'It was a great wakeup call for them' - Shoaib Akhtar's take on Asia Cup 2023 final between India and Sri Lanka

India lost to Bangladesh in the last match of the Super 4 stage in the Asia Cup 2023. Though the result of the match was irrelevant in the standings and did not affect the finalists, it dented the confidence of the Indian team a bit. India could not chase 266 runs against Bangladesh and lost the match by just six runs. Bangladesh finished the tournament on a high.  

Ahead of the final between India and Sri Lanka, a lot of experts feel that the Indian team can face a tough challenge from the home side. Since the Indian team did not bat well in spin-friendly conditions, there are doubts over the performance of the batters in tricky conditions. The former Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Akhtar has the same doubts over the calibre of the Indian team.  

'India is still in the final. All is not lost for them' - Shoaib Akhtar

The former Pakistan pacer felt that India could face upsets like they did against Bangladesh. “We were not expecting that India would lose to a team like Bangladesh, but they did. It was an embarrassing defeat. Pakistan lost to Sri Lanka. They are out of the Asia Cup, which is an even bigger embarrassment. India is still in the final. All is not lost for them,” said Akhtar.  

The quickest bowler in the world felt that the loss against Bangladesh was a blessing in disguise for the Indian team. “It was a great wakeup call for them to come back harder and make sure they secure victory in the finals but that will only happen if they play really well. Ye khala ji ka ghar nahi hai jaha pe India jake araam se jeet legal,” added Akhtar.  

The former Pakistan pacer felt that Sri Lanka could give a tough challenge to the Indian team. “Nothing of that sort is going to happen. It's going to be a tough game. Sri Lanka is out there to beat India. And going into the World Cup, it could be anybody's game. India needs to wake up. They lost to Bangladesh," concluded Akhtar.