Focus on Vaas as teams resume rivalry - 3rd One Day International Today

Focus on Vaas as teams resume rivalry

by Rex Clementine: The Island

Sri Lanka’s ace paceman Chaminda Vaas warms up before training at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo yesterday together with team-mates Ajantha Mendis, Sanath Jayasuriya, Thilina Tushara, T.M. Dilshan and trainer Jade Roberts. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

After two dull low scoring games in Dambulla, Sri Lanka and India cricket teams will resume their rivalry at the R. Premadasa Stadium today on a wicket that’s expected to produce a high scoring thriller.

With the series squared at 1-1, the day night encounter has become a major attraction with Sri Lanka Cricket announcing that all tickets for the game sold out with the exception of Rs.50 tickets.

However, if someone is so desperate for a ticket, there will be a plenty available in the black market in and around the Premadasa Stadium, as it has been the case in recent years.

All the attention, meanwhile, will be on the country’s ace paceman Chaminda Vaas, who has recovered from a hamstring injury that he sustained prior to the second ODI and is expected to play today. Vaas needs one more wicket to become the fourth bowler in the history of the sport to take 400 wickets after Wasim Akram, Muttiah Muralitharan and Waqar Younis.

"Vaas bowled on both days and had a bit of bat as well. He looks good. Right now he’s got a good chance of making it. Other than that, we will stick to the same combination more or less," Sri Lanka’s captain Mahela Jayawardene told journalists yesterday.

He also praised the left-arm seamer’s contribution to Sri Lankan cricket. Since making his debut in 1994, Vaas is one of the three members in the current squad to have played the 1996 World Cup and has also picked up over 300 wickets in Tests.

"Vaasy’s contribution to Sri Lankan cricket is huge. On sub-continent conditions, it’s not an easy task. Him and Murali have done the job for us for sometime and there are few young guys coming through. But those two have been the role models. Vaasy has been there for so long and 400 wickets is a great thing for anybody," Jayawardene added.

That’s the only change Sri Lanka is likely to do for today’s game while India also have good news as opener Gautam Gambhir returns to the side having missed the second game with a stiff neck. India is likely to play seven batsmen with Irfan Pathan making way to Gambhir.

"It was good that we won in Dambulla. Otherwise, we would have come to Premadasa under pressure. But at this stage it’s pretty even and we need to take a lead in the series," Indian captain M.S. Dhoni said.

India have been hit hard in this series after their regular openers Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag were forced to return home with injuries. While Tendulkar hurt his left elbow while fielding during the third Test Match at the P. Sara Stadium, Sehwag twisted his ankle during practices. They were further handicapped ahead of the second ODI when Gambhir was ruled out.

The Premadasa wicket has generally helped batsmen and Jayawardene expected the wicket to produce a lot of runs.

"It’s a different wicket. Much firmer than what it used to be at Premadasa. The ball will probably come onto the bat. There’ll definitely be more runs," Jayawardene added.

A player, who has enjoyed the conditions here is Sri Lankan opener Sanath Jayasuriya. The left-hander cracked his career best Test score of 341 here 11 years ago and has scored 2,212 ODI runs at R. Premadasa, only 252 runs less than the highest score by a cricketer at a single ground. The record is held by Pakistan’s Inzamam-ul-Haq, who scored 2,464 runs at Sharjah at 50.28 with four hundreds and 17 fifties. Jayasuriya, meanwhile, has averaged 40.96 here and has also scored four hundreds and 17 fifties.

Teams:************************

Sri Lanka (Probable XI)

Mahela Jayawardene (Captain), Sanath Jayasuriya, Kumar Sangakkara, Chamara Kapugedara, Chamara Silva, Tillekeratne Dilshan, Chaminda Vaas, Nuwan Kulasekara, Thilan Tushara Mirando, Ajantha Mendis and Muttiah Muralitharan.

India (From)

Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt), Subramaniam Badrinath, Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh, Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina, Virat Kohli, Parthiv Patel, Irfan Pathan, Praveen Kumar, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Rudra Pratap Singh, Munaf Patel and Pragyan Ojha.

