial breakthrough for Bangladesh. Dinesh Karthik misses out on a full length delivery from Mahmudullah. Gets trapped right in front of the stumps. Karthik walks back after scoring 37 runs. IND 137-4 after 30.4 overs.
23:30 IST: Great comeback over from Rubel Hossain. Just one run from it. India 135-3 after 30 overs. They require another 88 runs from 120 balls with 7 wickets remaining.
23:27 IST: Bowling change for Bangladesh! Rubel Hossain comes in to replace Nazmul Islam.
23:24 IST: Four and 50-run partnership comes up between MS Dhoni and Dinesh Karthik. Mahmudullah bowls full on the leg side and Karthik sweeps it fine to pick up four runs. IND 134-3 after 28.3 overs.
23:22 IST: Another good over for India. Four singles from it. MS Dhoni and Dinesh Karthik are looking to rotate the strike at the moment. Both are using their feet against the brilliantly against the spinners. IND 129-3 after 28 overs.
23:12 IST: FOUR! Great use of the feet from MS Dhoni. Reaches to the pitch of the ball and punches Nazmul Islam through the vacant mid-wicket region to collect four runs. IND 117-3 after 25.2 overs.
23:03 IST: Four and 100 comes up for India! MS Dhoni clobbers the ball through the extra cover and India reach the three figure mark in 23.1 overs. India require another 120 runs from 161 balls with seven wickets remaining. IND 103-3 after 23.1 overs.
22:52 IST: SIX! Short ball from Nazmul Islam. Dinesh Karthik rocks on to the back-foot and smashes the ball over deep mid wicket to collect six runs. What a timely strike this is from Karthik. IND 97-3 after 20.4 overs.
22:51 IST: Bowling change for Bangladesh! Nazmul Islam comes back to replace Rubel Hossain.
22:49 IST: 20 overs are up and India have 90 runs on the board for the loss of three wickets. MS Dhoni (3) and Dinesh Karthik (19) are at the centre looking to build a partnership. India require another 133 runs from 180 balls with 7 wickets remaining.
22:44 IST: Another tight over from Rubel Hossain comes to an end. Just 3 runs from it. This has been an excellent spell from Rubel. He has given away only 13 runs from five overs so far and has picked up the crucial wicket of Rohit Sharma. IND 88-3 after 19 overs.
22:31 IST: OUT! What a wicket this for Bangladesh. Dangerous Rohit Sharma is out after scoring 48 runs. Rubel Hossain digs the ball in short and Rohit goes for the pull. Fails to time the ball. Nazmul Islam takes a good catch in the deep. IND 83-3 after 16.4 overs.
22:23 IST: Big mix up between Rohit Sharma and Dinesh Karthik. Rohit initially calls for a run after striking the ball but then suddenly changes his decision after seeing Liton Das charge. Karthik is caught in no man's land. Fielding lapse eventually helps Karthik survive. IND 79-2 after 15 overs.
22:18 IST: SIX! Rubel Hossain bowls it short. Rohit Sharma goes after it. Ball finds the top edge and sails over fine leg boundary for a six. IND 79-2 after 14.1 overs.
22:12 IST: Both Indian batsmen are looking to rotate the strike at the moment. Four-run over from Rubel Hossain comes to an end. Rohit Sharma is batting on 39 alongside Dinesh Karthik on 9 runs. IND 67-2 after 13 overs.
22:07 IST: Third over from Mashrafe Mortaza comes to an end. Five runs from it. IND 63-2 after 12 overs.
21:56 IST: FOUR! Rohit Sharma is batting beautifully at the moment. What a strike that was from the Indian skipper. Elegant! Stands tall and punches the ball in the gap on the off-side to collect four runs. IND 56-2 after 9.2 overs.
21:54 IST: 50 up for India! Rohit Sharma pushes the ball to long-off to take a single and 50 comes up for India in 8.3 overs. Rohit is batting on 30 alongside Dinesh Karthik on 2 runs.
