Hayden, Gilchrist confirm availability for IPL

Cricinfo staff

January 15, 2010

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	Matthew Hayden has shrugged off threats from a right-wing political party © Associated Press
Related Links News : Cricket Australia says players can decide on IPL News : Aussie players could miss IPL Players/Officials: Adam Gilchrist | Matthew Hayden Series/Tournaments: Indian Premier League Teams: Australia | India

Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist, the former Australia openers, have confirmed their availability for the third edition of the IPL amid threats from the Shiv Sena, a right-wing political party, in the aftermath of attacks on Indian students in Australia.

Cricket Australia, the governing body for cricket in the country, has left it to the players to decide whether or not to participate in the IPL, due to begin on March 12 this year. The Australian Cricketers' Association, a players' representative body, had raised concerns over player safety once the threats were made known but Hayden, who plays for Chennai Super Kings, was positive about his participation.

"The process is that the security agencies will investigate and let Cricket Australia know who will let the players know, but the final decision is in the hands of the players," he told the Indian news channel NDTV. "You will definitely see me in India for IPL 3.

"I have been welcomed into the bosom of India as a brother. I feel very humbled and privileged to be able to play here. I am looking forward to IPL 3 and am confident it will be a huge success."

Adam Gilchrist, who represents Deccan Chargers, was reported to have expressed concern over the matter but clarified he was certain to tour. "I cannot speak for other players but I am sure to tour India in March for the IPL. I am confident of Mr. Modi and the IPL organisers. I have some fine memories of India and would like to extend that," Gilchrist was quoted as saying by PTI.

Gilchrist's manager Stephen Atkinson had earlier stated: "Adam is aware of the situation and he is always very mindful of the security concerns in India. Adam was looking to play in this year's tournament but it is always a worry when statements like that (made by Shiv Sena) are being made. Ultimately, he will be guided by the views of Cricket Australia and security experts."

But Gilchrist added that his manager's quotes had been misinterpreted. "I love playing in India. My manager's quote has been misinterpreted and I am quite keen to play in India," Gilchrist said.

Phillip Hughes, the standby Test opener, has put himself up for Tuesday's auction and said the IPL was something he would still love to be involved in. His decision on whether or not to travel will depend on the advice from Cricket Australia and the player's association.

"I've watched the last couple of years of the IPL and the crowds and the buzz around it," he said in the Sydney Morning Herald. "I'll go in the auction next Tuesday, and just see what happens."

Shiv Sena's leader, Bal Thackeray, recently declared that "kangaroo cricketers" would not be welcome in the state of Maharashtra, but a spokesman, Diwakar Raote, subsequently qualified those remarks. ''We are not against Australians, we are not against Australian tourists, but this agitation is because of how we feel about what is happening,'' he said.

"We will respect any guest who comes but we will not allow Australians to play until the attitude is changed in Australia. What we are hearing is that they are killing our people, they are burning our people, they are stabbing our people. For what? The students are going there. Do you think we are going to do the same thing? No. But we will not allow you to play.''

Kohli cracks unbeaten ton as India ease home

Tri-Nation Tournament in Bangladesh 2009/10

India 249 for 4 (Kohli 102*, Gambhir 41, Naeem 2-35) beat Bangladesh 247 for 6 (Shakib 85, Mahmudullah 64*, Nehra 2-58) by 6 wickets
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

	Virat Kohli brought up his second hundred and fifth score of over fifty in his last six innings to make short work of Bangladesh's score © Associated Press
Related Links Matches: Bangladesh v India at Dhaka (SBNS) Series/Tournaments: Tri-Nation Tournament in Bangladesh Teams: Bangladesh | India

With a place in the final already clinched and nothing much at stake, most of India's batsmen batted sloppily. However there was no such charity from Virat Kohli as he struck a mature unbeaten century to ensure that India went into Wednesday's game on the back of three successive wins.

Shakib Al Hasan's 85 and a 106-run partnership with the lively Mahmudullah had lifted Bangladesh from a dismal 95 for 5 to 247 for 6, but on a placid track and against a line-up in form, it was nowhere near enough. India cantered home with seven overs to spare.