Umpires: Billy Doctrove (WI) and T.H. Wijewardene (SL)

Third Umpire: Gamini Silva (SL)

Match Referee: Chris Broad (Eng)

Pakistan gets Sri Lankan backing

Pakistan gets Sri Lankan backing

With teams pulling out from the Champions Trophy that’s scheduled in Pakistan from 12th of September, due to security concerns, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) got the backing of traditional allies Sri Lanka when their captain Mahela Jayawardene and opening batsman Sanath Jayasuriya saw no issues to be worried with the security in Pakistan.

Answering a question posted by ‘Sunday Island’ during yesterday’s media briefing at R. Premadasa Stadium, Jayawardene said he had no problems with the security in Pakistan. "We played the Asia Cup there not too long ago and everything was okay when it came to security," Jayawardene said.

Former captain and opener Sanath Jayasuriya too echoed same sentiments. "When we were in Pakistan, they looked after us very well and as far as I am concerned, there’s nothing to be worried about," Jayasuriya, who’ll be playing a record sixth Champions Trophy tournament told ‘Sunday Island’.

Jayawardene also added that rather than security matters, he was more focused on the impending competition, the second most important tournament in the cricket calendar after the ICC World Cup.

"Once we finish this series, we’ll start to prepare fresh for the Champions Trophy. Whether it’s Pakistan or anywhere else, we want to concentrate on the tournament itself," Jayawardene added.

Australia and South Africa have already pulled out of the tournament due to security fears while the participation of England and New Zealand also hangs on the balance.

Pakistan, meanwhile, backed up by India are threatening to boycott the tournament if it’s held anywhere other than Pakistan.

---------- The Island

Sri Lanka Has Won The 1st One Day International, destroy India

Sri Lanka spinners destroy India - BBC

FIRST ONE-DAY INTERNATIONAL, Dambulla:
Sri Lanka 147-2 beat India 146 by eight wickets

Scorecard

---

Mystery spinner Ajantha Mendis put in another fine performance

Ajantha Mendis and Muttiah Muralitharan shared six wickets as Sri Lanka thrashed India in the first one-day international in Dambulla.

New sensation Mendis (3-21) and fellow tweaker Muralitharan (3-37) helped bowl out the tourists for a lowly 146.

Nothing went right for India, including the loss of in-form opener Virender Sehwag to injury before the start.

Sri Lanka had no problems with their chase, racing to their target in the 35th over, losing just two wickets.

Mendis grabbed two key wickets in his opening spell when he removed hard-hitting batsmen Yuvraj Singh (the top scorer with 23) and Mahendra Dhoni, while Muralitharan made short work of India's lower order.

With Sehwag ruled out after injuring his ankle on Sunday, Virat Kohli was drafted in to make a debut.

Left-arm seamer Chaminda Vaas gave the hosts a dream start when he removed opener Gautam Gambhir with the second delivery of the match, which moved in sharply to knock back the off-stump.

Paceman Nuwan Kulasekara (2-23) trapped Kohli lbw for 12 and then got rid of Suresh Raina, who hit a lazy drive straight to cover.

Yuvraj was dropped on five by Mahela Jayawardene at slip but was eventually bowled off an inside-edge attempting to defend.

The innings continued to unravel, and Jayawardene's unbeaten 61 settled the contest.

Focus on Sanath and Ajantha Plenty at stake as Sri Lanka and India resume ODI rivalry

Focus on Sanath and Ajantha
Plenty at stake as Sri Lanka and India resume ODI rivalry

Rex Clementine
reporting from Dambulla

Cricket returns to Dambulla after 11 months with Sri Lanka taking on tourists India with the first match of the five game series beginning today here at the Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium.

Sri Lanka’s inconsistent run in ODI cricket since ending as runners-up in the World Cup tournament has seen them slip to seventh position in the official rankings, only ahead of West Indies, Zimbabwe and Bangladesh.

The series provides the hosts with an ideal opportunity to climb up to fourth position, but in the unlikely scenario of them losing 5-0 to India, they will slide further down to eight position, behind the West Indies.

Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene admitted that his side has been inconsistent in one-day games in recent times and attributed this to a struggling batting order, but with players like Sanath Jayasuriya and

Kumar Sangakkara back in form, in their new role as the team’s opening combination, the hosts are looking to maintain their winning run that started with the success at the Asia Cup.

"After the World Cup, we lacked a bit of consistency. Probably lack of form and a few personal changes, but no excuses. We didn’t consistently maintain our standards. During the Asia Cup, we managed to turn things around. We were very consistent with the bat, ball and in the field.

That’s the toughest thing for most of the international teams, to consistently be in that competitive level," Jayawardene said at a media briefing yesterday.

"In Australia, we didn’t bat consistency. If you take the innings that Sanath played in the final of the Asia Cup or the innings that Kumar played before that, that’s something that we didn’t have in Australia. It was eight months ago and we have moved on since. We need to continue the hard work that we have done," he added.

A 4-1 win for the Sri Lanka will place them fourth in the

rankings, but a 3-2 win will only take them to sixth place.

The talk in the Indian camp ahead of the ODIs was on veteran Sanath Jayasuriya and mystery spinner Ajantha Mendis. The Indians have sweated on cracking the Mendis mystery code without much success, whereas the veteran

Jayasuriya has remained a thorn in their flesh for well over ten years now.

It took him 18 ODIs to post his first half-century against the Indians and ever since, he scored that famous 79 off 76 balls in Dehli during the 1996 World Cup, the hard-hitting left-hander hasn’t looked back, having compiled 2429 runs against them in 74 ODIs at 37:36, better than his career average of 32:87. Six of his 27 ODI hundreds have come against the Indians and into the bargain his career best 189 too has been scored against them.

His popularity in India has been such that at the age of 39 he fetched 975,000 US Dollars from Mukesh Ambani, the owner of Mumbai Indians

franchise during the Indian Premier League Twenty-20 competition.

His return to the Sri Lankan side has created such a sensation in the Indian media that it was the 39-year-old who attracted all the attention after all the hype and euphoria about Mendis.

"Jayasuriya can be compared to Sehwag or Gilchrist. It’s important not to let them have a good start. They are the sort of batsmen who will take chances, so trying to restrict them they will commit mistakes. With someone

like Jayasuriya, it’s important to get him out early," India’s captain M.S. Dhoni warned.

Mendis has progressed nicely ever since his ODI debut against the West Indies and ended as the Man of the Series in the Asia Cup where he picked up six wickets for 13 runs in the final. He followed that up with another rich haul of 26 wickets in the three Tests against the tourists that preceded the ODIs.

"Right now, if you see the statistics it has been Mendis. He has been taking wickets for them. Previously they had Muralitharan, now you have two specialist spinners who don’t really give loose balls to cash in on, that’s the difference," Dhoni added.

Sri Lanka were not sure of what combination to go with, but in all probability will send Sangakkara with Jayasuriya as the openers and will play the additional seamer. With Dilhara Fernando nowhere near his usual best, it’s likely that they will play Thilina Tushara Mirando and Nuwan Kulasekara.

India will stick to a six batsmen and five bowlers combination, but which of the seamers will get a game wasn’t decided yesterday, afternoon.

The series will be important for ace paceman Chaminda Vaas as he’s four wickets short of completing 400 wickets in ODI cricket. Only Wasim Akram (502), Muttiah Murlaitharan (475) and Waqar Younis (416) have taken more wickets than him in ODIs.

Sri Lankan middle order batsman Tillekeratne Dilshan is also expected to complete 3000 ODI runs during the series. If Dilshan gets there, he’ll be the 11th Sri Lankan to score over 3000 runs in ODIs.

Sri Lanka: (From): Mahela Jayawardene (Captain), Kumar Sangakkara, Sanath Jayasuriya, Mahela Udawatte, Chamara Silva, Chamara Kapugedara, Tillekeratne Dilshan, Chaminda Vaas, Muttiah Muralitharan, Dilhara Fernando, Ajantha Mendis, Thilina Tushara Mirando, Nuwan Kulasekara, Jehan Mubarak and Malinda Warnapura.

