After a see-sawing Test series won by the locals, Sri Lanka and India begin a tournament with the best of five ODIs. After the recent success of the 20Twenty game, it seems like we are going back to the past playing a 50 over a side match. The Indians will be keen to overturn the Test series loss and the Sri Lankans will want to continue their recent dominance over their cricketing neighbours.
Keeper batsman Dhoni arrives to captain the tourists. There are some countries which have chosen one captain for both versions of the game with the English recently opting for Pietersen in that role. Ponting in Australia is another well-known example. Does another captain and a new group of players mean a country is a different proposition? Dhoni is certainly an attacking batsmen and his keeping could not be worse than his predecessor Patel. Would Dhoni have been the difference between winning and losing in the Tests? Hypothetical perhaps but his batting and keeping would surely have been better overall. And Dhoni is one captain who likes to throw in a change or two. He may bat at the top of the order or anyone in the middle.
Tendulkar is one good innings away from being the world’s greatest in terms of Test runs scored. Had he achieved the feat in the last Test it would have been a remarkable achievement and even more so if he’d scored the magical run against the bowling of the world’s highest wicket taker. Murali is rearing to go in this new series but alas Tendulkar is injured. His elbow was hurt when fielding and he batted down the order in the final Test, as he was obviously handicapped. It is sad the Sri Lankans will not see the master batsman in this limited over series. The great man has played 417 ODIs at an average of 44. You cannot replace that experience and talent overnight.
Shane Warne proved that a slow bowler can find success in a limited over match; a great bowler being able to bowl in any type of game in any conditions. Enter the master spinner Murali and his apprentice Mendis who has set an amazing standard in the recent Tests. Ajantha Mendis is now the highest wicket taker for a debut performance in a three-match Test series. Mendis took 26 wickets beating Alec Bedser’s 24 in 1946. Will the Sri Lankan spin twins continue to be a handful for the Indian batsmen knowing each bowler can only bowl a handful of overs and, at times, fielding conditions are restricted? This battle may be the factor which determines the series. It’s a significant fact that the two Sri Lankan spinners took 47 Indian wickets in the recent Test series.
The pitches in Dambulla are reckoned to favour the bowlers so the first two games may well be tense, low-scoring games. They are daylight matches whereas in Colombo, the final three games will be day/night fixtures. One of the newer rules for this form of the game is the compulsory ball change after 34 overs. Batsmen who like a hard ball are better suited for this and the selection of the batting order is now as much a science as are the power plays and when to take them.
We have had a gripping Test series which will be followed by, hopefully, a gripping series of ODIs.
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