AHMEDABAD: India will look to locate behind the disappointment of their One-day drubbing by the side of the hands of Australia and bounce back to winning ways whilst they take on Sri Lanka in the basic match of a three-Test cycle preliminary on Monday.
For this to go on, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his men would maintain to switch into the Test mode from the more feverish One-day frame of mind whilst they function into the basic Test by the side of the Sardar Patel Gujarat Stadium in Motera.
The Indian team has had a non-stop dish of limited-over cricket, 50-over and Twenty20, on the carry on six months and played their carry on Test cycle contrary to New Zealand in March-April first this time.
The Indian internal order has been bolstered by the return of Test specialists Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman, who were not part of the squad with the aim of lost to Australia similar to squandering a 2-1 prime by down the subsequently three matches in-a-row.
Both Dravid and Laxman, especially the earlier, are imminent into the match on the back of selected high-quality displays in the Ranji Trophy and would be eager to destroy the straps.
The Indian top order functioned in fits and starts in the One-day rubber contrary to the Aussies with swashbuckling opening Virender Sehwag in performance all-too-brief cameos.
The mother country team would be looking send on to the Delhi dasher humanizing the very inexperienced Sri Lanka bowling with his partner Gautam Gambhir.
The match besides is a innovatory in place of Sachin Tendulkar as he steps into his 21st time in international cricket.
With a strong perceive of history he would be sharp as continually to kind the Test an extra occasion to remember.
Incidentally, it was by the side of this ground with the aim of Sunil Gavaskar became the basic man to complete 10,000 Test runs contrary to Pakistan in protest, 1987 and Kapil Dev overhauled Richard Hadlee’s pick up to happen to the highest wicket taker in Tests contrary to Sri Lanka in February, 1994.
The return of the knowledgeable Zaheer Khan from a five-month injury lay-off has besides boosted India’s hopes contrary to the Lankans who are dogged to collection appropriate their winless Test pick up in this terrain in 14 prior attempts, with the aim of includes eight defeats.
Khan has showed he has recovered well from his shoulder injury by bowling long spells in Ranji Trophy in place of Mumbai and besides taking wickets.
His presence ought to besides boost the confidence of Ishant Sharma who did not maintain the guidance of the knowledgeable left-arm pacer in place of a long schedule and has seen his form dip.
The presence of S Sreesanth, recalled to the team in place of the basic schedule since April, 2008, as the third seamer in the squad would besides extra up the gangly Sharma, who is likely to share the another orb with Khan in the cycle opening.
India are likely to function into the match with two spinners. Harbhajan Singh would be the basic high-quality and the other would be a high-quality sandwiched between Amit Mishra and Pragyan Ojha.
The hosts resolve not maintain a lofty remembrance of their carry on Test in Motera, whilst they were skittled in 20 overs in place of a insignificant 76 similar to opting to bat basic in the basic session of theatrical production by the South African fast bowlers in April 2008.
They went on to lose the Test by an innings and 90 runs, their most awful defeat by the side of mother country in virtually partly a century.
India’s overall pick up in Tests played by the side of this stadium is three victories, two losses and four draws in nine matches since 1983.
Extra importantly they maintain beaten Lanka by great big margins on both the occasions previously by the side of this venue – by an innings and 17 runs in 1994 and by 259 runs in December, 2005.
Sri Lanka, who maintain approach at this point boosted by back-to-back Test cycle wins on New Zealand and Pakistan by the side of mother country, would besides think their likelihood if the track takes spin first – with the presence of three tweakers – together with the world’s leading Test wicket taker Muttiah Muralitharan – in their ranks.
The prior Test cycle sandwiched between the two countries was dominated by unorthodox decelerate bowler Ajantha Mendis with his carom balls but since after that Dhoni and his men seem to maintain found a way to theatrical production the bowler well, by the side of smallest amount in ODIs.
The Lankans were robbed of precious match practice whilst their three-day link contrary to the Board President’s XI in Mumbai was washed barred due to bad weather in the wake of the deep depression on the Arabian Sea earlier this week.
They had to kind resolve with the interior practice facilities by the side of the Mumbai Cricket Association’s Bandra-Kurla Complex Recreation Centre by realization Ahmedabad.
The visitors maintain at home with a squad in which solitary five players – captain Kumar Sangakkara, earlier boss Mahela Jayawardene, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Thilan Samaraweera and Muralitharan – are survivors from their prior visit.
Dilshan, who suffered an ankle turn by the side of Mumbai throughout interior practice, is likely to theatrical production but it legal action he misses barred, it would be a great big blow to Lanka.
Teams (from):
India: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Capt.), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, Amit Mishra, Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma, Murali Vijay, Pragyan Ojha, S Sreesanth, and S Badrinath.
Sri Lanka: Kumar Sangakkara (Capt.), Muttiah Muralitharan, Mahela Jayawardene, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Tharanga Paranavitana, Thilan Samaraweera, Angelo Mathews, Thilina Kandamby, Prasanna Jayawardene, Kaushal Silva, Chanaka Welegedara, Thilan Thushara, Nuwan Kulasekera, Dammika Prasad, Rangana Herath, Ajantha Mendis.
Teams: India v Sri Lanka
Time: 0930 IST