Kohli played with commendable concentration until victory was in sight, driving and cutting beautifully even as wickets fell around him. He got his first reprieve on 83, when Mohammad Ashraful put him down at deep midwicket off Syed Rasel, and the butter-fingers epidemic appeared to catch on, with Mushfiqur Rahim fluffing a stumping off Shakib in the next over. Ashraful's woeful outing continued when he dropped Suresh Raina two balls later. It summed up Bangladesh's evening in the field though the match was as good as over by then.

The only interest towards the end of the game centred around whether Kohli would get to his second century. The first 50 had taken just 47 balls, and he was especially severe on Shafiul Islam in his final spell, off-driving and pulling with authority. Naeem Islam was punched off the back foot for four and when Rasel decided to test him with a short one, he pulled it behind square for four. Victory and three figures were completed in a hurry, with an off-drive and a leg-side swish off Shakib.

Bangladesh needed early wickets to send any tremors through the Indian ranks but they didn't get them. Shafiul bowled some fine deliveries, but also offered width that Dinesh Karthik was quick to capitalize on, cutting powerfully past the inner ring for fours. With Gautam Gambhir glancing anything directed at his pads and Karthik easing one through the covers, India were off and away.

When Abdur Razzak came on, Karthik greeted him with a fierce heave over midwicket, but his cameo ended on 34 when he under-edged Shafiul to the keeper. Shafiul continued to be expensive though, with Gambhir taking three fours in an over, and it was left to Naeem to strike in his first over and give the team some hope.

Gambhir sauntered down the track to Naeem and swiped airily, only to see his stumps broken. But with Kohli cutting Shakib for boundaries and playing a gorgeous on-drive, the asking rate was in no danger of climbing. Yuvraj Singh was becalmed against spin though, and after a superb cover-drive, Naeem had him playing down the wrong line to be trapped in front. MS Dhoni glimmered briefly for 32 before clipping Shakib to mid-on, but there were no further alarms as Raina and Kohli saw it home in dew-heavy conditions.

Naeem had contributed a brisk 22 late in the Bangladesh innings as they took 47 from the batting Powerplay and 95 from the final 10 overs to reach a respectable score. Mahmudullah continued his good form against India, remaining unconquered on 64. Shakib was dropped by Dhoni off Yuvraj when he had made just 38 and he took advantage with some punishing strokes in the final stages of the innings. A huge six over midwicket off Ravindra Jadeja started the acceleration, and he took Amit Mishra in the same direction when he dropped short.

There was some fortune, with a top edge clearing Dhoni for four, but there was also plenty of ability, with Sudeep Tyagi being pulled for two fours and then scooped impudently down to fine leg. But when he tried to repeat the stroke off Ashish Nehra's slower ball, he only found Dhoni's gloves.

Mahmudullah had started off with a thump over cover off Mishra, and he then lofted Nehra to long-off for four more. Sreesanth was cut powerfully to the ropes and Mishra hit over long-on for six as the runs came far more freely in the final stages. Naeem swung Nehra for a six at the end and slashed another four as the sparse crowd celebrated a frenetic finish to the innings.

India had started much the better. After a maiden from Tyagi, Imrul Kayes had flailed twice through the off side as Sreesanth pitched too wide, but when he tried the same approach against Tyagi, Kohli snaffled him at point. Ashraful had no thoughts of consolidating - after playing one reckless shot to third man, he decided to give Sreesanth the charge and played on via the pads.

Raqibul Hasan played some chancy strokes, and a delightful pull off Tyagi, while Tamim Iqbal, after a cautious start, lofted Sreesanth over mid-on and then pulled him for four. But again, a wicket fell when they could least afford it, with Tamim driving Nehra on the up to mid-off, where Tyagi took an excellent catch on the run.

Raqibul was then run out as Yuvraj managed to deflect a Shakib drive on the stumps, and though Shakib gave the fans something to cheer with some crisp strokes through the off side, Mushfiqur lobbed a slower one from Yuvraj straight to the man at cover to leave the side in disarray with half the overs remaining. Honour was partially restored by the end, but once again India were just too strong, even with Virender Sehwag, Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer Khan not taking the field.