India (From): Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt), Subramaniam Badrinath, Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina, Virat Kohli, Parthiv Patel, Irfan Pathan, Praveen Kumar, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Rudra Pratap Singh, Munaf Patel and Pragyan Ojha.

Umpires: Billy Doctrove (WI) and Asoka de Silva (SL)

Third Umpire: Gamini Silva (SL)

Standby Umpire: Sena Nandaweera (SL)

Match Referee: Chris Broad (Eng)

Idea Cup >>> Problems and opportunities for both teams

Sri Lanka v India, 1st ODI, Dambulla

Problems and opportunities for both teams

Jamie Alter in Dambulla

August 17, 2008

	Dhoni's batting and captaincy skills will both be tested over the next couple of weeks © AFP

On the eve of the five-match bilateral series, Sri Lanka and India both have problems to solve. The home team have had a patchy record in ODIs recently, which is reflected in the ICC ranking - they are seventh, compared to India's fourth. Their Asia Cup triumph was a return to winning ways after a home series defeat to England, followed by a poor CB Series, and then another series defeat to West Indies earlier this year.

However, Sri Lanka go into the five-match series a confident unit, having beaten India in the Asia Cup and the three-Test series before this. Mahela Jayawardene has stressed on how Sri Lanka need to improve on all areas of their game, and this is as good a time as any for them to put that theory into practice.

They could start with greater consistency and commitment from their batsmen, who would want to improve on their most recent performances in Dambulla, against England last year. In a span of four days, they were bowled out for 169 and 164, losing both matches and eventually the series as well. The batting has been the main reason for Sri Lanka's below-par results recently, but for inspiration, they need look no further than the talismanic Sanath Jayasuriya and the destruction he wrought with his match-winning hundred in the Asia Cup final. Jayasuriya brings 526 games of experience to this side, and his explosive ability could well decide matches.

Sri Lanka's biggest assets are their two matchwinning spinners. Much of this series' storyline depends on how India cope with Muttiah Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis, who is set to play his first ODI at home. India failed to find the answers in the Asia Cup final, and are up against a lethal pair that played havoc with a famed Test line-up, sharing 47 wickets between them in three matches.

For India, the main puzzle is how to handle Mendis. They had no idea about how to do that in the Asia Cup final last month, or in the Tests. There is little to suggest this series will be any easier, given that India's batting order for this series is the same as in Pakistan.

Part of Dhoni's method since taking over the captaincy has been to experiment with his batting line-up. Himself a regular floater, he has tried out different options at Nos. 3 and 6, not always with success. This bilateral series offers him another shot at finding solidity before a busy season ahead. Dhoni believes Sri Lanka is the toughest country to bat in, but is confident India will do better than they did in their last two series, especially when it comes to "crucial" matches. This has been identified as India's core ODI team for the future. It could be their toughest test.

Overall, India have been doing consistently better than Sri Lanka. After an abysmal first-round exit from last year's World Cup, they won the inaugural ICC World Twenty20, beat Australia in the best-of-three CB Series finals, and made the finals of the Kitply and Asia Cups. From the outset, India will start the series hoping to avenge a 100-run defeat to Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup final last month. "We are not doing too badly, it's just we are losing the key games," Dhoni said. "We shouldn't be too high or too low in confidence. We'll try to keep a positive frame of mind."

Apart from team skill, individual decisions are going to dictate this series. Jayawardene is a proven exponent of how to use the Powerplays and his experience of playing in Sri Lankan conditions, where the ball softens on slow and low pitches, could prove decisive. Dhoni relies a lot on instinct. His decision to play five bowlers at Hobart last year, keeping in mind ground conditions, worked a charm. Munaf Patel replaced an erratic Sreesanth and Praveen Kumar came in for Virender Sehwag. It didn't matter for Dhoni that Praveen had gone wicketless in a tight chase in Adelaide under lights; he entrusted Praveen with the new ball and it worked wonders.