21:47 IST: OUT! Mashrafe Mortaza strikes in his first over. Ambati Rayudu plays down the wrong line. The ball from Mortaza just moves away after pitching. Takes the outside edge of Rayudu's bat. Mushfiqur Rahim takes a simple catch behind the stumps. Rayudu walks back after scoring 2 runs. IND 46-2 after 7.3 overs.
21:42 IST: SIX! What a strike that was from Rohit Sharma. Short ball from Mustafizur Rahman and Rohit pulls the ball superbly to collect six runs. Brilliant transfer of weight from Rohit on that shot. Times the ball to perfection. IND 43-1 after 6 overs.
21:35 IST: OUT! Nazmul Islam strikes for Bangladesh. Shikhar Dhawan departs after scoring 15 runs. Dhawan tries to go over the in-field but miss-times the ball. Soumya Sarkar takes a simple catch at long off. IND 35-1 after 4.4 overs.
21:33 IST: SIX! First one for India and Rohit Sharma in the run chase. Short ball from Mehidy Hasan and Rohit clubs it over long on for six runs. IND 30-0 after 4.1 overs.
21:30 IST: FOUR! Cracking shot from Shikhar Dhawan. Half volley from Mustafizur Rahman and Dhawan pounces on to it in style. Finds the gap beautifully on the off side. The ball races to the fence. IND 24-0 after 3.4 overs.
21:25 IST: FOUR! Half tracker from Mehidy Hasan and Rohit Sharma puts the ball in the gap beautifully. Rocks back and pulls Hasan to the right of square-leg to collect his second boundary. IND 16-0 after 2.3 overs.
21:23 IST: Tidy start from Mustafizur Rahman at the other end. Just two runs from his first over. IND 12-0 after 2 overs.
21:17 IST: Expensive first over from Mehidy Hasan comes to an end. 10 runs from it. Mustafizur Rahman will share the new ball with Hasan from the other end. IND 10-0 after 1 over.
21:16 IST: FOUR! Rohit Sharma gets his first boundary of the match. Mehidy Hasan drifts on to the pads and Rohit times the ball beautifully. Hits the ball to square leg to collect four runs. IND 10-0 after 0.4 overs.
21:14 IST: FOUR! First boundary for Shikhar Dhawan and India. Short of length delivery from Hasan and Dhawan times it to perfection. Pierces the gap on the off side to perfection. IND 5-0 after 0.2 overs.
21:10 IST: Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan are out in the middle to start the run chase for India. Mehidy Hasan will start the proceedings for Bangladesh.
Innings break - Bangladesh 222 all-out in 48.3 overs.
20:27 IST: OUT! And its all over for Bangladesh! Jasprit Bumrah knocks over Rubel Hossain with a brilliant yorker. Bangladesh are all-out for 222 runs.
20:13 IST: Run Out! Another one bites the dust for Bangladesh. Brilliant throw from Ambati Rayudu from long-on and Dhoni does the rest. Soumya Sarkar departs after scoring 33 runs.
20:14 IST: Run Out! Nazmul Islam goes for a crazy single. Soumya Sarkar sends him back but there was no way Islam would have made it. Substitute fielder Manish Pandey runs towards the stumps and dislodges the bails with ease. BAN 212-8 after 46.4 overs
20:10 IST: Sixth over from Bhuvneshwar Kumar comes to an end. Eight runs from it. With just 24 balls more to go how many runs can Bangladesh can add to their total? BAN 210-7 after 46 overs
20:01 IST: 200 up for Bangladesh! Soumya Sarkar hits Jasprit Jumrah to point region, picks up a single and Bangladesh reach 200-run mark in 44.1 overs.
19:54 IST: OUT! Kuldeep Yadav strikes! Yet again deceives the batsman in the air. Mashrafe Mortaza goes for hoick on the leg side. Misses the googly from Kuldeep. Dhoni does the rest behind the stumps. Bangladesh skipper departs after scoring 7 runs. BAN 196-7 after 42.5 overs
19:52 IST: SIX! Mashrafe Mortaza slams Kuldeep Yadav out of the park. Goes for the hoick on the leg side and connects beautifully. Deposits the ball over the deep mid-wicket fence.
