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Tuesday 13th March, 2012 15 Thilakaratne Dilshan • Sri Lanka confident but grappling with injuries • Bangladesh should not be upset about playing three Asian giants • Pakistan has best spin attack BY RAVI LADDUWAHETTY tial. Mathews and also looking into the It was most disconcerting to see the future. Once Thissara Perera is fit, he ri Lanka, indubitably, go in as a manner in which he was dismissed in will be occupying one slot, making it confident lot, when it takes on the last of the three finals against three all-rounders – Mathews, Perera SIndia today (13), in its first Australia, at the Adelaide Oval in the and Kulasekera. That is the bench encounter in the Cricket Asia Cup 2012 Commonwealth Bank series on March strength that Sri Lanka could work on, in Bangladesh, based on its success in 8, trapped leg before to Clint McKay unlike India or Pakistan. the just concluded Commonwealth for a measly 5 runs. One will have to come to grips with Bank series in Australia. But the biggest question is who is the side prone with niggling injuries, It is heartening to see skipper going to bat at number 5? Ideally, Upul when it comes to deciding the final Mahela Jayawardene opening the bat- Tharanga. playing XI. There is no point in play- Mahela ting with Thilakaratne Dilshan, who There is also the belief that Lahiru ing someone who is not 100% fit. Jayawardene played very well on Australian tracks. Thirimanne is ideal for that slot, but Angelo Mathews, it is well known, However, the question is, how will he going by the looks of it, it should be is debilitated with a calf strain. fare on sub-continental tracks. Dilshan Tharanga. The number five slot has to However, he has to be looks very comfortable in executing be worked out very carefully. Sri looked at more posi- his strokes, but he is rather careless, Lanka should not miss out on the tively, as he is the playing through the off stump. But trick, but who is going to bat at num- vice captain. What that is the way he plays and one can- ber 6, who will come into play around is strange is that not change him. However, the blessing the 35th over? That is also the his injuries in disguise is that he is not burdened time of a power play as occur only with the captaincy anymore. well. when it Sangakkara at number 3 is the best Sri Lanka might one drop batsman in world cricket have Nuwan today. Look at the way he plays on the involves front foot as well as on the back foot. interna- He also square cuts the ball very well. tional But the only flaw is that he tends to matches. throw it all away, especially when he Leaving plays across the line. He tends to that aside, close the face of the bat very Lasith Malinga early at times, very often, out is also playing caught to leading edges, with injuries. It Dinesh Chandimal vulnerable outside boils down to a groin off stump, not strain. He is also not knowing when the best fielder. He is to leave the fighting shy to catch the Asia Cup, provided they play it Pakistan has the world’s best ball alone. the ball and appears smart. India and Pakistan will be spin attack Dinesh that he is scared of injur- fresher than Sri Lanka, who must be Pakistan had a great Test series Chandimal, ing his fingers. jaded after the just concluded against England in the UAE, but were undoubted- Thissara Perera, who Commonwealth Bank series, having not so lucky in the ODIs. However, ly, is the was very impressive in the played six matches in 10 days and Pakistan should be having something emerging Commonwealth Bank series in travelling from Adelaide to up their sleeve for the Asia Cup. They player. But Australia, is back in Sri Lanka with Chittagong through Singapore. India have the world’s best off-spinner in let us not Kulasekera as the a side strain. According to the physio- could be dangerous on slow turning Saeed Ajmal, who bowls that deadly get carried all-rounder. therapist, recovery will take a mini- tracks and let us face it, especially on ‘doosra’ and the quicker delivery to away by his The ideal formula is mum of 21 days. These are some of the sub-continental wickets, they have the excellent effect. He will also create exploits. No to have five specialist factors which should be worrying the firepower which could get them runs doubts in the batsmen’s minds as he one will dare batsmen all-rounders and selectors. at will. has the ability to bowl at different say that he is four specialist bowlers, the Sri Lanka will be a worry. Are they India is hurting. They will not angles. Rookie left arm spinner Abdul not a gifted ideal combination for Sri going to play with a 7-4 combination have the the services of Virender Rehman, who bowled against Sri player, with Lanka in Bangladesh. But when it comes to the Asia Cup? Or will Shewag, Yuvraj Singh and opening Lanka at Sharjah, is also there. enormous these theories would be sub- Sri Lanka be playing the extra bats- bowler Zaheer Khan. What is also Pakistan’s left-hand/right-hand bowl- poten- ject to the fitness of Angelo man in Bangladeshi conditions? most surprising is that ‘Bajji’ or ing combinations could be lethal. Sri Lanka will enjoy the luxury of Harbhajan Singh, is also missing. One Pakistan, despite their brittle batting, having Rangana Herath, rested and cannot understand the rationale of has the world’s best bowling attack. quite rightly so. the Indian selectors, when they con- Right arm off spinner Mohamed He has a much bigger role to play tinue to have faith in senior players Hafeez is a thorn in the flesh for left in the forthcoming England tour of Sri such as Sachin Tendulkar, but have no handers. Sri Lanka and India will Lanka, which will be after the Asia confidence in the other members of have to take serious note of Cup. Some of the other key bowlers, the old guard. Pakistan’s deadly armoury, with the such as Dhammika Prasad and Then, there is Gautham Gambhir spinners’ variety and the effective- Chanaka Welagedera are all being rest- to open the batting. There is plenty of ness of paceman Umar Gul, opening ed, with the England tour in mind. talent in the Indian dressing room. from one end. Undoubtedly, Sri Lanka has the tal- They should be giving more responsi- Granted, Bangladesh is playing at ent. However, the worry is about the bility to batsmen such as Rohit home, but they are pitting their wits right balance, playing three Asian Sharma, Virat Kohli and others, for a against three Asian giants, all formi- sides where India and Pakistan are better balance. dable forces in ODI cricket. They giants. India will have to do a lot more if should not lose hope, but look at gain- they are to effectively defend the ing experience. A nerve tingling and India dangerous on World Cup in Australia, in three years awesome contest is on offer within Kumar Sangakkara sub-continental wickets time. the region called South Asia, home to India has the best chance to retain a fifth of mankind..

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