Almost through, but not there yet

Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s instincts in the previous matches have provided him with a set of options, but he’s expected to play safe tomorrow. The skipper wants to wrap up qualification in this match itself to provide himself and his overworked team some much-needed rest in what has been, and what further promises to be, a hectic cricket calendar.

He is expected to plant Virender Sehwag back from he was plucked away while Sreesanth, too, is likely to regain his place. The Indian team hasn’t zoomed in on the final list but is contemplating to revert back to the seven batsman-four bowler package against the Australians.

Similar problems

India’s opposition, too, has been experiencing critical collapses in the middle-order with Australian skipper Ricky Ponting, Andrew Symonds and Michael Hussey desperate to contribute around the in-form Michael Clarke.

The Indian middle-order, in comparison has been a shade better with some bits-and-pieces contributions, the return to form of central character Yuvraj Singh, and the presence of Dhoni. There are hopes of a sustained performance from here.

Top-order woes

The tricky part is at the top of the order with Sachin Tendulkar and Sehwag yet to muster scores that match their reputation. Both are big-match players and will have to overcome a fresh-from-a-break Brett Lee and the wily and accurate Nathan Bracken to provide a brisk start, which hasn’t materialized except on one occasion.

Tendulkar once again called on his old-friend and former Indian team mate Subroto Banerjee to bowl him at the nets today — with all those superstitions hovering around the cricketers, the medium-pacer who has shifted base to Sydney could well be the lucky mascot.

Banerjee’s outside-off line at the nets before the Test match helped Tendulkar get a big hundred here, and a repeat is being hoped for.

India’s predator in the last match, Mitchell Johnson, hasn’t traveled to Sydney but another nemesis, Stuart Clark, will dart in along with James Hopes and Brad Hogg towards the later stages.

Irfan Pathan and Harbajan Singh have been outstanding in that role so far, cutting pace off the ball and bowling stump to stump.

Ishant Sharma looked jaded during his first barren run on tour in the last match but the lanky paceman looked in good spirits after sufficient rest and will be crucial with his slanting deliveries against the left-hand pair of Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden.

Despite good batting surfaces through the tri-series, spectators are yet to feel the thrill of a high-scoring game. But the focus will once again be upon two reputed batting cards to match what happened two days ago on the same wicket, when Victoria made 357 in 50 overs.