2 mistakes and 1 masterstroke by India in their 2025 Asia Cup Super 4 match vs Bangladesh ft. Sanju Samson at No. 8

India entered the final of the 2025 Asia Cup with a decisive 41-run win over Bangladesh on Wednesday, September 24. A packed crowd at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium witnesed another clinical performance from the defending champions.

India, who are unbeaten so far in the tournament, will face off against either Pakistan or Bangladesh in the summit clash. Having beaten both teams already, the Men in Blue will be confident of going all the way.

It was a comprehensive win, but India weren't at their best from a tactical perspective as their insistence on experimentation continued. On that note, here are two mistakes and one masterstroke made by them in their Asia Cup 2025 Super 4 clash against Bangladesh.

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#3 Mistake - India's batting order defied all logic

India v Pakistan - Asia Cup - Source: Getty

Sanju Samson was demoted to No. 8 in India's batting order. While his recent form hasn't been too promising, it's hard to see what he's doing in the team if his primary skillsets are not going to be used.

Shivam Dube, whose spin-hitting has regressed dramatically in recent times, was sent in at No. 3 and failed to deliver. Axar Patel, batting at No. 7, was all at sea against the Bangladesh pacers, who managed to take pace off well on a tricky surface.

Either Samson or Suryakumar Yadav should've batted at No. 3, and Axar should've been used at No. 8 since he was never going to encounter spin. India's batting order defied all logic, and that might cost them against better oppositions.

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#2 Masterstroke - Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill didn't go in all guns blazing from the outset

India v Pakistan - Asia Cup - Source: Getty

Over the course of the 2025 Asia Cup, Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma have tried to make the most of the powerplay. And while they continued to do that against Bangladesh, their approach saw a few changes.

The match was played on a fresh wicket, as Abhishek mentioned at the post-match presentation. In the first three overs of their innings, India managed just 17 runs. Both Abhishek and Gill were slightly circumspect as they attempted to get used to the pace and bounce of the wicket.

With the Bangladesh bowlers getting a bit of purchase early on, India would've been in trouble had they gone hell for leather from the very first ball like they usually do. The opening duo showed a great deal of awareness in an underrated masterstroke that defined the progress of the contest.

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#1 Mistake - Suryakumar Yadav used 3 overs of Jasprit Bumrah in the powerplay once again

India v Pakistan - Asia Cup - Source: Getty

It's hard to understand why Suryakumar Yadav and the think tank are insistent on Jasprit Bumrah bowling three overs in the powerplay. That has been the trend in all the matches the spearhead has played so far in the 2025 Asia Cup.

Bangladesh were chasing under 170, and had they found some momentum through the middle overs, India wouldn't have had any fast-bowling resources left to pull the game back. If Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakaravarthy end up having a bad day, the Men in Blue could be in serious trouble.

Moreover, Bumrah himself needs some exposure to regular bowling at other stages of the innings, having been slightly off color lately. In the remaining two matches, Suryakumar and Co. need to ensure that they don't make the same mistake.