19:43 IST: OUT! Kuldeep Yadav gets his second wicket of the match. Deceives Liton Das in the air. The ball straightens after pitching. Beats the outside edge of Das' bat. Dhoni takes the bails off in a flash. Brilliant knock from Das finally comes to an end. He walks back after scoring 121 runs. BAN 188-6 after 41 overs
19:36 IST: SIX! Colossal strike from Soumya Sarkar. First boundary for Bangladesh after 64 deliveries. Sarkar takes a couple of steps down the ground and hits Kedar Jadhav over mid-wicket to collect six runs. That will certainly ease off some pressure for Bangladesh. BAN 174-5 after 39.1 overs
19:29 IST: Tight over from Jasprit Bumrah comes to an end. Just two runs from it. BAN 165-5 after 37 overs
19:26 IST: Bowling change for India. Jasprit Bumrah comes in to replace Kuldeep Yadav.
19:23 IST: Missed opportunity! Bangladesh could have been six down. Brilliant throw from Kuldeep Yadav at point but MS Dhoni fails to collect the ball. A rare sight! Dislodges the bail with his hands. Soumya Sarkar survives. BAN 160-5 after 35.3 overs
19:15 IST: Sixth over from Kedar Jadhav comes to an end. Five runs including a wide from it. BAN 157-5 after 34 overs
19:13 IST: Bowling change for India! Kedar Jadhav comes back to replace Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
19:07 IST: OUT! Kuldeep Yadav gets his first wicket of the match. Mahmudullah goes for the big hit on the leg side. Fails to connect the ball properly. Jasprit Bumrah takes a brilliant catch in the deep. BAN 151-5 after 32.2 overs
19:04 IST: 150 comes up for Bangladesh! Liton Das guides the ball to the third man for a single and Bangladesh reach 150-run mark in 31.3 overs. Liton Das is batting on 102 runs alongside Mahmudullah on 3 runs.
19:02 IST: Bowling change for India! Bhuvneshwar Kumar comes in to replace Ravindra Jadeja.
18:54 IST: 100 up for Liton Das! What an occasion to get to his maiden hundred in ODI cricket. Terrific knock under pressure from the 23-year-old. Takes 87 deliveries to get to his century. BAN 145-4 after 28.4 overs
18:50 IST: Run Out! What an effort this is from Ravindra Jadeja. Full stretch dive to his left, picks the ball and releases it quickly. Chahal at the bowling end does the rest. Mohammad Mithun walks back after scoring 2 runs. Bangladesh are 4 down now.
18:44 IST: OUT! Kedar Jadhav gets his second wicket. Trying to go over the in-field, Mushfiqur Rahim times the ball too well. Hits it straight into the hands of Jasprit Bumrah at deep. Rahim walks back after scoring 5 runs. BAN 137-3 after 26.5 overs
18:40 IST: FOUR! Boundary to end the over from Kedar Kadhav. Mushfiqur Rahim hits the short ball from Jadhav through covers to collect his first boundary of the match. BAN 133-2 after 25 overs
18:33 IST: OUT! Review from Imrul Kayes! Original decision is out from the umpire. And the decision stays. Ball tracking confirms that the ball was hitting the stumps. The ball struck the back leg of Kayes and was hitting the top of the off-stump. Yuzvendra Chahal strikes. BAN 128-2 after 23.5 overs
18:30 IST: Tight over from Kedar Jadhav comes to an end. Just four runs from it. BAN 128-1 after 23 overs.
18:22 IST: OUT! Kedar Jadhav strikes in his first over. Gets the crucial breakthrough for India. Mehidy Hasan walks back after scoring 32 runs. Hands a simple catch to Ambati Rayudu at covers. Massive 120-run opening stand between Hasan and Liton Das comes to an end. BAN 120-1 after 20.5 overs
18:18 IST: 20 overs are up and Bangladesh are on top. Liton Das (85) and Mehidy Hasan (29) are batting beautifully at the moment. Both have looked solid right from the start. They are scoring at a brisk pace as well. Current run rate for Bangladesh is 5.8 RPO. BAN 116-0 after 20 overs.