Such calls are going to be crucial in Sri Lanka, a place Dhoni has readily admitted is tough to bat in. The first two matches - in three days - are in Dambulla, a notoriously spin-friendly track. Dhoni is inclined to use five bowlers for the two matches in Dambulla, two of them being spinners. The last three matches are day-night affairs at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, another venue where scoring runs is difficult.

An intriguing contest is in store, which will be a test of both skill and nerve.

Jamie Alter is a staff writer at Cricinfo

© Cricinfo

Idea Cup >>> Middle order needs to fire for SL

Sri Lanka v India, 1st ODI, Dambulla

Middle order needs to fire for SL

Jamie Alter in Dambulla

August 17, 2008

	Sanath Jayasuriya's performance has had a big impact on Sri Lanka's sucess-loss ratio © AFP

In the months after the World Cup, Sri Lankan cricket went through a transition of sorts, as experienced cricketers like Marvan Atapattu and Russell Arnold retired and younger talent was brought in. All throughout Mahela Jayawardene called for the need to give the newer players more time and for the seniors to take up more responsibility.

Now as the World Cup finalists they currently sit at No. 7 in the ICC ratings for one-day international sides, having won two out of six series. Immediately after the World Cup, Sri Lanka lost to Pakistan 2-1 in Abu Dhabi. A 3-0 whitewash of Bangladesh was followed by a rare home loss, and that to England, hardly the best ODI side in the game. After a poor CB Series in Australia Sri Lanka were beaten 2-0 by West Indies, ranked eighth in the world. It really couldn't get much worse than that.

The most consistent problem was a deficiency in the batting department, which failed to function as a cohesive unit. Sanath Jayasuriya blew hot and cold, Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara sparkled intermittently, and a lack of fire power in the middle and lower order hurt Sri Lanka. The middle order revolved around a mix of bits-and-pieces cricketers and one-day specialists, and no one stood out. One or two batsmen performed in each game, but that is rarely enough.

In the last year Tillakaratne Dilshan averaged 29.76; Chamara Silva 24.42; Chamara Kapugedera 33.07; Maharoof, restricted to seven games due to injury, averaged 11.25. Chaminda Vaas failed to chip in with runs and the most successful lower-order batsman was Kulasekara, who averaged 26.75. In one-day cricket you need runs on the board. Sri Lanka failed to always put those up.

Like all sides searching for a settled team, they also experimented. Upul Tharanga and Mahela Udawatte opened the batting at times, with mixed success. In Pakistan Sri Lanka bumped Sangakkara up to open the innings because it was felt they needed another bowler. Kapugedera was shuffled around and injury to Maharoof only compounded their woes.

Sri Lanka failed to bat well consistently against England at home and in Australia, where they only won two games. The 3-1 scoreline against England should have been the wake-up call to spur them into a period of intense development and progress as a team, but the CB Series was equally disappointing. Their highest total was 238 and the batsmen averaged just 22.44 runs per wicket - that doesn't win you games. Sri Lanka failed to get big knocks from Sanath Jayasuriya and Sangakkara, like they played in last two games of the Asia Cup, and that has a huge effect on their performance.

In the few games of the CB Series that two of the top three got starts, the rest were unable to work a way out when the opposition tightened its line. In a sense the senior Sri Lankan batsmen ignored the very lesson they had been stressing to their younger team-mates, of staying out in the middle as long as possible.

Jayawardene admitted a few personnel changes also attributed to this dip in form, but he gave no excuses. "We did not consistently lift our standards since the World Cup," he said. "We certainly are not there but we're maintaining it. We turned it around a bit in the Asia Cup, where we were consistent with the bat, ball and on the field. That's the toughest thing for international sides."

In a sense the Asia Cup marked a revival. Sri Lanka batted consistently well, but there was one massive factor - Ajantha Mendis. His success, come in such a short period, gives them the option - momentarily - of scrutinising their batting combination.

Jayasuriya's return, after a terrific Indian Premier League and his Asia Cup final century, makes a massive difference to Sri Lanka, as he is the only real power player they have. A well-rested Jayasuriya can offer dimension to Sri Lanka's unit, but the fact is that plenty of responsibility falls on Jayawardene and Sangakkara. The middle order needs to come good.