Dileep Premachandran is an associate editor at Cricinfo

Final: India v Sri Lanka at Dhaka (SBNS)
Jan 13 (14:00 local, 08:00 GMT)

India v Sri Lanka, 4th ODI, Kolkata

Match facts

Thursday, December 24
Start time 14:30 (09:00 GMT)

	The absence of Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni gives the injury-hit visitors a chance to draw level in Kolkata © AFP
Related Links News : Sehwag urges youngsters to grab opportunities Players/Officials: MS Dhoni | Yuvraj Singh Series/Tournaments: Sri Lanka tour of India Teams: India | Sri Lanka

Big Picture

The 2-1 scoreline is not unexpected given the way India have pushed Sri Lanka to the brink in all but one game - a Twenty20 - played in the limited-overs leg of the tour. But now, with the home team missing two match-winners, a hurting Sri Lanka have a realistic chance of leveling the series.

This will be the first time since MS Dhoni's debut in 2004 that India play an ODI without him and Yuvraj Singh. Dhoni has often said that missing Yuvraj is a big blow, so how India cope with the loss of their captain and best batsman in ODIs in addition to Yuvraj will be crucial.

The tour has seen so many players succumbing to injuries it's a surprise the rest have managed to get so far. Sri Lanka have lost the services of Thilan Thushara, Muttiah Muralitharan, Dilhara Fernando and Angelo Mathews. Nuwan Kulasekara missed the Tests but returned for the shorter versions. Yuvraj had a recurrence of his finger injury and has been indefinitely ruled out. Sreesanth is yet to feature after getting the flu, while Lasith Malinga overcame it in time for the last game. Thankfully, Tillakaratne Dilshan and Virender Sehwag overcame minor scares.

But there is always fear - especially among bowlers - of another injury around the corner. Three of them have shouldered the burden of carrying their respective attacks: for the hosts, the experienced duo of Harbhajan Singh (187.2 overs bowled so far) and comeback man Zaheer Khan (131) are in need of breaks. On the other hand, Sri Lanka thrust the rookie Chanaka Welegedara (126 overs) into the forefront on his first major series and he will be longing for a breather at the business end of a testing tour. This is the start of another busy season for India and there isn't much time to think ahead. Wrapping up the series in Kolkata will allow India to rest weary players ahead of the Bangladesh tour starting January 4. Sri Lanka also feature in the tri-series that kicks off that tour but, needing to win both their remaining matches in India, cannot afford the luxury of rotation.

The pitch, one that's expected to play slow and low in the latter half, will favour India's spinners who found rhythm and confidence in Cuttack. Chilly temperatures, the dew factor and a slow-paced track mean that the bowlers will need to produce another special performance. With bitter cold and early morning fog expected to have a telling impact in Delhi, the venue for the fifth match, India will be keen to wrap up the series here.

Form guide

(last five completed matches, most recent first)

India - WLWLL
Sri Lanka - LWLLL

Watch out for...

Tillakaratne Dilshan v Harbhajan Singh and Ravindra Jadeja: Sri Lanka's strength lies, keeping with tradition, at the top of the order. In Tillakaratne Dilshan they have a batsman at the height of his powers, equally adept at firing in the first over and taking charge of the slog overs. A converted opener, Dilshan has acquitted himself superbly this year and his centuries in Rajkot and Cuttack kept India sweating all the way. His ability to play unconventional shots on either side of the stumps makes it critical for the spinners to plot their modus operandi against him with care. In the first match of the series, Dilshan collected 36 runs from 23 deliveries faced against Ravindra Jadeja but was more sedate against Harbhajan Singh, who allowed just 17 from 26 balls before he bowled Dilshan for 160. In the second ODI, Dilshan took 33 runs from 27 balls faced from Harbhajan, but just 18 from the 33 Jadeja bowled at him. Dilshan didn't last long enough to face spin in Cuttack, and if the pair comes up against him tomorrow, the margin for error will be miniscule.

