Dambulla, Aug. 9: With the World Cup barely six months away and not much one-day cricket for a few teams before that, every match from now is important. For New Zealand the tri-series and the tours of Bangladesh and thereafter India in November it is a chance to get acclimatised.
“It’s definitely the ideal preparation. Coming from New Zealand, the pitches are going to play differently but the conditions here will be similar to what we are going to experience in the World Cup. So this is valuable for the team and for the youngsters coming in before the World Cup,” said Kiwi captain Ross Taylor.
Preparations for the 2007 World Cup received a jolt when India were forced to turn the clock back as the newcomers then did not measure to expectations. It’s thus important to have the right men in place.
“We are just hoping that we will play with our best 15 members when it comes to the World Cup but even now we are looking at getting some time to have a look at our bench strength,” informed Dhoni.
Sri Lanka have had a couple of selection worries ahead of the World Cup. To leave out veteran Sanath Jayasuriya has not been an easy decision. Kumar Sangakkara noted that it was better to take it one match at a time rather than look too far forward.
“The important thing is to stay in the present and concentrate. The World Cup is six months away, you are always building towards that as the final goal. There are a few spots left but the core group has been identified. The youngsters will now have to consolidate,” said the Sri Lankan skipper.
The hosts have lost the last two finals they have played here and will be looking to reverse that trend.
For India who have enjoyed a good run at Dambulla winning the Compaq and Asia Cup, the young side will look at maintaining the momentum from those wins and the Test series just gone by.