Sri Lanka need to stand up in key clash

Muttiah Muralitharan could have a crucial role to play at Jaipur © Getty Images

The Sri Lankans' confidence will have taken a battering after the bruising they received in the first two one-day internationals, but you can be sure their belief in themselves will be intact. Tom Moody has kept a straight face at each of the post-match press conferences, insisting that good players and good teams don't become ordinary overnight, and, of course, he is right. India have had two great days out on the field but this does not mean too much in the context of the third match. The challenge before Sri Lanka - to forget what has passed and keep an eye on the ball - is an immense one.

The teams

Marvan Atapattu, as has been the norm, refused to divulge any details about the composition of the team. However, it would not be surprising if Thilan Samaraweera is brought into the playing XI, or nominated as the Supersub, to lend some stability and solidity to a batting line-up that has been short on concentration and application. Rahul Dravid, for his part, announced that Rudra Pratap Singh and Gautam Gambhir would miss out, and that all the other 13 would be available for selection.

Onus on seniors

What Sri Lanka need most is for one or more of their senior players to stand up and be counted. Atapattu's twin failures at the top of the order have given India the early edge in the first two matches. Kumar Sangakkara has looked exceptionally good without really hurting the Indians. Mahela Jayawardene has twice given away his wicket. Sanath Jayasuriya has found ways to get himself out even against deliveries he would smash to the fence nine times out of ten. And Chaminda Vaas has taken an almighty pounding. If the utility players are the glue that binds the team together, it is these big names that give it backbone.

Sri Lanka may be left gasping if Sachin Tendulkar is in a murderous mood © Getty Images

Cracks and yardage

The pitch that will be used for the match is a relatively fresh one, having been relaid recently. The Rajasthan Under-19 team played a match on it early this month and over 500 runs were scored in that game. There's no live grass on the strip, and a few cracks were clearly visible. The curator insisted that there was enough moisture just under the surface to ensure that the cracks will not open up, and therefore they will not come into play at all. What will certainly have a bearing is the outfield which is hard and fast, having been cut and rolled. Also, the longest boundary is 75 yards from the pitch and batsmen can expect good value for strokes when the ball beats the infield.

The little beauty

With 160 runs in the series, Sachin Tendulkar has statistically been the leading batsman on either side by some margin. But that is irrelevant compared to the devastating impact he has had on the bowlers. It's not a question of whether this is the old Sachin or not; the manner in which he is opening his shoulders and lofting the ball, driving on the up, picking the ball from outside off and hitting through leg makes it impossible for bowlers to settle. The Sri Lankans will be hoping for an early mistake from Tendulkar. For in this murderous mood, there are few bowlers, or totals, that can stand in his way.

Teams

India (probable) 1 Virender Sehwag, 2 Sachin Tendulkar, 3 Venugopal Rao, 4 Rahul Dravid, 5 Yuvraj Singh, 6 Mahendra Singh Dhoni (wk), 7 Irfan Pathan, 8 Jai Prakash Yadav, 9 Ajit Agarkar, 10 Harbhajan Singh, 11 Murali Kartik, Supersub: S Sreesanth.

Sri Lanka (probable) 1 Sanath Jayasuriya, 2 Kumar Sangakkara (wk), 3 Marvan Atapattu, 4 Mahela Jayawardene, 5 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 6 Russel Arnold, 7 Upul Chandana, 8 Farveez Maharoof, 9 Chaminda Vaas, 10 Muttiah Muralitharan, 11 Nuwan Zoysa, Supersub: Thilan Samaraweera