India's second defeat in three days in the Super Four stages did not rule them out of the Asian Cup, but made them precariously dependent on the outcome of the game in which they did not participate. Needless to say, they have to beat Afghanistan on Thursday and make the most of the difference.

However, the outcome of that match could be of very academic interest in terms of qualifying for Sunday's final, as India may be off balance before they even enter the field. This is because Pakistan will play Afghanistan in Sharjah on Wednesday, and a win for Babar Azam's side would put India out of reach. For this reason, Rohit Sharma & Co. Dalits support in this competition.

With Sri Lanka already having two Super Four wins, it would confirm the title fight between Pakistan and Lanka. Even if Afghanistan manages to beat Pakistan and then lose to India, India will continue to count on Sri Lanka to beat Pakistan on Friday.

When Indian captain Rohit Sharma was asked about the possibility of the India-Pakistan final, "hoga hoga kyun tension le rahe ho (could happen, why get nervous?"

This would determine the position of the lanes in the Finals with three straight wins and the other three teams with one win each, with net run rate as the determining criterion. The only thing that could stand India in good stead is that their two losses came in the penultimate balls of games, and a big win over Afghanistan could still bring them back into the equation if other outcomes get in the way.