The Hindu : Sport : Indians will be wary of Lanka

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Feb 26, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Sport

Sport

Indians will be wary of Lanka

S. Dinakar

Lasith Malinga will be a definite factor

— Photo: AP

SLING FACTOR: Lasith Malinga could pose problems to the Indian top order which has not been firing.

Hobart: Teams that are pushed to a corner can be dangerous. The Indians will be wary of a wounded Sri Lanka in a big game at the quaint Bellerive Oval on Tuesday.

India can lose this match and still go through to the finals. However, Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s men would like to keep their destiny in their own hands. They would prefer a simpler route to qualification than wait for the result of the Australia Sri Lanka face-off in Melbourne on Friday.

Sri Lanka’s path for further progress is simple — the side has to win its last two league games. Tuesday’s contest here will be a day game and the captain winning the toss is likely to field. There should be early assistance for the pacemen.

Defining duel

Ishant Sharma versus the left-handed Kumar Sangakkara could be a defining duel. If Sangakkara survives the early phase, he could change the flow of the game.

The surface here has a reputation for assisting the pacemen. The ball could seam around and if the clouds gather like they normally do in this island, the swing bowlers could benefit as well. Lasith Malinga will be a definite factor.

This is precisely why India needs its openers to lay a foundation. Sachin Tendulkar has been short of runs and is moving far too across to the pacemen than showing them his left elbow. This has been a long, hard campaign and the maestro could just be a little tired mentally.

Opening worries

The Indians have, indeed, struggled with their opening pair. Virender Sehwag is in the middle of yet another form slump in the ODIs. Paradoxically, for an aggressive batsman, Sehwag has been a lot more successful in Test cricket in recent years.

He seems to enjoy the open spaces of Test match cricket than the inner ring of ODI cricket; the bowlers are giving him little width for the cut and the slash.

Consequently, he is finding it hard to penetrate the circle when the deliveries are of a fuller length or on a good length. He is being cramped for room and when Sehwag attempts cuts or glides from too close to his body, he is in trouble.

The Indians, as Dhoni indicated, would not be keen on pushing the in-form Gautam Gambhir to the opening slot. Gambhir has settled down well at No. 3 and brings with him the value of being a left-hander.

The think-tank could recall Munaf Patel into the eleven. The tall seamer with the hit-the-deck approach has bowled better at the Lankans than S. Sreesanth, who bowls a length that is relished by Sanath Jayasuriya & Co.

The side could also opt for swing bowler Praveen Kumar, who can bat a bit, as the fifth bowling option in the eleven if the conditions are conducive for pacemen on the morning of the match.

The think tank might be wary of the non-specialist spinners performing the fifth bowler’s role; the Lankans are fine players of spin.

Jayasuriya factor

The Lankans would be hoping for Jayasuriya to boom. The heavy-hitting left-hander has performed in fits and starts in this series but none will doubt his ability to still swing games.

Like India, Sri Lanka has batting worries. It has problems in the top-order where Tillekeratne Dilshan lost momentum after that match-winning effort in Canberra. Dilshan, subsequently, resurfaced in the middle-order.

Skipper Mahela Jayawardene believes his team can win if it can resolve batting worries. While managing the attack, the Lankan captain can probably be a little more innovative with the Power Plays and the use of Muttiah Muralitharan.

The Lankans have played a Test where they challenged Australia and a practice game here this season. They would know the venue well.

The teams (from): India: M.S. Dhoni (captain), S. Tendulkar, V. Sehwag, G. Gambhir, Rohit Sharma, Yuvraj Singh, R. Uthappa, I. Pathan, H. Singh, Ishant Sharma, Munaf Patel, P. Kumar, S. Sreesanth, S. Raina, D. Karthik, P. Chawla, M. Tiwary.

Sri Lanka (from): M. Jayawardene (captain), S. Jayasuriya, U. Tharanga, K. Sangakkara, T. Dilshan, C. Silva, F. Maharoof, C. Vaas, L. Malinga, I. Amerasinghe, M. Muralitharan, D. Perera, C. Kapugedera, N. Kulasekara, C. Welegedara.

Umpires: R. Koerzten & S. Taufel; Third umpire: B. Oxenford; Match Referee: J. Crowe.

Match starts at 4.30 a.m. IST

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Sport