Dambulla, Aug. 9: Riding on the confidence picked up from their fighting display in the Test series, India resume battle, this time in the one-day format, when they take on tournament dark horses New Zealand in the opening game of the tri-series at the Rangiri International Stadium here from Tuesday.
The seven match series is a good opportunity for players to prepare for the World Cup that is to be held in the sub-continent next year.
Both India and New Zealand are depleted by injuries and have their senior players rested. Still, the Kiwis have more to gain from this tournament in terms of understanding conditions better ahead of the World Cup. Though Dambulla is not a World Cup venue the pitch and outfield are similar to conditions that prevail in the country. For India and the hosts, it will about testing their bench strength and moving closer towards the ideal combination for the mega-event.
A great deal of interest surrounds the Indian team’s selection. For the likes of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma the opportunity is a chance to cement their places in the team. Sachin Tendulkar being rested and the injury to Gautam Gambhir has given them another opportunity.
At the same time India cannot afford to rest their key players for long. After this tournament, there are only 13 ODIs scheduled for Dhoni and Co. before the World Cup and a good run from here becomes pertinent for players to stake a strong claim.
New Zealand have crossed the Equator with a depleted side. They arrived a week in advance and have played practice games in Kandy. The shoes of Daniel Vettori, Jessie Ryder and Brendon McCullum are not easy to fill and stand-in skipper Ross Taylor will have his hands full against two sides better equipped to deal with the conditions.
For all three teams it is be a chance to test their depth in bowling, particularly during the power plays and at the death. With Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh injured it’s an ideal chance to play A. Mithun and R. Ashwin and see how they shape up against quality batsmen. Ishant Sharma is not available for selection for the opener as he is nursing an ankle injury.
The top-order will be a close call. Dinesh Karthik after his match winning effort in the Asia Cup final will be the first choice to partner Virender Sehwag but the cramped middle order can also force Dhoni to shift Kohli as opener to accommodate Yuvraj Singh.