Jump to content

Preview of the 3rd ODI : Revived India and a Lankan stronghold

Cricketics

By Cricketics
in Cricket Talk

Recommended Posts

Feed Newbie

Feed

Posted
Posted

Team India has staggered nets For a tour that has been blighted by injury — V.V.S. Laxman, Sachin Tendulkar, Ishant Sharma and Virender Sehwag, the men hexed on the field, either in match-play or in practice — Friday was particularly good, on two counts. More... Team India has staggered nets S. Ram Mahesh Wicket at Premadasa may assist spinners Colombo: For a tour that has been blighted by injury — V.V.S. Laxman, Sachin Tendulkar, Ishant Sharma and Virender Sehwag, the men hexed on the field, either in match-play or in practice — Friday was particularly good, on two counts. For one — and this is stated at the cost of jinxing it — nobody stepped on a ball or was hit by a stroke gone astray, as India trained at the practice facilities of the R. Premadasa Stadium, the venue for the three remaining (day-night) ODIs in the five-match series. Gambhir in fine fettle For another, Gautam Gambhir, who missed the second ODI after waking up with a stiff neck, was present, and appeared in fine fettle. The left-handed opener was part of the first group of India’s staggered nets. Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Harbhajan Singh, Parthiv Patel, R.P. Singh, and Praveen Kumar had a spot of fielding before grooving their games in the nets. Organised into enclosures for pace-bowling, spin-bowling, and throw-downs — as it has all tour — the nets were supervised by coach Gary Kirsten, bowling coach Venkatesh Prasad and fielding coach Robin Singh. Gambhir, who was troubled by Praveen’s whippy bowling in the pace net, indulged in a session of comfort throw-downs with Robin, training the drive along the carpet and the lofted stroke. The 26-year-old’s emphasis was on maintaining his shape — on not allowing the bottom-hand and therefore the left-side of his body to take control. Stepping down the track Gambhir practised stepping down the track to the spinners, and although he missed twice on Friday, it’s a ploy he used to great effect in the Test series. His early dismissal in the first game and his absence during the second deprived India of his assured touch against the spinners. It’s vital for the touring side that Gambhir survives the new ball here, for his ability to both work it around and find the boundary is priceless on tracks expected to be difficult for scoring. M.S. Dhoni, Suresh Raina, S. Badrinath, Irfan Pathan, Zaheer Khan, Munaf Patel and Pragyan Ojha comprised the second group (Yuvraj Singh missed the session). They followed a similar routine, although Raina and Badrinath were back for seconds. Simulation Ojha and Badrinath engaged in simulation, the bowler listing his field, and the batsman trying to beat it: it’s an activity undertaken in every net session; this particular contest was merely the most interesting. The left-arm spinner beat Badrinath in flight on a couple of occasions, but the batsman responded with a sweetly struck on-drive, and a cut off the short ball that followed. “It is a different ground and it will be a different atmosphere,” said Ojha, who is in the reckoning for the third ODI after being dropped for the second. “What I’ve heard is this wicket plays a little slow, and it helps spinners. Obviously as a player, I look forward to playing on any wicket. “Being dropped in the second ODI was just about the combination of the team. I am prepared to give my best (here).” Ojha hasn’t captured the imagination in his two outings on tour (the practice game and the first ODI), but has shown promise. He has been prepared to flight the ball and his arm-ball has caught at least one Sri Lankan batsman by surprise. Zaheer and Praveen set up the three-wicket win in the second ODI, but from the look of things here at the Premadasa, the prospective 20 overs between Ojha and Harbhajan Singh appear crucial. Freakish abilities India’s preparation through the tour has been thorough; the freakish abilities of Ajantha Mendis and Muttiah Muralitharan have stymied the touring side, but there’s no replicating either in practice — videos help, but only up to a point. Nevertheless, Kirsten, Prasad, and Robin have worked hard with the squad, even at times when there has appeared little point in practising. That is why the fact that Sri Lanka practised under lights on Friday while India has no such session scheduled before Sunday’s third ODI is puzzling. It can be argued that these are cricketers who have played enough at night, particularly with the IPL, but different surfaces behave differently under lights, and it doesn’t hurt to be forewarned.