Lasith Malinga v Virender Sehwag: Lasith Malinga's ability to sling out top-order batsmen hasn't been evident recently on the international stage, owing largely to the injuries that have restricted him to just 10 ODIs in 2009. In the absence of Muttiah Muralitharan and Dilhara Fernando, Sri Lanka's most experienced bowler has to deliver early if Sri Lanka want to keep Virender Sehwag quiet. Fast bowlers have accounted for Sehwag in his last nine innings, and getting him out early in every game was crucial to Australia's recent series win in India. On his comeback in Cuttack, Malinga's first over cost 16 with Sehwag blasting three fours. Sehwag was dismissed by Chanaka Welegedara and didn't get a chance to face Malinga further, but sparks could fly if they face off in Kolkata.

Team news

Virat Kohli will step in for Yuvraj and hope to build on his impressive 54 last week.

India: 1 Virender Sehwag (capt), 2 Sachin Tendulkar, 3 Gautam Gambhir, 4 Virat Kohli, 5 Suresh Raina, 6 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Harbhajan Singh, 9 Zaheer Khan, 10 Ishant Sharma, 11 Ashish Nehra.

Sri Lanka don't have any new fitness worries but they need to address their middle-order problems. Chamara Kapugedera struggled for fluency in Cuttack before a loose shot sent him back, and Sri Lanka should really reconsider Sanath Jayasuriya over Thilan Samaraweera not least because of the left-arm spinning option he creates.

Sri Lanka: 1 Upul Tharanga, 2 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 3 Kumar Sangakkara (capt/wk), 4 Mahela Jayawardene, 5 Sanath Jayasuriya/Chamara Kapugedera, 6 Thilina Kandamby, 7 Nuwan Kulasekara, 8 Suraj Randiv, 9 Lasith Malinga, 10 Ajantha Mendis, 11 Chanaka Welegedara.

Pitch and conditions

Kolkata's Eden Gardens is set to host an ODI after nearly three years. It last hosted an ODI in February 2007, when Sri Lanka toured India for a short series before the World Cup. The dew factor is expected to play a large role and with a 2.30pm start, and the sun setting fairly early, the teams could have some slippery conditions while fielding under lights.

Stats and trivia

• The highest ODI total at the Eden Gardens is Sri Lanka's 309 in 49.4 overs against Pakistan in 1997.
• Head-to-head in Kolkata, India and Sri Lanka have each won and lost a game, with the third being ruined by February rain.
• The largest margin of victory in an ODI at this venue is India's 102-run win over West Indies in in 1993.

Quotes

"We have to get back to scoring runs so that we can put pressure on the opposition. It does not matter what team you are. If you are under pressure, you will lose wickets. Good sides make their own luck."
Trevor Bayliss, Sri Lanka's coach, has put the onus on the batsmen.

Jamie Alter is a senior sub-editor at Cricinfo

India v Sri Lanka, 1st ODI, Rajkot

Match facts

Tuesday, December 15
Start time 09:00 (03:30 GMT)

	Sanath Jayasuriya is all set to move to the middle order © AFP
Related Links Series/Tournaments: Sri Lanka tour of India Teams: India | Sri Lanka

Big picture

After a one-sided Test series and an even Twenty20 contest, during which flat pitches and big bats rendered the spinners ineffective, India and Sri Lanka embark upon a five-match ODI series beginning in Rajkot. Chastened by a 2-0 defeat in the Tests, Sri Lanka have a shot at redemption during this final leg of the tour.

The focus will be on Kumar Sangakkara and how he backs his talk with leadership and runs - he did thump exceptional fifties in the Twenty20s. The most interesting sub-plots of the series, though, should be the return of Zaheer Khan to 50-over cricket, and Sanath Jayasuriya's expected move down to the middle order. Jayasuriya's equation in the middle order - where he has not batted regularly since the early 1990s - and his role with the ball as Sri Lanka nurse Muttiah Muralitharan back will be crucial if Sri Lanka are to compete with India. For Sri Lanka these five matches provide an opportunity to assess their one-day prospects and identify areas they need to work on.

Despite their No. 2 ICC ranking, India are not exactly bristling with confidence. They might have won 14 out of 23 completed ODIs this year, but are coming off a disappointing Champions Trophy and a home-series defeat to Australia. Sreesanth is surely out, and Yuvraj Singh is unlikely to play in the opener. That leaves a shaky middle order and a patchy bowling attack, neither of which fired cohesively against Australia. Zaheer and Harbhajan Singh's task of boosting India's bowling is now cut out.