Sri Lanka have been able to fall back on a bowling unit which picked up a lot of wickets recently, but Jayawardene wants to move on from what happened in Australia. He recognised Mendis as a trump card, an attacking option, but called on others to contribute. Sri Lanka need to re-learn a lesson taught to them before the World Cup - when you cruise, you often cruise downwards.

Jamie Alter is a staff writer at Cricinfo

© Cricinfo

Warnapura and Mubarak get late call-ups to ODI squad

Warnapura and Mubarak get late call-ups to ODI squad

Sa'adi Thawfeeq

	Malinda Warnapura's impressive showings in the Tests has earned him a berth in the one-day squad © AFP

Sri Lanka have made changes to their squad for the five-ODI series against India, bringing in left-hand batsmen Jehan Mubarak and Malinda Warnapura. The 15-member squad does not include allrounder Kaushalya Weeraratne, who was selected in the original list of 14.

Warnapura and Mubarak will also feature in a Sri Lankan XI that will take on the Indians in a warm-up match at the P Saranvanamuttu Stadium in Colombo on Friday. Chamara Kapugedera has been named captain of that side, which includes Mahela Udawatte, Chamara Silva, Weeraratne, Dilhara Fernando and Thilan Thushara. Kaushal Silva, the former Under-19 player, was chosen as wicketkeeper while legspinner Malinda Bandara provides the slow-bowling option.

Mubarak had not been selected in Sri Lanka's initial 14-member squad for the India ODIs but was in the 15 chosen for the Champions Trophy. He was to tour with the Sri Lanka A team to South Africa but will now stay back with the senior team. Kanchana Gunawardene, the Nondescripts Cricket Club opening batsman, replaces him in the A team.

Warnapura, 29, has only played one ODI, against Pakistan last year. He was in impressive form in the Test series against India, which Sri Lanka won 2-1. He scored 243 runs at 60.75, with a hundred in the first Test at the SSC, and two fifties.

Sri Lankan XI (from):
Chamara Kapugedera (captain), Upul Tharanga, Mahela Udawatte, Malinda Warnapura, Jehan Mubarak, Chamara Silva, Kaushal Silva (wk), Malinga Bandara, Kaushalya Weeraratne, Dilhara Fernando, Thilan Thushara, Chanaka Welegedara.

© Cricinfo

Idea Cup >>> Another trial by spin awaits India - 1st ODI TODAY

Sri Lanka v India, 1st ODI, Dambulla

Another trial by spin awaits India

The Preview by S Rajesh

August 17, 2008

Match facts

Monday, August 18, 2008
Start time 10am (local time) 0430 (GMT)

	Sanath Jayasuriya prepares to play one of his favourite opponents at one of his least favourite venues © AFP

Big Picture

The Indians had no answers to the spin wizardry of Muttiah Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis in the Test series, but they have another opportunity to unravel the mysteries in the five-match ODI series, which gets underway in Dambulla on Monday. Nothing suggests their task in the shorter version will be any easier, though: Mendis scythed through the Indians in the Asia Cup final last month, and the line-up facing him here will be largely the same. Late Sunday night the Indians received a blow with the news that Virender Sehwag had twisted his ankle at practice. Team sources said he was unlikely to play the first ODI and Virat Kohli may take his place.

Sri Lanka at home are formidable opponents, but recently they have shown signs of vulnerability, losing two of their last three home series, to Pakistan and England. Mahela Jayawardene will want to prove those losses were nothing more than a small blip in an otherwise awesome record in Sri Lanka.

Form guide (last 5 ODIs)

Sri Lanka WLWWW
India LWLWW

Watch out for

Sanath Jayasuriya: The last time he played India, Jayasuriya cracked a match-winning 125, his sixth ODI hundred against them. Jayasuriya relishes playing the Indians - no one has scored as many runs against them as he has - and even more so at home, where he averages 46.44 at a strike-rate of exactly a run a ball. His record in Dambulla isn't as impressive - an average of 26.23, with just one half-century in 15 innings - but against India he'll fancy his chances of turning that around.

