Preview: SL v Ind – 4th ODI
First Published : 30 Jul 2012, 16:32
Last Modified : 30 Jul 2012, 16:32
What
The fourth ODI of the five-match series between India and Sri Lanka.
When
July 31, 2012. The game begins at 14:30 IST.
Where
R. Premadasa Stadium, Khettarama, Colombo. India’s five-wicket win at this venue in the last ODI showed how good a batting track this is. Even the pace bowlers, particularly the Indians, enjoyed a bit of movement early in the first innings. Overall, the team winning the toss will look to bat first, but batting second is not a bad proposition either.
The Teams
The visitors may be ahead in the series, but not by much. Openers Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir have struck form with the bat individually, but are yet to provide the side with a good start. Rohit Sharma, too, may end up giving up his place to Manoj Tiwary, having disappointed with the bat in all three games. However, the visitors’ biggest worry is the performance of their third paceman. Between Ashok Dinda and Umesh Yadav, the Indians have given away 190 runs in 24 overs of bowling. That is an astonishing run-rate of 7.91 per over. That is one area the Indians can improve upon as they look to close out the series against the hosts.
Sri Lanka find themselves fighting to stay alive in the series, but are hampered by the fracture to Kumar Sangakkara’s right finger, which will keep the wicketkeeper-batsman out of contention for four to six weeks. That should mean that Chamara Kapugedera gets a place in the playing eleven. However, with Kapugedera not having played an ODI game since March, in the Asia Cup, and averaging only 23.60 against the Indians, the Lankans will be forced to reconsider their options.
Key players
Zaheer Khan went wicketless in the second ODI, giving away 39 runs off six overs. The result: Sri Lanka cantered home to a comfortable, nine-wicket win. Khan’s two wickets early in the third ODI, however, put the brakes on the hosts’ scoring-rate, which possibly proved to be the difference between the two sides in the end. The visitors could use a similar effort from Khan if they wish to wrap up the series.
Skipper Mahela Jayawardene was the most important Sri Lankan player to begin with. With Sangakkara having injured himself, Jayawardene’s role in the middle-order becomes all the more prominent, given Sri Lanka’s erratic performances at the top of the order.
Trivia
India – Gautam Gambhir is 11 short of completing 5000 runs in ODIs. Should he accomplish this feat, he will become only the ninth Indian to join the 5000-run club.
Sri Lanka – Rangana Herath’s economy-rate of 4.37 from 18 matches after 145 overs of bowling in 2012 is the third best economy-rate for the year for any bowler who has bowled more than 100 overs. Only West Indies’ Sunil Narine (economy-rate 3.44 after 117.5 overs) and Pakistan’s Mohammad Hafeez (3.69, 114.0) have a better economy-rate than Herath for the year.
Venue Stats
India – played – 40, won – 18, lost – 18, tied – 0, no result – 4
Sri Lanka – played – 89, won – 54, lost – 28, tied – 0, no result – 7
Highest total in an innings: India 363/5 in 50.0 overs v Sri Lanka – February 3, 2009
Lowest total in an innings: Netherlands 86 in 29.3 overs v Sri Lanka – September 16, 2002
Best individual score in an innings: Gautam Gambhir (India) – 150 v Sri Lanka – February 5, 2009
Best bowling figures in an innings: Angelo Mathews (Sri Lanka) – 6.0-0-20-6 v India – September 12, 2009
Head-to-head
|
Matches |
Played |
Ind won |
SL won |
Tied |
No result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Overall |
137 |
73 |
52 |
1 |
11 |
|
In Sri Lanka |
54 |
21 |
27 |
0 |
6 |
|
At R.Premadasa Stadium |
30 |
12 |
15 |
0 |
3 |
Form guide in ODIs (most recent listed first):
India: Won, Lost, Won, Won, Lost (3 wins, 2 losses)
Sri Lanka: Lost, Won, Lost, Won, Won (2 losses, 3 wins)
The squads
India: MS Dhoni (c & wk), Virat Kohli, Gautam Gambhir, Suresh Raina, Virender Sehwag, Rohit Sharma, R Ashwin, Pragyan Ojha, Zaheer Khan, Umesh Yadav, Ashok Dinda, Irfan Pathan, Ajinkya Rahane, Manoj Tiwary and Rahul Sharma
Sri Lanka: Mahela Jayawardene (capt), Angelo Mathews (vice-capt), Tillakaratne Dilshan, Upul Tharanga, Dinesh Chandimal (wk), Thisara Perera, Lahiru Thirimanne, Lasith Malinga, Chamara Kapugedera, Rangana Herath, Sachithra Senanayake, Jeevan Mendis, Isuru Udana and Nuwan Pradeep
All stats are as on July 30, 2012