Form guide

(last five completed matches, most recent first)
India - LLLWW
Sri Lanka - LLWLW

Watch out for...

A hungry Kumar Sangakkara is precisely the captain and player Sri Lanka need. His successive thrilling half-centuries in the two Twenty20s underlined his quality - if proof were needed - and he remains a formidable figure at the top of the order. Sangakkara hasn't made a one-day hundred in 34 innings since June 2008, but there were signs in Nagpur and Mohali that his best form might just be around the corner.

Sanath Jayasuriya did better than Tillakaratne Dilshan in the Twenty20s but was comfortably overshadowed by Sangakkara's top-order fireworks. Always a powerful striker, he will now be an important middle-order player regardless of whether Sri Lanka get away to a flier or lose early wickers. The test will be for him to add extra patience to his game in the latter scenario. Jayasuriya's left-arm spin is equally vital - his spell in the first Twenty20 was crucial to Sri Lanka's win - and he has a knack of breaking through when the lead bowlers are struggling.

It has been exactly 10 months since Zaheer Khan played an ODI, but he held up during the Tests and the break from the Twenty20s should have given him time to rest. India's bowling wasn't at its best in the time Zaheer was out with injury and he will reunite with Ashish Nehra, India's best fast bowler since he returned in June, for the first time since 2005. The two are clever one-day bowlers, and having a potent left-arm opening duo could lift India's chances.

Suresh Raina was a spectator during the Twenty20s and needs to raise his stock in the 50-over format. Yet to be given a fixed spot in the line-up, largely due to Dhoni's penchant for flexibility, Raina will assume more responsibility now that Yuvraj is likely to miss the first match. He scored two fifties against Australia, but his only centuries so far have come against Hong Kong and Bangladesh. The time may have come for Raina to rectify that.

Team news

Dhoni didn't name India's final XI, but Yuvraj's absence at training signalled towards Virat Kohli getting a game. Sreesanth's absence may not mean an ODI debut for rookie Sudeep Tyagi, because Praveen Kumar could fill up that opening. Harbhajan will take the lead spinner's role and the allrounder's spot should go to Ravindra Jadeja.

India: (probable) 1 Virender Sehwag, 2 Sachin Tendulkar, 3 Gautam Gambhir, 4 Virat Kohli, 5 Suresh Raina, 6 MS Dhoni (capt/wk), 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Harbhajan Singh, 9 Praveen Kumar, 10 Zaheer Khan, 11 Ashish Nehra.

Sri Lanka's line-up is likely to be significantly different from the Twenty20s, with key changes at the top and in the middle. With Jayasuriya playing in the middle order, Upul Tharanga will open. The last middle-order spot will be a toss-up between Thilan Samaraweera and Thilina Kandamby, the latter being the frontrunner.

Sri Lanka were dealt a jolt today when Lasith Malinga came down with fever and did not train at the ground. The good news, though, was that Murali is almost certain to return as the lead spinner after missing the Twenty20 internationals due to a finger injury sustained during the Mumbai Test. He showed no signs of discomfort in the nets, though he visited a hospital later for a pain-relief injection on the finger. With Angelo Mathews a guaranteed allrounder, Nuwan Kulasekara, Dilhara Fernando and Ajantha Mendis will contest two spots.

Sri Lanka: (probable) 1 Upul Tharanga, 2 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 3 Kumar Sangakkara (capt/wk), 4 Mahela Jayawardene, 6 Thilina Kandamby/Thilan Samaraweera, 7 Sanath Jayasuriya, 8 Angelo Mathews, 9 Muttiah Muralithara, 10 and 11 Nuwan Kulasekera/Dilhara Fernando/Ajantha Mendis.

Pitch and conditions

For the second year running a bilateral series gets underway at the Madhavrao Scindia Cricket Ground. Last November, India and England squared off here and the home side set the tone for a series sweep with a resounding win. While it is a venue with plenty of runs on offer, it isn't one where India have always enjoyed playing. They have a 50-50 record here and the last time they played Sri Lanka at this ground, in 2007, they lost by five runs.

