1 day ago
Manjrekar Says Spin Could Decide India-Pakistan Asian Games Final
India and Pakistan are set to play each other in the Asian Games cricket final.
Sanjay Manjrekar thinks spin bowling could be the biggest challenge.
The pitch in Japan may make the ball turn or bounce unevenly.
That could make it harder for batters to hit the ball.
Manjrekar says both teams will need to attack spin well.
He believes Ishan Kishan is in excellent form and could help India.
India is likely to keep batting aggressively rather than waiting cautiously.
Its deep batting lineup means the team can take some risks, though batters may still lose their wickets.
Sanjay Manjrekar expects the Asian Games final to be decided by how well India and Pakistan attack spin.
The unpredictable surface at Japan’s Korogi Sports Park is expected to offer turn and uneven bounce.
Pakistan relied heavily on spin against Bangladesh, using only three overs of seam bowling.
Manjrekar said Ishan Kishan’s recent form and ability against spin could benefit India.
He expects India to keep its aggressive T20 batting approach, supported by depth in the batting lineup.
- Who
- India and Pakistan, with former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar commenting on the matchup.
- What
- The Asian Games men’s cricket final could be decided by how well the teams handle and attack spin.
- Where
- Korogi Sports Park, Japan.
- When
- The final is scheduled for the Asian Games 2026; the article gives no specific date.
- Why
- The surface is expected to offer turn and uneven bounce, making batting against spin challenging.
Key facts
- Match
- India vs Pakistan men’s cricket final at the Asian Games 2026
- Venue
- Korogi Sports Park, Japan
- Key factor
- How effectively each side attacks spin
- Pakistan bowling
- Pakistan used only three overs of seam against Bangladesh, with spinners bowling the rest.
- India batting approach
- Manjrekar expects India to retain its aggressive T20 template.
- Player highlighted
- Manjrekar described Ishan Kishan as being in outstanding form and well suited to the conditions.
Quotes
Sanjay Manjrekar
Former India batsman commenting on the Asian Games final.
“I don’t think they are going to dump their aggressive approach and play the wait-and-watch, which is the old classical way of doing things because of a tricky pitch.”
indianexpress.com
“It is going to be a battle of spin”
indianexpress.com







