India will eye a series clean-sweep as the fifth match of the Micromax Cup is played at the JSCA Stadium here, its final ODI at home before next year’s World Cup.
Sri Lanka, of course, will see it as a final opportunity to pull one back on the host.
Some of the home players are being rested owing to injuries or with an eye on the long tour of Australia later this year. This has really opened up a few opportunities to some of the fringe players.
With the team management deciding to rest Suresh Raina on Sunday, Maharashtra’s middle-order Kedar Jadhav may get a look-in.
Almost all of the Indian top-order batsmen are among the runs. First it was Ajinkya Rahane who hit a century at Cuttack. Ambati Rayudu got to three figures at Ahmedabad, Shikhar Dhawan at Hyderabad, and then Rohit Sharma came up with the stupendous 264 at Kolkata.
Skipper Virat Kohli, who will lead India in the first Test against Australia Down Under, has two half centuries to his credit. He will be the one who will be keen to finish off the series with a century.
Given a chance, even Robin Uthappa, who scored so consistently in the IPL, will seek to carve out a century. Perhaps, the team management will promote him higher up the order, at, say, No.3.
The Indian bowling is likely to see one change. Umesh Yadav, who has bowled consistently well, may be rested, and Karnataka skipper R. Vinay Kumar given a game; after all, it would be pointless to pick a senior cricketer like Vinay only to deny him even an opportunity. He may not be in the selectors’ plans for the World Cup, but at home he has the record to back him.
Going by the turn leggie Karn Sharma extracted from the square, it looks like the pitch will have something for the tweakers, especially the wrist spinners.
Like Raina and Kohli, Yadav did not participate in Saturday’s nets.
The Sri Lankans, however, seem to think that it is the bowling that has let the team down. The visitors’ three main pacers had a long session trying to hit targets set on the pitch. The team’s dependence on pace is obvious. Irrespective of the combination Sri Lanka fields on Sunday, it has to be mentally ready to take on the rampaging Indians.
The absence of M.S. Dhoni in the Indian team for this game seems to have affected ticket sales. The bookings have not been very encouraging, with a JSCA official putting the figure at 20,000.
Dew will be a major factor here as the winter has set in.
The teams (from):
India: Virat Kohli (captain), Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Ambati Rayudu, Kedar Jadhav, Robin Uthappa (wk), Stuart Binny, R. Vinay Kumar, Dhawal Kulkarni, Karn Sharma, Axar Patel, R. Ashwin, Suresh Raina and Umesh Yadav.
Sri Lanka: Angelo Mathews (captain), Tillakaratne Dilshan, Kusal Perera, Dinesh Chandimal, Mahela Jayawardene, Lahiru Thirimanne, Thisara Perera, Seekuge Prasanna, Nuwan Kulasekara, Shaminda Eranga, Ajantha Mendi, Chathuranga de Silva, Ashan Priyanjana, Niroshan Dickwella and Lahiru Gamage.
Umpires: Bruce Oxenford (Aus) and S. Ravi. TV umpire: Anil Chaudhary.
Match referee: David Boon (Aus).
Playing hours: 1.30 to 5 p.m.; 5.45 to 9.15 p.m.
