After a rather dramatic Test series, the cricket caravan has moved to this tranquil Buddhist heartland for a triangular ODI series. Joining India and Sri Lanka is a young New Zealand side. The series has relevance, more from New Zealand's perspective, since the ICC World Cup will be held in the sub-continent from February next year.
India and Sri Lanka too will have the opportunity to try out different combinations.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni's men are without Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer Khan. This presents a wonderful opportunity to test the younger bunch in varying situations of the match.
India and Sri Lanka are now familiar rivals. New Zealand might be without Daniel Vettori, Brendon McCullum and Jesse Ryder but this spirited side has in the past punched above its waist even without stars.
The venue here has often favoured the seamers. The ball does bounce and seam around on this track.
Teams that are inserted can be vulnerable. But then, all seven matches of the competition will be day/night affairs. Most of the moisture on the track could dry up by the time play gets underway.
The toss might not be such a crucial factor in a match beginning at 2.30 pm (IST). This said, the track here is perhaps the hardest one in the island. There well be some bounce for the bowlers.
Good carry in an ODI will also encourage stroke-play. Then, the dew factor comes into play under the lights. The ball could be skidding more off the pitch in the latter half for the pacemen. The spinners might have trouble gripping the ball.
The tournament kicks off with the India-New Zealand duel on Tuesday. India goes into the match as the favourite.
Dhoni has captained with great success in ODI series or tournaments in Sri Lanka triumphing in four out of four. Can he make it a perfect five?
Despite the absence of maestro Tendulkar and the left-handed Gambhir, the side should not have many worries on the batting front. Southpaw Suresh Raina's confidence levels will be high after his heroics in the Test series. The young man is striking the ball well. There is a good chance that Dinesh Karthik, who came up with a match-winning innings in the Asia Cup final only months ago, will open with Virender Sehwag. Given his form, Sehwag should be influential in the tournament.
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are natural stroke-makers who revel in the abbreviated forms of the game. However, one of them may have to sit out to accommodate Yuvraj Singh in the eleven. This will be crucial tournament for Yuvraj. The left-hander does need runs like oxygen. The left-hander is a natural and a match-winner. However, his temperament and fitness levels will be under scrutiny in this tournament.
Left-arm paceman Ashish Nehra, swing bowler Praveen Kumar and Ishant Sharma are likely to form the pace attack.
Tall off-spinner R. Ashwin, who bowls stump to stump and can trouble and contain the batsmen with extra bounce, should figure in the eleven. The young cricketer is a handy batsman as well.
India will have to choose between left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja and specialist left-armner Pragyan Ojha for the second spinner's slot.
Jadeja is likely to get the nod since his presence will lend greater balance to the side. Skipper Ross Taylor will carry plenty of New Zealand's hopes with him. He is a free-flowing batsman who can disrupt the rhythm of the bowlers.
Missing the enterprise and innovation of McCullum and the power of Ryder, New Zealand is short of depth in batting. The side will look up to the much improved Martin Guptill for solidity; the top-order batsman will have to build sizable scores. The Kiwis need hefty contributions from the likes of Scott Styris, Jacob Oram and Grant Elliott. New Zealand, though, has rallied splendidly in the past.
The absence of Vettori will hurt the side both in bowling and batting. Among the finest left-arm spinners in business, he can, both, check the flow of runs and strike. And the side is short firepower on the bowling front. Pacemen Daryl Tuffey, Kyle Mills and Tim Southee will have to be spot on with their methods against a vibrant bunch of batsmen.
The side is likely to pick either Jeetan Patel or Nathan McCullum, both off-spinners, as its frontline spinner.
Teams (From):
India: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt & wk), Virender Sehwag, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma, Yuvraj Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Dinesh Karthik, R. Ashwin, Praveen Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Abhimanyu Mithun, Ashish Nehra, Pragyan Ojha, Saurabh Tiwary.
New Zealand: Ross Taylor (capt), Kyle Mills (vice-capt), Grant Elliott, Martin Guptill, Gareth Hopkins (wk), Nathan McCullum, Andy McKay, Jacob Oram, Jeetan Patel, Peter Ingram, Tim Southee, Scott Styris, Daryl Tuffey, B.J. Watling, Kane Williamson.
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