Link to comment
Feed Newbie

Feed

Posted
Posted

Preview of the 3rd ODI : Revived India and a Lankan stronghold Pivotal point in the five-match series More... Revived India and a Lankan stronghold S. Ram Mahesh Pivotal point in the five-match series 2008082456801601.jpgKEEPING THE FOCUS: Gambhir’s return will be a boost to the Indian camp, even as Yuvraj and Raina will be keen to make their presence felt. — Colombo: Even as the curtain descends in Beijing, another rises here in Colombo. We may be in the midst of a five-match series, indeed at its point of pivot, this being the third ODI, but for all practical purposes, Sunday marks the beginning of another series. After Sri Lanka and India split the first two matches at Dambulla — set in peaceful hill country far removed from the bustle of the capital city — the one-day contest has been compressed into a three-game playoff. Formidable record Sri Lanka will feel the reassurance that is attached with beloved strongholds, for at the Premadasa (or the Khettarama, as it’s still known here), the home side has been formidable. Built on a swamp, which at one stage was reportedly used by monks ferrying to the adjacent Khettarama temple, the stadium has seen Sri Lanka win 44 of 66 matches. Fortunately for India, the current side doesn’t fuss with such records. Whether it’s arrogant ignorance, as its critics will have you believe, or healthy disregard and confidence, is moot; the bottom line is Dhoni’s men play the opposition, not the reputation — by and large. It is in this context, that the victory in the second ODI at Dambulla grows in significance. A group of cricketers that had benefited from engaging with Australia as equals earlier this year appeared unsettled by Ajantha Mendis. After the first ODI, in which Mendis took three wickets, making Yuvraj Singh look like a novice, they even seemed to feed the 23-year-old’s reputation against their will, as if hypnotised. They acted like a confidence man whose bluff is called. It was vital, for their own wellbeing, that they fronted up to the challenge. The bowlers and — paradoxical as this may sound — the batting collapse helped: forced against the wall, India discovered that in M.S. Dhoni, S. Badrinath, and Virat Kohli, it had men who wouldn’t flinch. This perhaps explains Dhoni likening it to staring the beast in the eye and not blinking, or something to that effect. The challenge, however, is likely to intensify over the next week. The strips at the Premadasa, where the next three matches will be played, have a reputation for playing low and slow, the dew-lacquered surfaces enhancing the abilities of Sri Lanka’s low-to-the-ground spinners; and this was before Mendis joined Muttiah Muralitharan. But stereotyping leaves no room for subtlety. The last ODI played here witnessed the seamers do damage, as England defeated Sri Lanka; regular watchers here say that in the last few years, the ball has moved off the surface under lights, not as dramatically as in Dambulla, but sufficiently to be considered an attacking option. Dry surface The evidence here points to a dry surface. The groundsman struggled to drive a stake through the region the stumps are planted — confirming that the wicket is firm — but the edges of the holes dug were crumbly, without a trace of moisture. It drizzled in Colombo on Saturday afternoon; it’s unlikely, however, to have altered the character of the strip, exposed to the sun for the last few days. Finalising India’s combination won’t be straightforward. Gautam Gambhir’s return will bolster India. But if left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha is also to be accommodated, simultaneously maintaining last game’s ratio of batsmen to bowlers, two from Irfan Pathan, Munaf Patel, and Praveen Kumar will miss out. The teams (from): Sri Lanka: Mahela Jayawardene (capt.), Kumar Sangakkara (wk), Sanath Jayasuriya, Mahela Udawatte, Chamara Silva, Chamara Kapugedera, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Malinda Warnapura, Jehan Mubarak, Chaminda Vaas, Muttiah Muralitharan, Dilhara Fernando, Ajantha Mendis, Thilan Thushara, and Nuwan Kulasekara. India: M.S. Dhoni (capt. & wk), Gautam Gambhir, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, Rohit Sharma, S. Badrinath, Virat Kohli, Parthiv Patel, Irfan Pathan, Praveen Kumar, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, R.P. Singh, Munaf Patel, and Pragyan Ojha. Umpires: Billy Doctrove and Tyrone Wijewardena; Television umpire: Gamini Silva; Match referee: Chris Broad. Hours of Play (IST): 2.30 p.m. to 6 p.m., and 6.45 p.m. till 10.15 p.m.

Link to comment

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...