Stats and trivia

• India have a clear 25-10 win-loss advantage in home ODIs against Sri Lanka. Their recent record is even more dominant, with 10 wins and two losses since 1999.

• Virender Sehwag is the leading run-scorer at this ground, with 259 runs in five innings at an average of 64.75 and a strike rate of 115.62. Sachin Tendulkar has struggled, though, scoring only 161 in six innings. Among the Sri Lankans, Kumar Sangakkara is the only one to score a century here, while Tillakaratne Dilshan has two half-centuries.

• Five of the last six ODIs here - dating back to November 1999 - have been won by the team batting first. Four out of India's five victories have come batting first.

  Quotes

  "We cannot afford to drop our guard and become complacent. Every time we take the field, we go out with the intention of winning the game. We will strive to finish the year with a series victory."
  Harbhajan Singh aims to finish 2009 on a high.

  "It's not about what has happened in the series. He's still a great bowler and can have an impact on the game at any time in the series it has nothing to do with what has happened till now."
  MS Dhoni is not taking Muttiah Muralitharan lightly at all.

India v Sri Lanka, 1st Twenty20, Nagpur

Sri Lanka 215 for 5 (Sangakkara 78*, Kapugedera 47) beat India 186 for 9 (Gambhir 55) by 29 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

	Kumar Sangakkara equalled the record for the fastest fifty by a Sri Lankan © AFP
Related Links Players/Officials: Ashok Dinda | Chinthaka Jayasinghe | Muthumudalige Pushpakumara Matches: India v Sri Lanka at Nagpur Series/Tournaments: Sri Lanka tour of India Teams: India | Sri Lanka

Kumar Sangakkara starred with his highest Twenty20 score, a serenely-destructive 37-ball 78, as Sri Lanka thumped India by 29 runs in Nagpur. Chamara Kapugedera pitched in with a cameo to charge Sri Lanka to 215, a total that proved too much for India, who fell away after a promising start provided by Gautam Gambhir.

Gambhir tried valiantly with a counter-attacking fifty but it was Sangakkara who stole the show. He played only one dot ball till reached his fifty - from 21 deliveries, the quickest for Sri Lanka - but it wasn't a conventional Twenty20 knock in which the batsman goes hell for leather. There weren't many ugly swipes or heaves and anything unconventional was designed with the field in mind.

Sangakkara's innings sparked off in the ninth over against Pragyan Ojha's left-arm spin. He chipped the first delivery he faced from Ojha over mid-on, swept the next to the boundary and lifted the third for a six over long-on. There were more classy strikes, the highlight being a chipped shot over mid-on to a length delivery from the debutant Ashok Dinda. Sangakkara's predetermined shots also came off perfectly: when he shuffled to the off side, the ball was invariably so full that it was easily lapped around the corner; when he moved outside leg, he flat-batted short-of-length deliveries over mid-on or mid-off.

It wasn't a solo show from him, though. Sangakkara found support from his partners at various points in the innings - Tillakaratne Dilshan at the start, unfurling a couple of on-the-up hits, Chamara Kapugedera in the middle and Angelo Mathews at the very end. Kapugedera was fluent against everyone but he reserved his best for Ashish Nehra, looting 18 runs from the 19th over with four boundaries to all parts of the ground - a punch over cover, a pull, a slice and a cut over point - which reflected the bowler's poor lines.

The run-glut came after India started with four tight overs, only for their bowling and fielding to disintegrate under pressure. Nehra and Ishant Sharma got the ball to skid from short of a length and cramped the openers for room but the fielding gave way first after which the bowling buckled under the assault. Yuvraj Singh dropped a sitter at point off Jayasuriya when he was on 2.

After the let-off, Jayasuriya went berserk in the fifth over, bowled by Nehra, taking him for 22 runs with five boundaries, including two lap-shots past the short fine-leg fielder. Dilshan was dropped too, with Ishant missing a straightforward return chance, and he too took full toll. Though the openers didn't go on to make big scores, they had broken the shackles and set the platform for Sangakkara to play a gem.

