Opinion: Why resting the openers against Afghanistan is a flawed strategy

As expected, India made some changes to their playing XI against Afghanistan from their previous match. It was thought that due to the intense heat and humidity, the pacers deservedly would be given rest while the same batsmen will play as the top order has been in excellent nick, and they would not want to lose the streak, before the all-important final, which could be against arch-rivals Pakistan.

But contrary to the fans' perceptions, not one, but both the openers have been rested. It could cause more harm than good to the team's chances of winning the Asia cup.

Now KL Rahul and Rayudu are going to open, while Manish Pandey will bat at 3. However, irrespective of how many runs KL Rahul or Pandey score, they are bound to sit out of the next game, and in case of Rayudu, he will be shunted to bat down the order.

So the question arises: was this needed in the first place?

The team management will say that this was done to give every player in the squad a chance to play. But mind you, this is not the last match of a dead series which India has already won.

Instead, this match is very crucial as it could have been a dress rehearsal for the upcoming most vital game of the tournament. What happens if the regular openers, Rohit and Dhawan get out cheaply in the final and India lose?

Though this could have happened even if they would have played this match; but by not playing them in this match, the team management has shown indecisiveness in their planning for the future and also given fresh salvo to the critics.

Dhawan had an awful tour of England, and this string of batting performances where he is hitting everything in the middle of the bat would have given him a lot of confidence. Similarly, Rohit is playing after almost more than 2 months, so it would have been logical for both of them also to play this match.

Unlike fast bowlers, the batsmen don't get that physically exerted and also, the final game is only 3 days after this match, so there was enough time to recuperate for the batsmen.

In International cricket, batsmen very seldom get in a space where they score consistently, and if you ask any batsman in the world, they would like to maximize that opportunity as it not only helps the individual batsman, but it also enables the team to do well.

India, in the wake of the upcoming World Cup, needs to finalise its batsmen who will play that tournament and also needs to give these batsmen a fixed batting order so as everyone knows their role before the mother of all competitions.

The consistently dominant teams of the past showed great consistency in choosing their players, even in the dead rubbers against weaker oppositions, and that was the hallmark of their success. By playing musical chairs with the batsmen in these matches, the team management is doing no good to either the individual batsmen or the team.

It's time the management makes some tough decisions.