Yuvraj Singh: has announced he is in peak form for this series with an astonishing 121-ball 172 in the practice match against a Sri Lankan XI. The absence of Sachin Tendulkar places an even greater burden on Yuvraj, who will be keen to prove he can handle that responsibility as well as tackle the mighty Sri Lankan spinners.

Team news

Sri Lanka have packed their squad with nine batsmen, which means three will probably miss out. Kumar Sangakkara had opened the batting through most of the Asia Cup, and he could do so again, allowing the team to slot in five specialist bowlers, with Chaminda Vaas coming in at No. 7. Dilhara Fernando struggled in the tour game against the Indians and is unlikely to make the cut.

Sri Lanka (likely) 1 Sanath Jayasuriya, 2 Kumar Sangakkara (wk), 3 Mahela Jayawardene (capt), 4 Chamara Kapugedera, 5 Chamara Silva, 6 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 7 Chaminda Vaas, 8 Nuwan Kulasekara, 9 Thilan Thushara, 10 Ajantha Mendis, 11 Muttiah Muralitharan.

India are likely to play five bowlers, which means Harbhajan Singh and Pragyan Ojha will form a two-pronged spin attack. With Zaheer Khan a certainty, Irfan Pathan, Munaf Patel and RP Singh will fight for two spots. Pathan's batting prowess could give him the edge, while Munaf could get the nod over RP.

India (likely) 1 Gautam Gambhir, 2 Virat Kohli, 3 Suresh Raina, 4 Yuvraj Singh, 5 Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt & wk), 6 Rohit Sharma, 7 Irfan Pathan, 8 Pragyan Ojha, 9 Harbhajan Singh, 10 Zaheer Khan, 11 Munaf Patel.

Pitch & conditions

The pitch looks firm, with a fair amount of grass which is likely to be shaved off before the game begins. The weather is likely to be clear as well, and the conditions suggest the toss might not be that big a factor.

Stats & Trivia

• Sri Lanka have won 13 out of 18 ODIs at the Rangiri Dambulla Stadium. Before their two defeats to England in October last year, they were on a nine-match winning streak, dating back to February 2004.

• India have won two out of five matches here, but have lost all three games against Sri Lanka.

• Muttiah Muralitharan has a bowling average of 13.34 and an economy rate of 3.28 runs per over at this ground, with 29 wickets from 12 ODIs. Sri Lanka have won each of the last five matches here when Murali has played.

• Teams batting first have won 12 out of 23 games, averaging 23.66 runs per wicket and 4.14 runs per over. Teams chasing have won 11, and average 23.92 runs per wicket and 4.04 runs per over. In the ten day games, teams batting first and chasing have won five times each.

• Rahul Dravid is the only batsman to score an ODI century at this ground - he made 104 against UAE in 2004. Sri Lanka's highest here is an unbeaten 97 by Marvan Atapattu against South Africa the same year. (Click here for the highest scores in Dambulla.)

• Spinners have taken 139 wickets here at an average of 24.05 and an economy rate of 3.95. The fast bowlers have been equally successful, with 178 wickets at 26.96 and an economy rate of 3.93.

Quotes

"With Sanath in form it's a great thing. The starts he gets makes a huge different. If he stays for 10-15 overs, it's likely we will get a good start. He's like Sehwag for India. That gives a different dimension to our set up."
Mahela Jayawardene highlights the importance of Sanath Jayasuriya in the Sri Lankan batting line-up

"Sehwag is the sort who takes a bit of risk at times. Whenever he gets us that start we have a fair chance of winning. He's in very good nick, so is Gambhir. Both played well in the Tests so they have some added responsibility on them."
Mahendra Singh Dhoni, India's captain, suggests that the openers will be key for his team as well

S Rajesh is stats editor of Cricinfo

© Cricinfo

OLYMPIC 2008 - Complete Schedule

OLYMPIC 2008

Complete Schedule

Click Here