Can Ajantha Mendis calm Dhoni and company this time?

By Ranjan ANANDAPPA

CRICKET: The high riding Indians on a crest of a wave of their recent success against the World Champions Australia and England will take Mahela Jayawardena’s Sri Lankan one day cricket status to the acid test when they arrive in the Island tomorrow (Monday) to play 5 One-Day Internationals.

Sri Lanka who won the Test series 2-1, but was roundly beaten 3/2 in the ODI series by Dhoni’s men back home last August, will find the Indians led by the exemplary young captain a huge stumbling block in trying to redress things when they meet again. While Jayawardena and Co. will enjoy a big home advantage, the Indian dominance bringing down Ricky Ponting’s Aussies and Kevin Pietersen’s Englishmen speaks very tall of a team that has found the winning formula with a combination of all his units.

Dhoni who had declared himself out of the Test series against the Lankans last year, played an important role as captain and batsman in the limited overs, helping to outwit Sri Lanka when they last met in Sri Lanka less than a year ago. The strong point of the Indian team is that the batting department has improved tremendously with the likes of Yuvaraj Singh contributing enormously to a side that has been consistently held together by the big hitting opener Virender Sehwag who had a fine stint against Australia and England.

Then add the inform Gautham Gambhir, ‘little master’ Sachin Tendulkar and the skipper Dhoni himself, it will be a huge proportion to the Sri Lankan bowlers.

It is interesting to see as to how the Indians will cope up with Ajantha Mendis who mesmerised them in the Asia Cup final, which the Lankans won. Then the subsequent home Test series July-August 2008 where Mendis inflicted irreparable damage to the Indian side to take the Test series 2-1. India’s ace spinner Harbhajan Singh will miss the series due to a hamstring injury and his place will be taken by left-handed allrounder Ravindra Jadeja who has been enjoying a fairly successful Ranji Trophy season, taking 42 wickets in 9 matches and scoring 739 runs.

The Sri Lankans will be mindful that the Indian batting machinery had the fire power to destroy Australia and England and it will require a gigantic effort from the Lankan bowlers to address that area.

However, Sri Lankan skipper Mahela Jayawardena is fully focused in the on - going ODI series against Pakistan which both teams have won a match each and the final to be played on Saturday.

Itinerary

January 26 Monday: arrival of Indian team. Jan. 27 Rest and practice. January 28 First: ODI Dambulla-Day match January: 29 and 30 rest and practice. 31st Sat. 2nd ODI at R. Premadasa Stadium D/N. Feb. 1st and 2nd rest and practice. Feb. 3: 3rd ODI R. Premadasa Stadium D/N. Feb. 4 rest. Feb. 5: 4th ODI R. Premadasa Stadium D/N. Feb. 6 and 7 rest and practice. Feb. 8: 5th ODI SSC Day match. Feb. 9 rest. Feb.10 Twenty20 game at R.Premadasa Stadium D/N.

Teams:

India. Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Captain), Virender Sehwag, Gautham Gambhir, Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvaraj Singh, Rohith Sharma, Suresh Raina, R.Jadeja, Yusuf Pathan, Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma, Munaf Patel, Pragyan Ojha, Irfan Pathan, Preveen Kumar, Coach. Gary Kirsten.

Sri Lanka: Mahela Jayawardena (Captain), Sanath Jayasuriya, T.M. Dilshan, Kumar Sangakkara, Thilina Kandamby, Chamara Kapugedera, Farveez Maharoof, Thilina Thushara, Jehan Mubarak, Angelo Mathew, Muthiah Muralidharan, Ajantha Mendis, Dilhara Fernando, Dammika Prasad.