Asia Cup, a perfect opportunity for Dhoni and boys to honour the Class of 1983

By John Cheeran
No Sachin Tendulkar, no Rahul Dravid, no Sourav Ganguly.
India is going into the Asia Cup in Pakistan without the batting trinity and it is no Twenty 20 championship that is being played in Karachi and Lahore.
This is the new India. Indian cricket has always been dominated by batsmen and with imminent eclipse of the batting trinity, those who are emerging on the horizon should consider themselves extremely lucky.
Well, Yuvraj Singh has been on the scene for a long time but even he has so far struggled to find a place in the Test XI.
Guys such as Rohit Sharma has a unique opportunity to stake his claims for a regular role in the one-day and Test side and for that he needs to come up with some sterling shows in the matches that matter. Read that as games against Pakistan. He should play innings that might pull of a tournament win.
The silver jubilee of India’s refulgent World Cup win in 1983 is being evoked at this juncture (India won the 1983 World Cup on June 25) and winning the Asia Cup would be the perfect way to honour the great feat pulled off by Kapil Dev and his pugnacious band of men.
Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni has great opportunity and shoulders great responsibility too.
Though he has not been properly anointed as the Test captain, the Indian cricket looks up to him for a sense of direction. M.S.Dhoni is the fresh air that Indian cricket needs now after the miasma of 2007 World Cup.
Luckily for him, seniors in the squad are trying to hang onto the bandwagon, so he should not fear anyone upstaging him, other than his own follies.
It is time for Dhoni to rally his men around, and go for the kill.
Yes, he is on the enemy territory. As Indian skipper Dhoni should know that a defeat in Pakistan matters more than a victory in Pakistan.