The seamers have largely called the shots in a sub-continental ODI competition. It promises to be no different in the final of the Micromax tri-series here on Saturday.
Sri Lanka will enter the match with a psychological edge, having outplayed India in its last league game. However, India, riding on Virender Sehwag's firepower and some crafty bowling from the pacemen, beat New Zealand with plenty to spare. It will go into the summit clash with more belief.
The side batting first and putting runs on the board has an advantage in a title clash. The pressures of the chase under the lights can be hard on the batting side. The duel will be a test of nerve.
India has been overly dependent on Sehwag's brilliance. The blazing right-hander has scored 240 — precisely 41 per cent of all runs scored by India in the tournament. With a century and an unbeaten 99, he has been the batsman of the competition.
THE YAWNING GULF
The next highest individual score for India come from innings of 38 each from skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh. This reflects the gulf between Sehwag and the rest of the Indian batsmen.
Sehwag's methods in the competition have worked. His movement forward is essentially a half stride but he can still pull off strokes with great fluency because of his bat-speed and reflexes. And he makes it appear so simple, picking the length in a jiffy.
Sri Lanka is bound to target this marauder at the top of the order. As in its last league game where Nuwan Kulesekara won a marginal leg-before decision against Sehwag with an in-ducker, the Sri Lankan pacemen will attempt to bowl close to Sehwag's body, try to cramp him for room.
Bowling near the off-stump, moving the ball both ways and denying him width, is the only answer against Sehwag. Earlier in the tournament, the Sri Lankans overused the short-pitched delivery against the aggressive opener. These balls will have to be employed judiciously.
India has the option of asking Virat Kohli to open the innings ahead of Dinesh Karthik. In that scenario, Karthik might bat in the middle order.
CRUCIAL KNOCK
But then, both Karthik and Kohli, like the other young Indian batsmen, have been short of runs. If India chooses to look at recent history, it would find that Karthik made a crucial 66 as opener in the Asia Cup final against the host at the same venue.
That duel will bring back fond memories to the Indians. India notched up 268 and then Sri Lanka was dismissed for 187. However, this is another tournament with different dynamics.
Picking the off-colour Rohit Sharma again after leaving him out makes little sense. And it would not really be prudent to hand the left-handed Sourabh Tiwary a debut game in a cup final.
What the side requires is greater application from its frontline batsmen. Left-hander Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina were dismissed attempting to pull the wrong deliveries against New Zealand on Wednesday. The stroke-selection has to be judicious.
As the collapse, both, before and after the vital fifth-wicket partnership between Sehwag and Dhoni showed, this Indian line-up can come apart in hurry.
Dhoni offers some depth to the side but India sorely misses a capable all-rounder at the crucial No. 7 slot. Ravindra Jadeja does not appear to be the answer.
HORSES FOR COURSES
The think-tank picked horses for courses against New Zealand and playing four pacemen is the right option in these conditions. If swing bowler Praveen Kumar strikes early, India can make deeper inroads.
Picking an off-spinner in R. Ashwin — the lanky bowler could extract bounce from the surface — could help India's cause. But then, the team-management has backed Jadeja in this tournament.
Sri Lanka has the stronger batting line-up. If its last league game is any indication, Sri Lanka will once again open with the influential Tillakaratne Dilshan and Mahela Jayawardene, pushing Upul Tharanga to either the No. 3 or the 4 slots.
Kumar Sangakkara is a big match player. The side has depth and hitting ability down the order with men such as Angelo Mathews and Thisara Perera surfacing as the innings progresses.
The home side's pace attack can make serious dents. Lasith's Malinga's speed and swing is well supported by the two-way seam movement of Nuwan Kulasekara, Mathews and Perera.
This said, the Indian pace pack too was buzzing in the last match. Sparks could fly.
The teams (from): India: M.S Dhoni (capt), V. Sehwag, V. Kohli, S. Raina, Y. Singh, D. Karthik, R. Jadeja, P. Kumar, I. Sharma, A. Nehra, M. Patel, R. Sharma, P. Ojha, Abhimanyu Mithun, R, Ashwin,, S. Tiwary.
Sri Lanka: K. Sangakkara (captain), T. Dilshan, U. Tharanga, M. Jayawardene, C. Silva, C. Kapugedera, A. Mathews, N. Kulasekara, L.Malinga, S. Randiv, D. Fernando, T. Samaraweera, R. Herath, A. Mendis, T. Perera.
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