Despite Virender Sehwag's fall in the third over, Gambhir helped India take 76 from the Powerplay but their hopes started to sink with his departure. Gambhir's was a cheeky yet intelligent innings and he peppered the off-side field with his well-timed drives - the highlight being a sequence of seven fours from nine deliveries spread over two overs from Lasith Malinga and Nuwan Kulasekara. Despite a crowded field - a short point, backward point, cover point and cover were in place - he stole five of those seven boundaries through the off side. However, he fell while trying to paddle sweep Angelo Mathews and India lost four more wickets, including those of MS Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh, in three overs as the chase derailed spectacularly. The bowling was disciplined, without ever being threatening, but India were done in by the pressure of the steep run-rate.

Sriram Veera is a staff writer at Cricinfo

India v Sri Lanka 2009/10

Lunch Sri Lanka 138 for 5 (Mahela 26*, Prasanna 2*) trail India 642 (Gambhir 167, Dravid 144, Sehwag 137, Herath 5-121) by 504 runs
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

The prodigal son Sreesanth returned in style with a three-wicket haul to rattle Sri Lanka on the third day of the second Test in Kanpur. For nine successive overs, Sreesanth ran in hard, got close to the stumps, hit the deck and found enough life in a slow pitch to leave Sri Lanka struggling to avoid follow on.

Green Park was the venue where Sreesanth played his last Test 19 months ago before he disappeared from the sports pages and made occasional appearances on Page 3. Today, he stormed back, lifting India with a spell that read: 9-2-28-3.

It was a classical spell of seam bowling: Sreesanth's pace wasn't frightening (135 kmph was the average), there were no fiery bouncers and he didn't swing it around corners, but what he did was land ball after ball on a probing line and length and cut it either way just enough to test the batsmen. He had his share of luck too - two batsmen played on off the inside edge - and Sri Lanka's batsmen didn't tailor their techniques to the demands of the pitch.

Instead of playing as close to the body as possible on a pitch with variable bounce, the batsmen erred by playing away. Tharanga Paranavitana was set up by a bouncer that crashed into his shoulder before he pushed at one cutting away from him. Kumar Sangakkara, who faced 24 deliveries from Zaheer Khan today, fell in the first over he faced off Sreesanth. Sangakkara played out three straight deliveries but was lured into a cover drive by a full wide one and ended up dragging it on to his stumps. Thilan Samaraweera was the next to go, pushing hard and early at a length delivery cutting away from him.

With Sreesanth, as always, it's not just his bowling but the entire package of quirky traits that catches attention. Today, those signature self-exhortations at the top of the run-up were not seen too often, nor was there any special celebration after a wicket.

Not everything went Sreesanth's way though. He produced an edge from his best delivery but it didn't get him a wicket. Mahela Jayawardene, on zero, pushed at one that cut away late and got an edge but neither MS Dhoni nor Sachin Tendulkar at first slip went for the catch. It was the keeper's catch. Jayawardene got another reprieve on 25 when he edged a late cut off Harbhajan Singh to first slip where Rahul Dravid couldn't hold on to a sharp chance. Harbhajan, who had Angelo Matthews bowled playing down the wrong line, was in the middle of a probing spell but the two Jayawardenes survived.

India v Australia, 7th ODI, Mumbai

Match facts

Wednesday, November 11
Start time 14.30 local time (09.00GMT)

Big Picture

	India have struggled to counter Doug Bolinger's pinpoint accuracy © Getty Images
Related Links News : 5-2 sounds a lot better than 4-3 - Ponting Players/Officials: Doug Bollinger | Sachin Tendulkar Series/Tournaments: Australia tour of India Teams: Australia | India

For India, it's a bleak and depressing one. Three successive losses have cost them the series against a patchwork-quilt Australian side. Despite an appalling injury list, Australia have managed to hold their nerve at key moments. India have lapsed back into 1990s mode, with stellar individual performances like Sachin Tendulkar's 175 in Hyderabad expected to paper over collective weakness. That hasn't happened, and the pre-series hype of going for the No.1 ranking now sounds pathetic.

