Lanka unsure but enjoying it

The guess games are likely to continue right until the toss as the Sri Lankan management is not giving away anything. Without the usual pace trio — Chaminda Vaas, Nuwan Zoysa and Malinga — Sri Lanka have still been destructive enough.

Faveez Maharoof, given the responsibility of the new ball, has been the most impressive. Tonight, he won the man of the match award by grabbing three wickets for nine runs in an unbroken 10-over spell.

While West Indian all-rounder Dwayne Smith’s punishing strokeplay and late innings charge rearranged the bowling figures of the spinners, Maharoof and Dilhara Lokuhettige’s impressive show continued.

Maharoof and Lokuhettige collected five of the 10 wickets between them. Vaas is expected to sit out until the final, so India must come prepared to tackle the same combination, with the ‘unknown’ factor, Malinga, lurking.

Captain Marvan Atapattu said, “We would prefer to have Chaminda fit for the final. We are quite happy with the bowling gameplan we have in place at present.”

The gameplan has surely sat well with them in the first two games, but with India, with Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman back, things might change a little bit.

More than the bowlers, Sri Lanka need to get the batting combination right. Because, missing until the final will be Sanath Jayasuriya who still has some fluid in the right shoulder.

The team management will continue with the policy of using another rookie, Upul Tharanga in the game against India. The middle-order experiment of sending Lokuhettige at No.4 did not work and is expected to be discontinued.

They would be looking at Mahela Jayawardene to come good before the final. With Kumar Sangakkara expected to do duties up the order, in Jayasurya’s absence, Jayawardene is a crucial link in the middle-order.

And this will be the perfect time for him to return to form, as Jayasurya’s return is only likely and not guaranteed.