India keep faith in entropic middle order, but dropped catches will hurt

India booked their spot in the Asia Cup final, but did so while dropping five catches. The result was expected; the unforced errors were not.

This wasn't the kind of chaos they've been training for. All tournament, India have leaned into entropy. Batting positions have been shuffled, overs have been reallocated, players have been pushed into uncomfortable spots. The idea is clear: a World Cup is around the corner and they don't want to be caught off guard on a big night. Better to test everything now, even if it looks messy.

That is why Suryakumar Yadav was "happy to bat first" after losing the toss. They had done it against Oman, but this was Dubai, not Abu Dhabi, and against a much better opposition than Oman. Again the openers led the way, with Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma adding 77 for the first wicket in quick time. But when the first wicket went down, it wasn't Suryakumar Yadav or Sanju Samson, the two players who have batted at No.3 in this Asia Cup, walking out. It was Shivam Dube.

"Looking at their bowling lineup, they had a left-arm spinner and a leg spinner, I think Dube was perfect for that occasion in that 7-15 overs range," Suryakumar said after the match. "But it didn't work, that's how things go."

Dube, who has batted at five or six in this Asia Cup and even been in training for bowling the difficult death overs, was being used here as a spin-hitter, the role that he plays so efficiently for the Chennai Super Kings. Suryakumar, who has either batted at No. 3 in this Asia Cup or dropped himself down at No.11, slotted in at four. Hardik Pandya, at five, redeemed India's sluggish middle overs with a 29-ball 38. Tilak Varma and Axar Patel followed but both looked short of rhythm, a reminder of what India might be missing with someone like Jitesh Sharma, a proven finisher who has been warming the bench. Samson, the incumbent wicketkeeper who was deemed "the best man for No. 5 position" by Ryan ten Doeschate only hours ago, neither batted there nor batted at all.

But to be fair, it wasn't easy for anyone starting out. The new ball seamed and swung on a fresh pitch that was being used for the first time in this tournament. And the old ball didn't come on, with the sand-based heavy outfield not proving easy either. Boundaries dried up for both sides. India hit only 5 fours after the powerplay, one of them coming from a well-set Abhishek and the rest of them from Pandya. Bangladesh went the other way; 5 sixes after the field spread, but only one four.

In these conditions, high-risk shots in the middle overs were the only way forward against India's highly skilled spinners. Pakistan also found it tough in their last match, hitting 8 sixes once the field spread and only 2 fours.

With the ball too, India rotated their resources. Against Pakistan, Axar bowled one over while Dube completed his quota. Today, the roles reversed: Axar bowled his full spell while Dube was given only the 19th. The broader point was clear. India are rehearsing discomfort, ensuring they won't be surprised later.

But not every error is rehearsed. Catching, for instance.

In this Asia Cup, India have dropped 12 catches, the most by any team. Their catching efficiency of 67.5% is second-worst only to Hong Kong China. Four of the drops are off Varun Chakaravarthy's bowling.

Varun put it plainly: "This team has been picked for a mission till the World Cup which is coming on. So we have to pick up our fielding obviously and definitely the fielding coach will have lots to say. I feel last match he didn't say much but this match I think after today he'll have lots to say."

There are reasons. The "Ring of fire" floodlights in Dubai, the humidity that drags the ball down and makes it drop in front of you.

"As they say, you can't give excuses at this level. As a team we have to definitely start catching all those because we have qualified for the finals and we should be taking all those catches," Varun said. "But definitely if you ask me, the Ring of Fire is a little bit of a challenge. It comes in the eyesight sometimes and it's a little bit of disturbance and we have to get acclimatized to it."

Still, India's depth has covered the gaps. Their spinners again shut down Bangladesh's chase and the openers made sure India had a big headstart. Even with a middle order that continues to move around and misfire, the match was never really in doubt.

That is the story of their Asia Cup so far. The batting order has been a shuffle, the bowling changes constant. The chaos is by choice, a rehearsal for what may come in bigger games. Dropped catches, though, are something else. They are errors that serve no purpose. For now, India can afford them. But on a day when margins are tight and the opposition a bit more ruthless, those will hurt in a way their planned experiments never will.