Sri Lanka seek revenge against India in Micromax Cup final, preview
The Match
India will face http://www.senore.com/Cricket/New-Zealand-c754 in the last league game, which was a must-win scenario for the side. Sri Lanka, on the other hand, had made it through to the final earlier, with a convincing eight-wicket win over the Indian side.
The main reason why it is difficult to call any team favourites for this game is the manner in which the tournament has gone about. India were crushed in two games by Sri Lanka and New Zealand, but in the other games, won rather easily. Sri Lanka have lost only one game in the tournament, but their batting has looked as unconvincing as the Indian batting.
One gets the sense that the team that bats better in this game will lift the trophy at the end of the game.
The Pitch:
It is the same old Dambulla, except that toss is no longer the only important factor on this pitch. Whether the team wins or loses the toss, the side needs to bat really well. If the team batting first can get to around 240, it will be a very difficult target to chase on this Dambulla track, which seems to have a lot for the seam bowlers. So much so, that both the traditionally spin-heavy teams of India and Sri Lanka discarded the extra spinner and went into their previous game with four pace bowlers each.
India:
India has so far been a one-man’s army. http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750. Suresh Raina and Yuvraj Singh hold the key for the Indians in middle-order and if they do not get the runs, the side could be expecting some trouble.
The bowling line-up should remain the same for the game, except if the pitch is suddenly shaven off and is kept dry till the start of the finals – in which case Pragyan Ojha could win back his place. Else, Munaf Patel looks a certainty.
The Playing Eleven:
Sehwag, Kartik, Raina, Dhoni, Yuvraj, Kohli, Jadeja, Praveen, Ishant, Patel, Nehra
Players to watch out for:
The batting middle-order of Raina, Yuvraj and Dhoni will have to come up with the goods for the Indians, and will be the ones to look out for.
Sri Lanka:
Sri Lanka seem to be returning back to form in the last couple of games, and looked to be showing much more consistency. It is not only an ordinary tournament, but their pride which is also at stake after having lost four ODI series to India under Dhoni. The time is probably right for them to get a move on, by not offering any excuses but raising their bar.
The batting will revolve around T Dilshan, with chances that Mahela Jayawardene opening the batting being very high. Kumar Sangakkara hasn’t had a great show with the bat, and will look to make this opportunity to lead from the front count.
The bowling should remain the same, with Thisara Perera’s five-wicket haul giving him another go in the starting eleven.
The Playing Eleven:
Dilshan, Tharanga, Jayawardene, Sangakkara, Mathews, Silva, Perera, Malinga, Kulasekera, Randiv
Players to watch out for:
How Randiv bowls against the Indians will be a big question after the huge controversy with the no-ball that he bowled to Sehwag in the first game between the two sides.
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