For the second series in a row at home, they head to Mumbai, the heartland of Indian cricket, with the cause hopelessly lost. Back in 2007, Zaheer Khan and Murali Kartik pulled off a late show to give the scoreline (4-2) a slightly more respectable look, and that's as much as India can aspire to at the DY Patil Stadium. As for Australia, having won the Champions Trophy and now swatting aside the challenge of one of their big rivals away from home, this is a happy time, an occasion to revel in the success of a system that can produce stand-ins like Doug Bollinger and Clint McKay. Even with half the first team back home nursing injuries and niggles, they've been far too good.

Form guide

(last five completed matches, most recent first)
Australia -WWWLL
India - LLLWW

Watch out for...

Sachin Tendulkar: That dazzling century at Hyderabad aside, he has contributed just 100 in five innings. This, though, is a special game, the first time he'll be playing in front of his home crowd since the terror attacks in Mumbai a year ago. Some of his greatest innings against Australia have come in Mumbai (twin fifties in the Test in 2001, and 90 in the World Cup of 1996), but they never resulted in Indian wins. He'll be desperate to change that.

Doug Bollinger: A generation ago, Brett Schultz's left-arm pace caused India immense discomfiture on a tour of South Africa. Bollinger, who's as quick and more accurate, has had a similar impact since his introduction into this series, taking nine wickets at 19.33. The caught-and-bowled dismissal of Tendulkar was the big moment in the six-wicket romp in Guwahati, and there should certainly be enough bounce at the Navi Mumbai venue to keep him interested.

Team news

India have to make a choice. Do they opt to give the fringe players a chance, or do they focus on the victory that would claw back some pride? Had the series been won rather than lost, Sudeep Tyagi and Amit Mishra would certainly have been given outings. Mishra could yet play in place of Ravindra Jadeja, but Virat Kohli is unlikely to get a game, given how the frontline batsmen have struggled at times. Ishant Sharma could make a return with the Test series against Sri Lanka now just four days away.

India: (probable) 1 Sachin Tendulkar, 2 Virender Sehwag, 3 Gautam Gambhir, 4 Yuvraj Singh, 5 Suresh Raina, 6 MS Dhoni (capt/wk), 7 Harbhajan Singh, 8 Praveen Kumar, 9 Amit Mishra, 10 Ishant Sharma, 11 Ashish Nehra.

With Mitchell Johnson and Shane Watson flying home on Tuesday night to get some rest ahead of the upcoming home season, Australia are certain to give one-day debuts to Andrew McDonald and Burt Cockley. There could also be an opportunity for Jon Holland, the left-arm spinner who has watched from the sidelines, while Nathan Hauritz has been the most economical bowler in the series.

Australia: (probable) 1 Shaun Marsh, 2 Adam Voges, Ricky Ponting (capt), 4 Cameron White, 5 Michael Hussey, 6 Andrew McDonald, 7 Graham Manou (wk), 8 Clint McKay, 9 Jon Holland, 10 Doug Bollinger, 11 Burt Cockley.

Pitch and conditions

The DY Patil Stadium can seat 55,000 and has one of the best facilities in the country. Even the square was prepared with the help of 200 tonnes of soil flown in from South Africa. There should be enough pace and bounce to keep the quick bowlers interested, though no one can be certain how it will play given that it's the first international match at the venue. During the IPL final in 2008, the slow bowlers had some joy, and the batsmen also enjoyed an outfield where the ball raced to the ropes.

Rain is forecast for tomorrow and the overcast conditions should further encourage the seamers. India's practice session on the eve of the game was cancelled due to persistent showers.

Stats and trivia

• Australia have won two of the three one-day matches they've played in Mumbai. The loss came in the dead rubber in 2007.
• Michael Hussey averages 104.33 in the series and is the only batsman on either side with more than 300 runs.
• The top six for Australia have averaged 42.96 in the series so far, as opposed to India's 34.70

Quotes

"Even though the series is won, it's not as if we're going to leave everyone out now and not worry too much about the last game. We feel we've started something here with this group, not only here but since the one day series in England, we've started to get a really good feeling around the group and I don't want to abandon that or let that go. It'd be nice to finish off on a winning note."
Ricky Ponting doesn't want to lose that winning feeling.

"We haven't backed the opportunities that we have got. A majority of the batsmen haven't contributed at the same time."
MS Dhoni sums up India's big problem in the series.

Dileep Premachandran is an associate editor at Cricinfo