Daijiworld Media Network
Pallekele, Aug 4: Hello and welcome to the live coverage of the 5th and the final ODI between India and Sri Lanka from Pallekele. India lead the series 3-1 and a win in this dead rubber will take them another step closer to becoming the No. 1 side in ODI cricket. Sri Lanka, on the other hand, have to play for pride and end the series on a high. The conditions are slightly overcast, which might prompt the captain winning the toss to bowl first.
India have won the toss and elected to bat.
Mahela is not playing. Angelo Mathews will lead Sri Lanka.
Mathews: It's going to be a new experience and a challenge, hope to enjoy it. I have my own ideas about captaincy but I'll get some help from Mahela as well. Senanayake and Kapugedera are in, Herath misses out.
Dhoni: Looks like a good wicket and the ball will swing in the second half, so the fast bowlers will come into play. Sehwag is not fit, he has a problem with his glute. Rahane is in and will open. The rest of the side is same.
Pitch report: It's a sensational track (according to Arun Lal). It looks a bit darker than normal. The sun has not been that intense so there is some moisture on the track. The first ten overs of either innings will be tough, but it's a good batting track.
Teams:
India (Playing XI): Ajinkya Rahane, Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Manoj Tiwary, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni(w/c), Ravichandran Ashwin, Irfan Pathan, Zaheer Khan, Ashok Dinda
Sri Lanka (Playing XI): Upul Tharanga, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Dinesh Chandimal(w), Chamara Kapugedera, Angelo Mathews(c), Lahiru Thirimanne, Thisara Perera, Jeevan Mendis, Sachithra Senanayake, Nuwan Pradeep, Lasith Malinga
Preview by Gokul Gopal
Having taken an unassailable 3-1 lead, India will be looking to continue their winning momentum when they take on Sri Lanka in the fifth and final ODI of the series at the Pallekele International Stadium. The hosts, meanwhile, will be eager to prevent India from finishing the series 4-1, and would be hoping for a better all-round show going into the final ODI.
Sri Lanka: The reason for Sri Lanka's losses in the series is that they have not clicked as a unit. If the top order has gotten off to good starts, the middle order has not been able to capitalize and if they have been able to post good totals, the bowlers have not been able to complement the batters' efforts. Barring Kumar Sangakkara, who scored a hundred and a fifty, both in losing causes, most of the other batsmen have not shown consistency in the four one-dayers so far. While Upul Tharanga has contributed his fair share with a couple of fifties, he has not been able to carry on and post a bigger score. The main concern lies with the fact that Sri Lanka's premier batsmen such as Tillakaratne Dilshan and Mahela Jayawardene, have not been in good touch with the bat. This in turn has put more pressure on the middle order. Angelo Mathews has played his part as an all-rounder but has not been as effective as he was against Pakistan in the recently concluded series. The skipper will be expecting for a better effort from the batters, including himself and restore some of the lost pride.
The early loss of Nuwan Kulasekara to an injury has meant that Sri Lanka's bowling has not been that effective. To add to that, Lasith Malinga has not been in his elements or, has not been allowed to by some of the Indian batsmen, making the Lankan pace attack look like a worn-out unit. Mathews and Rangana Herath have been economical but have not done enough damage with the ball in terms of wickets. Even on occasions when Sri Lanka picked up early wickets, the bowlers have not been able to sustain the pressure over longer periods, letting the opposition back into the game. The Lankan skipper will be hoping for a disciplined effort from his bowlers to enable the hosts register their second win of the series.
India: Barring the second ODI, which India lost by a thumping margin, the visitors have always had the hosts on the back-foot. Even if the top order has failed on occasions, Virat Kohli (2 centuries) and Suresh Raina (3 fifties) have been immovable and their knocks have been pivotal in India winning the series. While these two have made life very easy for the Indian team, there is some cause for concern with the rest of the batting order. Virender Sehwag has gotten off to starts but not been able to convert them. On the other hand, his opening partner Gautam Gambhir has played a couple of good knocks in the tour but has also failed twice. The main worry for India is the form of Rohit Sharma, who has had a string of failures. Arguments are being raised that he has been given too many chances and it's time for a change. In case India do decide to leave him out, Ajinkya Rahane is likely to get a game.
Indian bowlers have been on the mark most of the time and have maintained a fairly decent economy rate although they do not have too many wickets to speak about. The likes of Zaheer Khan and Irfan Pathan have been maintaining steady line and lengths while R Ashwin along with the help of part-timers, has been manning the spin department well. The only thing that would worry India is that youngsters Umesh Yadav and Ashok Dinda, who have played two games each, have been very inconsistent with the ball and have given away too many runs. Dhoni will be hoping that they find their rhythm soon and the other bowlers to stick to their tasks.