This is one game to watch padded up, helmet on, all guards in place. When the two South Asian neighbours take on each other at The Wanderers tomorrow, on a batsman-friendly pitch, expect fireworks on a Diwali scale. The pitch here has seen two high-scoring games; the teams batting first both crossed 300 (Australia vs Pakistan and South Africa vs New Zealand). In the first case, Pakistan lost by 82 runs; in the second, New Zealand won by 9 wickets in a rain-affected match. And when it comes to batting, India and Sri Lanka are nonpareil in terms of sheer statistics. These are batting line-ups to drool over: Tendulkar, Ganguly, Sehwag, Dravid, Yuvrav ranged against Jayasuriya, Jayawardene, Atapattu, De Silva. The top batsmen in both teams pool in an aggregate of over 25,000 plus ODI runs; not a good day to be a bowler, then. This is a match Sri Lanka need to win more than India does, which puts the pressure on them. The islanders haven’t been that consistent in this tournament, but can point to two fine wins against South Africa and the West Indies. Yet pressure isn’t something that should faze either side. As the teams prepare for their high-noon shootout, they have a wealth of experience to draw from: the five seniormost players from each side have a combined experience of over 2,000 one-day internationals. Recent history favours the Indians; both finals of the ICC Chaampions Trophy were washed out but India had won every match against the Lankans in the NatWest Trophy in England earlier last year. There is also the matter of players fit and able; India have all hands to call from, while Sri Lanka’s captain has a problem with his thumb. Jayasuriya is doubtful for tomorrow’s game but considering the importance of winning the skipper put his chances of taking the field is ‘‘75 per cent chances of playing the game tomorrow.’’ He isn’t the only one doubtful; Hashan Tillekaratne has a fragile hamstring and could sit out the crucial encounter. It’s not just injuries; Sri Lanka are worried about the form of the prodigious Mahela Jayawardene, who hasn’t crossed double digits in this tournament. It’s a problem he has to sort out himself, coach Dav Whatmore said today; the sooner, the better, he might have added. Yet his failure has been compensated by the sublime form of Marvan Atapattu — against South Africa — and the old warhorse Aravinda de Silva against the Australians. If there is one silver lining to the long Lankan batting order, it’s the number of left-handers, which will give Harbhajan a reason to smile. India, meanwhile, can sleep easy on the form of their batsmen. They’ve found their form one by one, Ganguly the latest to come good. Dravid has been his consistent self while Yuvraj has been the batting find of the tournament. However, Virender Sehwag is yet to fire as he’s known to and, though his place in the side is assured — Ganguly wouldn’t countenance the thought of dropping him — he will be hoping that it’s the Najafgarh boy’s turn tomorrow to shine. ‘‘It is not that he is batting poorly. He is not converting starts, but he has to face the pressure of batting in the first 15 overs against the best bowlers. We have a lot of faith in him’’, Ganguly said today. However, the chances of Sehwag’s static feet and hanging bat getting the better of Sri Lankan pace spearhead Chaminda Vaas are not quite bright. The safer bet would be on the left-arm pacer — in great form this past month — having Sehwag caught in the slips. And then there’s the Murali factor. Though he hasn’t been on fire in this world cup, Muttiah Muralitharan is always a potential threat and several of the Indian batsmen have not-so-pleasant memories of him. Yuvraj, for one, would remember being clean bowled behind the legs at Sharjah. Ganguly acknowledged the spinner’s importance in the match, pointing out that the NatWest wins were against a Lanka minus Murali. He had become more dangerous than ever, Ganguly said, after developing a ball which turned away from right-handers. ‘‘It is not that it can’t be picked’’, he said. ‘‘You can, but you have to watch his hand very carefully.’’ Muralitharan is also licking his lips in anticipation of bowling to the greatest batsman of the day: He hasn’t bowled to Sachin Tendulkar in almost three years. ‘‘Tendulkar is one of the greatest players ever produced in the game,” he said. ‘‘He knows how I bowl and he won’t be easily foxed.Sometimes he might win, sometimes I will win.’’ One thing is certain: in the bullring, as they call The Wanderers, it will be a time for cool nerve and steady hand. And full body armour. Don’t miss it for anything.