18:16 IST: FOUR! Liton Das is looking unstoppable at the moment. Sweeps Ravindra Jadeja for the second time in the over to collect yet another boundary. BAN 116-0 after 19.4 overs.
18:09 IST: 100 up for Bangladesh in 17.5 overs! Liton Das guides Ravindra Jadeja's arm ball to the third man region to collect a boundary. 100-run partnership also comes up between Liton Das (73) and Mehidy Hasan (27). What a terrific start this has been for Bangladesh. India still searching for their first wicket. BAN 102-0 after 17.5 overs.
18:00 IST: FOUR! Short ball from Ravindra jadeja. Liton Das rocks on to the back-foot and hits the ball in the vacant deep mid-wicket region to collect a boundary. Liton is timing the ball superbly at the moment. BAN 90-0 after 15.3 overs.
17:56 IST: FOUR! Tossed up delivery outside off from Kuldeep Yadav and Mehidy Hasan hammers the ball through covers to collect his third boundary of the match. BAN 84-0 after 14.2 overs.
17:48 IST: Dropped! Yuzverdra Chahal drops dangerous Liton Das on 52. Liton goes against the spin from Ravindra Jadeja and skies the ball. Chahal running back, misjudges the ball and drops a simple catch at mid-wicket. BAN 72-0 after 11.3 overs.
17:47 IST: Four and 50 for Liton Das! First one in ODI cricket for Das. Just 33 deliveries for his 52 runs. What a knock this has been from the youngster. Bangladesh are off to a terrific start.
17:46 IST: Tidy start from Kuldeep Yadav. Just one run from his first over. BAN 66-0 after 11 overs.
17:43 IST: Bowling change for India! Kuldeep Yadav comes in to replace Jasprit Bumrah.
17:43 IST: 10 over are up and Bangladesh are off to a flying start against India in the Asia Cup final. They have 65 runs on the board without any loss. Both Liton Das (47) and Mehidy Hasan (16) have provided Bangladesh with a terrific start.
17:33 IST: SIX! What a way to end the over. Bangladesh are off to a flying start against India in the finals Liton Das, this time hits Chahal over deep mid wicket to collect six runs. Das is on fire. He has now moved onto 41 runs off just 26 deliveries. BAN 58-0 after 8 overs.
17:31 IST: SIX! First of the match for Bangladesh. Yuzvendra Chahal drifts on to the pads and Liton Das sweeps him over deep square leg smashing the first six of the match. Liton is timing the ball beautifully at the moment. BAN 48-0 after 7.2 overs.
17:28 IST: FOUR! Liton Das is on fire. Charges down the track and hits Jasprit Bumrah over mid-wicket fielder to collect his fourth boundary of the match. Brilliant start from Bangladesh. BAN 41-0 after 6.5 overs.
17:25 IST: Tight start from Yuzvendra Chahal. Just three runs from his first over. Jasprit Bumrah will continue from the other end. BAN 36-0 after 6 overs.
17:23 IST: Bowling change for India! Yuzvendra Chahal comes in to replace Jasprit Bumrah.
17:21 IST: FOUR! FOUR! Back to back boundaries for Bangladesh. Liton Das is timing the ball beautifully at the moment. Collects a couple of boundaries against Bhuvneshwar Kumar. BAN 33-0 after 4.5 overs.
17:17 IST: FOUR! Boundary to finish the second over from Jasprit Bumrah. Wide delivery form Bumrah and Mehidy Hasan punches the ball through covers to collect his second boundary of the match. Expensive over from Bumrah. 12 runs from it. BAN 25-0 after 4 overs.
17:14 IST: FOUR! Liton das is looking for some quick runs here. Takes a couple of steps and then hits Jasprit Bumrah to square leg to collect a boundary. BAN 17-0 after 3.1 overs.
