India VS Sri Lanka: Battles within the battle
Sri lanka is all but through to the finals having defeated West Indies by 39 runs, courtesy Duckworth-Lewis method and is more than ready to take on the Indians in what is a do-or-die match for the latter. Sri Lankans have hit form at the right time and they out classed their opposition in an all-round show at Port of Spain on Monday.
(India looks for a big win against Sri Lanka)
As Indians play to survive in the tournament, it can turn out to be a fascinating encounter. Here is a look at the battles to watch out for.
Shikhar Dhawan vs Nuwan Kulasekara
The new ball will be crucial for both the teams as the Indian openers will look to see off the new ball and the Lankan seamers would be looking for early wickets. Dhawan is a naturally aggressive player who likes to take the attack to the opposition and with pitches not conducive for stroke-play, it will be interesting to see how he handles Kulasekara who can swing the ball both ways.
Lasith Malinga vs Indian top order
Malinga has the ability to run through a side on any given day and with the pitch offering him some assistance, he can make the job increasingly difficult for the batsmen. Dhawan, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are all stroke makers and whether they are prepared to give the first hour to the bowler remains to be seen. Even a target of 230 on these slow pitches can be a match-winning one.
Sri Lankan spinners vs Indian Batsman
Over the years Sri Lanka has had a history of producing good spinners and the likes of Sachitra Senanayake and Rangana Herath are no different. But the same thing applies for the Indian battsmen, egarded as the best players of spin bowling. It has all the things in the making of a good contest.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar vs Srilankan top order
Kumar has been brilliant with the new ball ever since he burst into the scene and his ability to pick up early wickets with the new ball is what separates him from the rest of the bowlers. Kumar has the ability to swing the ball both ways and the Sri Lankan top-order must be well aware of that fact. It will interesting to see how they negotiate his incisive swing.
Indian Spinners vs Sri lankan Batsmen
The Indians spinners are renowned all over the world for their ability to choke the supply of runs and pick up wickets and can become very dangerous when bowling in tandem. Sri Lankans are no mugpots with the bat when it comes to playing spin bowling and they have also had their fair share of success against the tweakers.
Fielding
Sri Lanka has always been a very good fielding side and has produced some very good athletes but the the Indian fielding has improved by leaps and bounds over the past year and right now it is one of the best fielding sides in the world. Fielding is an important aspect of the game and at times can decide the fate of the match. So one could well expect a lot of athleticism in today's contest between India vs Sri Lanka.
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