India will take on Lebanon for the Pride at FIBA Asia Cup 2022

The Young Cagers have lost their first two matches at the tournament.

Things are not at all looking good for India at the FIBA Asia Cup. After their early defeat at the hands of New Zealand India again lost out to the Philippines. The loss meant India are now pushed to the bottom of the table. Not just the loss but it is also the manner in which they lost that is concerning.

The Indian team lost both their games by a huge margin. A situation that has put India in a predicament. The Young Cagers have conceded a total of 201 goals. This has made India the only team in the group to have a negative point differential. So things are pretty grim as they stand. Even more so as the team in front of them is undefeated Lebanon. The Lebanese have won both their games in the tournament against the Philippines and New Zealand. Now they are looking to win their final match of the group stage. On the contrary, India is playing for their honour.

So ahead of their clash here's a look at both teams and how they stand:

About the Teams

India

After losing out against New Zealand in their opening game India faced off against the Philippines. India started the game in a decent manner in the first quarter and kept it somewhat respectable in the second quarter as well. However, in the third quarter Philippines nearly doubled their lead on the Cagers. The fourth quarter was somewhat the closest of the games played.

The match was already over by the time the final whistle sounded. India had no chance of getting back in the game from that situation. The match ended with a 101-59 scoreline (20-13, 31-20, 31-10, 19-16). Despite that, there were quite a few individual performances that were worth mentioning. Muik Bek Hafeez and Prashant Singh Rawat played their hearts out in the game.

Lebanon

Lebanon has been the real wildcard in Group D so far. The team ranked much lower than New Zealand and the Philippines has triumphed over them in sublime fashion. That too in very tough games. In the first game, they outclassed the Philippines 95-80. Followed by their victory over the Tall Blacks 86-72.

Ironically in both these games, Lebanon lost their first quarters. This shows the West Asian team's strong grit and resilience. The ability to bounce back from tough situations that makes them even more dangerous. The Cedars look like a team to beat in the tournament and the Indians should be wary of that.

Squads

India

Muin Bek Hafeez, Aravind Kumar M Krishnan, Sahaij P Singh, Amarendra Nayak, Vivek V Goti, Kushal Singh, Pranav Prince, Prashant Rawat, Pratyanshu Tomar, Aryan, Amritpal Singh

Lebanon

Elie Chamoun, Karim Zeinoun, Sergio EL Darwich, Ali Mansour, Ali Haidar, Karim Raphael Ezzedine, Wael Arakji, Jonathan Arledge, Yousef Khayat, Hayk Gyokchyan, Ali Mezher, Gerard Hadidian

Players to Watch out for

Muin Bek Hafeez (India)

Muin Bek Hafeez was instrumental in India's last game against the Philippines. The point guard scored 14 points for the team and also made 3 crucial assists.

He was precise with his shooting from close range and also on target with the three pointers. Hafeez kept up with the pace of the game and showed no signs of slowing down. Passing and moving the ball quite actively on court. He will surely be a handful for the opposition. His link up play with the likes of Prashant Rawat and Pranav Prince showcased some brilliant gameplay in their match against the Gilas Pilipinas.

Wael Arakji ( Lebanon)

From one point guard to another. Wael Arakji has been brilliant for Lebanon in this tournament so far. The Beirut Club player was brilliant against Philippines. He even bettered himself against New Zealand.

From 20 points and 4 assists in the first game to 25 points and 7 assists in the second. The 6ft 4 inch tall player has single handedly helped his country reach the top of the table. His dribbling and penetration in the box has proved to be decisive for his side. Moreover with the current form he is in it will be hard for India to keep him in check.

Broadcast

All the matches of the FIBA Asia Cup 2022 will be live streamed on the Courtside 1891 app and website.

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