Sri Lanka v India, Twenty20 international, Colombo February 9, 2009

Teams switch on to Twenty20 mode

Cricinfo staff

Match facts

Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Start time 19:00 local, (13:30 GMT)


Tillakaratne Dilshan will lead Sri Lanka under lights © AFP
 

The Big Picture

It's the first Twenty20 international in Sri Lanka. India overwhelmed the home side in the five-match ODI series and are again favourites for the Twenty20 game. India are winners of the ICC World Twenty20 and Sri Lanka are without several key players, but the format gives the underdogs an outside chance to spring a surprise. More than the result, however, this match allows Sri Lanka to try out a few players. The return of Lasith Malinga is undoubtedly the high point and Dilhara Lokuhettige, reputed to be a Twenty20 specialist, should get a chance to show his skills.

For India, it's a nice way to round up a successful tour. Everyone in the squad has got at least one game in the ODI series and it could be just a fun night in the park for the Indians.

Twenty20 form guide (most recent first)

India LWWWW
Sri Lanka WWLWL

Watch out for ...

Dilhara Lokuhettige You can't be a bad Twenty20 player when your favourite cricketing stroke is the lofted drive. In 2007, he was a big hit in the Hong Kong sixes and increased his reputation in the inaugural Twenty20 provincial tournament in 2008. Lokuhettige is a low order batsman who can be a more than useful seam-up bowler.

Virender Sehwag Yuvraj Singh is the easy pick for this slot. However, Sehwag, who has failed in his last two ODIs, will seek to finish the tour on a high. He averages 21.50 from nine games, with a highest of 68.

Teams

India are likely to bring in Zaheer Khan for L Balaji. Sachin Tendulkar has already returned to India and Ravindra Jadeja, who made an immediate impression on ODI debut, should get a spot tomorrow.

India: (likely) 1 Virender Sehwag, 2 Gautam Gambhir, 3 Yuvraj Singh 4 Suresh Raina, 5 Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt/wk),6 Yusuf Pathan 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Rohit Sharma, 9 Zaheer Khan, 10 Praveen Kumar 11 Ishant Sharma 12 Irfan Pathan.

Dilshan is slated to keep for Sri Lanka, even though 35-year-old Indika de Saram, a wicketkeeper-batsman who played a few games for Sri Lanka between 1999 and 2001, is in the squad. Mahela Udawatte, Malinga Bandara and Jeevantha Kulatunga are not likely to play.

Sri Lanka: (likely): 1 Sanath Jayasuriya, 2 Tillakaratne Dilshan (capt/wk), 3 Chamara Silva, 4 Chamara Kapugedera, 5 Jehan Mubarak, 6 Farveez Maharoof, 7 Dilhara Lokuhettige 8 Kaushalya Weeraratne, 9 Thilan Thushara, 10 Dilhara Fernando, 11 Lasith Malinga.

Pitch and conditions

The pitch is expected to be the same as the one from the ODI games.

Stats & Trivia

  • Dilshan averages 17 in 11 games but it increases to 22 when he has played as a 'keeper-batsman.

  • Ishant Sharma has played just one Twenty20 game. It was India's last Twenty20 game that was played against Australia in February 2008.

    Quotes

    "[Lasith] Malinga is coming back into the side after a long while, and he has been bowling well in the nets and domestic one-dayers. He is in good form and good to have him back in the side."
    Dilshan hopes the slingy Malinga comes good.

    "We have to enjoy the Twenty20 game, and that is important. We are trying to enjoy the game while giving our best."
    Mahendra Singh Dhoni feels it will be good to get back into Twenty20 mode.

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