India plays Sri Lanka in the third match of the Micromax Cup tri-series at Dambulla under lights. India's appalling display in the first game of the series against New Zealand means that they will need to play much better than this, and will need to win the game in order to stay in the hunt to qualify for the final of the tournament.

India's basic issue in the previous game may have seemed to be their batting as they collapsed to 88 all out. However, one gets the sense that more than the batting, it was the bowling that floundered and allowed the side to get away with 288 in the first place. It was not a track where 288 could ever be chased, and the batting just capitulated after Virender Sehwag got out.

The bowling needed a little more from the third pace bowler and the spinners. Unfortunately, neither Abhimanyu Mithun, nor the two left-arm spinners extracted anything out of the pitch and there is where the game was lost for India.

What the Indians need to look at is their bowling line-up. Ishant Sharma may continue to remain unfit for the game, but the side will need to take Munaf Patel in their playing eleven, unless MS Dhoni has some serious grudge against him. With the bowling looking as lethargic as it has, it will not make too much sense to not try out various options.

Sri Lanka have no such issues, but will realise that things change dramatically if the side bats second. Plus, they will be wary of the fact that only last week, when it looked like they had wrapped up the Test series, India brought about one of the biggest coups of recent times and won the third Test match. they will not want to underestimate a team who has beaten them in almost every ODI series in recent times played in India or Sri Lanka.

However, the advantage that they have is their very strong bowling line-up. Lasith Malinga and Nuwan Kulasekera are fit and raring to go, while the two spinners, Suraj Randiv and one of Ajantha Mendis and Rangana Herath know their job. Even the fifth bowling option of Angelo Mathews and Thissara Perera are good enough to bowl their ten overs.

What the Lankans need is a good start from their batsmen, but more importantly, they need them to bat through an not throw away their wickets like how they had done in the Tests.

Tag :- Abhimanyu Mithun   Angelo Mathews   Lasith Malinga   Munaf Patel   Sri Lanka