17:12 IST: Second over from Bhuvneshwar Kumar comes to an end. Five runs from it. BAN 13-0 after 3 overs.
17:08 IST: FOUR! First boundary of the match for Bangladesh. Mehidy Hasan edges a wide ball from Bumrah. The ball goes between the two slip fielders and runs away to the fence. BAN 8-0 after 1.4 overs.
17:05 IST: First over from Bhuvneshwar Kumar comes to an end. Three runs from it. Jasprit Bumrah will share the new ball with Bhuvneshwar from the other end.
17:02 IST: That was close! Brilliant effort from Dinesh Karthik at wide second slip. That could have been the first wicket for India. Liton Das puts his bat out on a widish delivery from Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Karthik puts the dive in but the ball goes past him to the third man. BAN 2-0 after 0.3 overs.
16:58 IST: Openers Liton Das and Mehidy Hasan are at the centre to start the proceedings for Bangladesh. Bhuvneshwar Kumar will bowl the first over for India.
16:54 IST: Both teams are at the centre along with the match officials for the national anthems. We are just minutes away from the start.
16:35 IST: Playing XI for both the teams.
India - Rohit Sharma(c), Shikhar Dhawan, Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni(w), Dinesh Karthik, Kedar Jadhav, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah
Bangladesh - Liton Das(w), Soumya Sarkar, Mohammad Mithun, Mushfiqur Rahim, Imrul Kayes, Mahmudullah, Mehidy Hasan, Mashrafe Mortaza(c), Nazmul Islam, Rubel Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman
16:30 IST: Indian skipper Rohit Sharma wins the toss and elects to bowl against Bangladesh.
India have a 10-1 head to head advantage over Bangladesh in the Asia Cup.
Shikhar Dhawan is currently the top scorer in the tournament with 327 runs in 4 matches including two hundreds. Bangladesh's Mushfiqur Rahim follows him in the second place with 297 runs.
16:15 IST: Both teams are at the centre, warming up ahead of the crucial encounter. We are 15 minutes away from the toss.
16:05 IST: A few moments back team India departed for the grand finale against Bangladesh.
16:00 IST: Hello and welcome to the live updates of the 2018 Asia Cup final between India and Bangladesh.
Team India will be aiming to reassert their continental supremacy when they take on injury-hit Bangladesh in the summit clash of the Asia Cup 2018 in Dubai. A passionate Bangladesh wrecked the prospects of an India-Pakistan summit clash with a gutsy performance on Wednesday despite losing key players to injury. On paper, India will remain overwhelming favourites to win the tournament for a record seventh time while Bangladesh will be hoping to be third-time lucky in a grand finale. The Indo-Bangla cricketing rivalry has grown in intensity over the years, but Bangladesh's injury woes might play a dampener heading into the final.
For India, it will be a different kind of test though. A victory in the Asia Cup without regular skipper and best batsman Virat Kohli will be a big statement going into next year's World Cup. Not to forget, the Asia Cup trophy will be a healing touch after 1-4 Test series defeat in England. After resting five regulars during a wake-up call from Afghanistan in their tied Super Four encounter, the order is expected to be restored in the summit clash. The explosive opening pair of stand-in skipper Rohit Sharma and his deputy Shikhar Dhawan will be back at the top of the order while Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Yuzvendra Chahal will bolster the bowling.
A lot will depend on the start provided by Rohit (269 runs) and Shikhar (327 runs) as the middle order has looked shaky at times. Dhoni's struggle is the biggest worry as a total of 240 plus could prove to be challenging on a slow track if the team bats second. The Bangladesh bowling attack is one of the most potent in 50 over cricket with Mustafizur Rahaman, Rubel Hossain, and Mashrafe Mortaza ready to test batting line-ups. Mustafizur has a lot of tricks up his sleeve while Mashrafe's experience comes in handy. However, not having Shakib in the line-up could prove to be a major setback for the side.