ODI 4 Preview: India, Sri Lanka Have More to Play For

Sreelata YellamrazuFeb 5 2009

While Sri Lankan skipper Mahela Jayawardene has stated that his team will play for pride, there is little doubt that the skipper is clueless about what his team needs to do to turn things around against India. Mahendra Singh Dhoni though is once again showing why he is considered such a level headed guy even as he played safe, winning the toss and choosing to bat first.

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Technically India stand a chance of going number one in the ICC ODI rankings, taking it away from South Africa after they beat Australia down under last week. But while Dhoni admitted to not being fond of gambling, he is not concerned about the rankings because as he rightly pointed out only consistent performances and victories would eventually bring the rankings rather than focusing on the rankings.

His promise to bring in other members of the squad into play was played out to a certain extent that Sachin Tendulkar and Zaheer Khan move out giving way to Irfan Pathan and Rohit Sharma. While Zaheer Khan was expected to be rested, perhaps Sachin’s rest is more like the rest to the umpires who have been flexing their fingers muscles too much and without reason.

It is Sri Lanka though that need to get their mind set right. Their batting has been patchy at best, their bowlers taken to the cleaners when not thinking on their feet and their fielding in the outfield hardly that expected of an otherwise, agile, electric outfit. Suddenly Muttiah Muralitharan’s record breaking of Wasim Akram’s one day wickets is not so much in the focus as the need to counter India to turn around their fortunes in the Emerald Isles.

Another indication that the Indians have got under the skin of the Sri Lankans is the fact that Ajantha Mendis has been rested for this game, bringing in AB Matthews. Mendis, who proved to be such a match winner on India’s last tour to Sri Lanka, has not been much of a threat on this tour and Yuvraj Singh’s admission that Sachin Tendulkar helped him sort out his issues against Mendis from the last tour has shown that Sri Lanka have lost their trump card, who proved India’s chief tormentor.

Perhaps it is a case of the tormentor becoming tormented?

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