It has so far been a scintillating contest between the turning ball and the flashing blade and with the final hurdle in front of both teams imminent; the whole series still hangs in perfect balance.
The battle for Cricketing supremacy in Asia reaches its grand climax as the two strongest Asian Test sides take on one another. Obviously the Sri Lankan side has the home advantage, but Team India has once again shown the resolve that has earned it immense respect in the last few years as a touring side. So what does the final turn of a captivating series hold?
The venue for the final test, P Saravanamuttu Stadium, has been a place where the Lankans have not lost a Test since its being re-instated as a Test venue in 2002. This will surely make the home team happy and will encourage them to step out positively. They are also likely to add a bit more pace to their attack with Dammika Prasad being given his first Test cap. With a bowling combination that seems to be as potent as any in home conditions in the form of Murali and Mendis, the Lankans surely have a cutting edge. They will have to make sure though that the batsmen step up to the task and that as a whole, the team gets in to a positive mood after the defeat in the second test.
The visiting team though will be on the high with a thumping win that announced both their undying resolve and vibrant fighting spirit. Once again the team has pulled itself up from a drubbing and has performed like a champion side that it wishes to be. The Indian side will once again be looking towards Sehwag and Gambhir for a rollicking start. The much famed ‘Fab 4’ though will be looking to stamp their class and authority on a series that has been conspicuous by the absence of their brilliance and pedigree. Ishant Sharma will hopefully produce another lethal spell and along with Zaheer Khan he, most probably, will hold the key on a track that is tipped to be hard and bouncy. (Just a bit more than the others)
Harbhajan Singh and skipper Anil Kumble will once again try to spin India to victory much like in the lastTest. The toss though could be a very crucial factor and both captains would want lady luck smiling on them. The game has all the makings of an absolute humdinger provided the gods up above chose to keep the skies sunny and bight without showers. The series has been too good to be robbed of the crescendo at the end.
With Sachin Tendulkar in striking distance of Brian Lara’s record expect a real special knock from the little big man of world cricket. What should his approach be? Perhaps the best solution is to ‘leave a genius to his own devices’ and hope that he entertains us in a way he chooses to.
Which way will Asian supremacy in Test Cricket swing? The heart says India. Perhaps they will break their series abroad jinx!
Not just because the heart says so-Indian will win the series for sure. The Confidence Kumble exuded in the press conference before the match (last evening) is a very positive sign. It could be a bigger achievement with the Coach Gary Kirsten not available for the finale. Indians have shown that they have improved immensely as a team that tours with victories even in Australia. The only challenge that remains would be to conquer the might of M&M.
It has been surprising that they have not yet smacked M&M to all parts of the ground. I would love to see a session of play with Sachin & Laxman taking on Murali-Mendis and taking them to the cleaners for good. They have the ability to do that. As far as Kirsten goes, I think we are somehow doing better without coaches than with then :) ya, really hope we pull it off..fingers crossed
