ASIA CUP - INDIA VS SRI-LANKA

India returned to the position they have been familiar to for the last couple of years in the last league match of the tournament, being beaten comprehensively by a clinical Sri Lanka. To start with, India named three changes to the eleven that played against Pakistan, two changes (Karthik and Dinda) being forced in due to injury.Saurabh Tiwary was not given an opportunity and it seems he shall return without a game, just performing the duties of a waterboy or a substitute fielder.Sangakkara won the toss and it was a very good and positive decision to bowl first as it enabled his team to get some batting practice under lights before the final.Indian openers were beaten quite a few times by Sri Lankan pace attack sans Malinga and Kulusekera. Gautam Gambhir seemed to be getting into the groove when he fell to a scintillating catch by Randiv.Kathik, who hardly looked convincing during his stay at the crease, was unlucky to be given out caught behind though replays suggested there was no edge.Virat Kohli once again failed to impress and missed another opportunity to make a statement.He fell to an out-swinger from Maharoof which suggests that he might be susceptible to swing bowling or more bowler friendly conditions as presented in South Africa or Australia or England.Raina removed any doubts that remained about his inability at anchoring an innings.He is an attacking batsman and is apt to come at No.3 in batting friendly conditions or at finishing games at No.6 or7.


Dhoni has been India's Mr.Dependable for the past 2-3 years. His flexibility and amazing capacity to adapt has made him one of the most reliable batsman after Rahul Dravid.His ways are certainly not text book but are highly effective.Many a times in the past, he has stabilized the wobbling Indian ship as well as has been its Captain.The way he seems to be unfazed in pressure cooker situations is incredible.His consistency is highly remarkable ,considering most of his innings have come when his team was in deep waters and have
bailed India out of trouble. Indian batsmen already without their talisman, Sachin Tendulkar, just seem unable to build or chase any kind of substantial score without a significant hand from their captain. Once Dhoni departs,the batting falls like a stack of cards.It was no different today. India were bundled out for a meagre 209 on a batting pitch by second string Sri Lankan bowlers.

Jadeja, the "all rounder" once again proved his worth and greatness! His stay at the wicket was one of the most entertaining and exciting part of the otherwise sedate Indian innings.Jadeja moved right across his stumps to a delivery on middle stump and tried to whack it very fine on the leg side. Unfortunately, he was found plumb in front of wicket and the entertainment lasted only for one ball! Jadeja is a viewer's agony. The logic behind his continuous presence in the Indian squad is ununderstandable.Rohit Sharma got a standing ovation from few of his team mates after he reached his fifty! He looked scratchy for the initial part of his innings but then settled down to see India out of trouble.A settled Rohit makes batting look ridiculously easy but there was a severe lack of application on his part in the batting powerplay which Dhoni was alert enough to take after a batting collapse.He took a single of the first ball of the first over and the second ball of the second over of the batting powerplay, leaving Dinda to face the rest of the over.Such casualness and purposeless batting is the difference between him and a Michael Hussey who takes the responsibility and finishes things off in style.Praveen Kumar was unlucky to edge a delivery onto his stumps.India certainly have no batting prowess to talk off when it comes to tailenders.Batting of Ojha ,Zaheer, Nehra, Dinda, Pankaj, RP,Sreesanth,Munaf and Ishant can be put to shame by the likes of Bracken,Hauritz,Hoggard,Gillispie and Warne, let alone Lee, Pollock, Steyn,Vass,Broad or Swann!

Sri Lanka were once again professional and astounding in their fielding efforts. Gautam Gambhir fell prey to an astonishing catch from Randiv and Dhoni was victim to a grotesque direct hit from Kapugedera.Sri Lanka are way ahead and certainly the best fielding unit in Asia.In comparison, India were miserable in the field. Dhoni missed a stumping chance of Sangakkara and Praveen missed a potential run out chance of the same batsman.Fumbles are a part and parcel of Indian cricket and any fielding effort hardly seems complete without them!India have a long way to go in improving their fielding and regular fitness regime and rigorous practice sessions shall do no harm.

The biggest but expected disappointment was a drop in Dinda's pace which was clocked in mid 130's kmph.Just one series was enough to deplete him and expose his fitness levels.He provided the opposition batsmen with width and Tharanga obliged.He would have been taken apart had he bowled to a Dilshan or a Warner.Ojha is a completely ordinary bowler.The Indian spin department without Harbhajan is like a flower without its petals! I think its time Zaheer was given a premonition before the world cup just like Yuvraj.His bowling flucutates between highs and lows just like sea waves.Defending a small total and simultaneously looking for wickets is a difficult task.Dhoni's field placements were simply impeccable though he could have introduced a spinner inside the first or second powerplay to try and get early wickets especially as the performance of seamers was ordinary.Also, positioning Jadeja or Rohit at first and leg slip respectively is inexplicable after the efforts of Kohli in the last match at first slip.Now, both the teams shall next face each other in the final on this Thursday and key players are expected to be back.India certainly need to come up with a special effort to win the tournament.