Licking the wounds of an embarassing defeat at the hands of Pakistan, India will look for a spark of inspiration when they take on Sri Lanka in a do-or-die Super League match of the Asia Cup cricket tournament in Colombo on Tuesday.
The Indians have no option but to put it across the in-form hosts to keep Pakistan away from the summit showdown, a daunting task for a team which has been struggling to find peak form after a three-month break.
Captain Sourav Ganguly's sound of relief in having all fit men for the tournament has come back to haunt him again as first paceman Zaheer Khan and then middle order batsman V V S Laxman joined the casualty list.
Zaheer has recovered to be available for selection but Laxman is through with this tournament as his swollen knee has stiffened to the point where he cannot even bend leave alone play cricket.
In case the team survives tomorrow's crunch day-and-night encounter, it would look for a replacement for the injured Laxman.
India's problems have been on all counts and it is a mix of rustiness and a strange lack of intensity from the players who are returning after a break.
Ganguly cracked the whip with some tough words following yesterday's 59-run defeat against Pakistan and expects his players to pull up the socks before its too late.
"The problem is more in the head. But it was the same when we started the last season against New Zealand at home," he said.
"We have played poorly in this tournament. We gave away far too many runs on the pitch than we should have done against Pakistan. If we play this way, we don't deserve a place in the final," he said.
Three key Indian batsmen -- Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid and Yuvraj Singh -- failed against Pakistan. The three were the lynchpin of Indian batting in the series against Australia and Pakistan last season.
Dravid scored in all the previous matches but his cheap dismissal against Pakistan served to underline his importance in the team.
Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly are two very important batsmen in their own way but somehow they are not being able to come up with match winning knocks.
Laxman's absence will leave India short by a batsman. It is a psychological trauma for a team whose founding philosophy is to go into a one-day game with seven batsmen. They went for five bowlers yesterday and paid a heavy price.
It may now be assumed that Parthiv Patel would be asked to come in as a batsman who would be asked to do the wicketkeeper's role than vice versa.
Paceman Laxmipathy Balaji too is certain to face the axe after his dismal figures of none for 61 in seven overs against Pakistan. Zaheer is tipped to regain his place and India are also likely to omit either of the two spinners Harbhajan Singh or Anil Kumble.
Kumble has reasserted his importance in the team in the last one season but he still has not settled doubts about his utility in one-day cricket.
His boundary in the final over yesterday did allow India to gain a valuable bonus point but he is not convincing as a lower order batsman.
Sri Lanka on the other hand could not be in a happier position. Their batting is firing well with Sanath Jayasuriya back in form with a cracking hundred the other night. Avishka Gunawardene is a bonus for them in the batting line-up which has players like Mahela Jayawardene, Kumara Sangakkara and captain Marvan Atapattu.
The Lankan attack has perhaps the best mix in the competition. Chaminda Vaas and Muttiah Muralitharan have been experienced campaigners but if anything, they have been upstaged by left-arm pacemen Nuwan Zoysa and new find Ferveez Maharoof.
Zoysa has been difficult to get off the square because of his nagging line and Maharoof's high-arm action is forcing the batsmen on the backfoot.
The hosts will no doubt go into the match in a more relaxed frame of mind having assured a berth in the final on August 1, gathering the maximum 12 points from two matches.
India are second with seven points and a win tomorrow will take them to the final, even if Pakistan collects the full six points against minnows Bangladesh on Thursday.
Teams:
India: Sourav Ganguly (captain), Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid, Yuvraj Singh, Mohammad Kaif, Harbhajan Singh, Anil Kumble, Parthiv Patel, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra and Irfan Pathan.
Sri Lanka: Marvan Atapattu (captain), Sanath Jayasuriya, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Russel Arnold, Chaminda Vaas, Nuwan Zoysa, Dilhara Fernando, Muttiah Muralitharan, Upul Chandana, Rangana Herath, Romesh Kaluwitharana, Lasith Malinga.
Hours of play (IST): 2.15 to 5.45 p.m; 6.25 p.m till close of play.
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