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ESPNcricinfo previews the second Test between South Africa and India in Durban

The Preview by Sriram Veera25-Dec-2010

Match Facts

December 26-30, Durban

Start time 10:00 (08:00 GMT, 13:30 IST)
Rahul Dravid averages just 33 in Tests in South Africa and has only one hundred from 18 innings. Can he turn things around in Durban?•Associated Press

Pitch and conditions

This is perhaps the greenest track this Indian team might have ever played on. MS Dhoni reckons that Vadodara’s IPCL track in his first year of first-class cricket was greener. It is thick grass with deep roots, but it’s not just the greenness. Under the grass there is a crack around the good length area, just outside the off stump for a right-hand batsman batting from the dressing-room end. Moreover, the overhead conditions are a legend of mythical stature here. If the breeze blows from the north-east, from the sea towards land, it means clear weather and a good time for batting. If it blows towards the sea, it brings clouds, and hell for batsmen. The forecast is for overcast conditions, and it drizzled steadily for a half-hour today. You can’t really say, as you could in Centurion, that the toss is a crucial thing.

The Big Picture

Strike one in Centurion. Strike two in Durban? South Africa would like to think so. They will hope that the sun doesn’t come out and make the pitch unfriendly to seamers. Hashim Amla, the local lad, believes that the pitch will have bounce, but will be great for batting the sun is out. “I’m not sure how the Test wicket is going to play, but on a good day, when the wicket’s flat, it’s a fantastic place to play.”Durban’s pace and bounce shouldn’t worry the Indians as much as when it gets combined with the seam movement. When the ball moves around at pace, their techniques gets exposed. In Morne Morkel, South Africa have a bowler who can test the Indians with bounce – it was in Durban that Mitchell Johnson broke Graeme Smith’s fingers with a snorter – and in Dale Steyn, they have the man who can harass them with pace and movement. So much will come down to how the surface plays. The selection headache revolves around the third seamer: Lonwabo Tsotsobe or Wayne Parnell? In his brief career, Tsotsobe has proven to be a steady operator while Parnell has shown, on occasions, the prowess to bowl fiery spells. Indians, traditionally, have struggled against such left-arm seamers. Will South Africa bite the bullet?For India, it’s another acid test. The batsmen’s approach in the second innings of the first Test was successful but by then the pitch had lost its sting. Can they do it when the pitch has some spice in it? So much, yet again, depends on Virender Sehwag if India are to do well in the first innings. He has the skill and the mental tenacity to deal with pace and bounce. Though VVS Laxman didn’t sparkle in the first Test, he was at relative ease till his dismissals, but the same can’t be said of Suresh Raina. Will the Indians give him one more chance “to surprise himself” or will they draft in Cheteshwar Pujara? Zaheer Khan returns to alleviate their bowling woes and India will hope that Ishant Sharma and Sreesanth have learnt from the mistakes of the first Test.

Form guide

(most recent first)
South Africa: WDDWD
India: LWDDW

Watch out for…

Zaheer Khan v Graeme Smith: In 20 innings, Zaheer has taken out Smith nine times (four each in Tests and ODIs and once in T20s). Zaheer has been always good against left-hand batsmen with his ability to punctuate his incoming deliveries with the one that holds the line or even moves away, and he has been exceptionally good against Smith. Often, Smith has been caught at the crease, either pushing outside the line or stabbing inside it.Dale Steyn v Rahul Dravid: Dravid’s judgement of his off stump’s location is no longer what it used to be. Often, he has been pushing at deliveries that he would have not touched in the past. It’s not an aggressive move to score runs either: his back leg stays rooted to the leg stump line and the front leg keeps dragging him well outside off. Steyn’s pacy away-seamers will tempt Dravid to waft outside off, but will he overcome the instinct to feel for them?

Team news

South Africa have no fitness issues and only have to decide between Tsotsobe and Parnell, with the former likely to retain his spot.South Africa: (probable) 1 Graeme Smith (capt), 2 Alviro Petersen, 3 Hashim Amla, 4 Jacques Kallis, 5 AB de Villiers, 6 Ashwell Prince, 7 Mark Boucher (wk), 8 Paul Harris, 9 Morne Morkel, 10 Dale Steyn, 11 Lonwabo Tsotsobe / Wayne ParnellZaheer is set to replace Jaidev Unadkat for India. It is to be seen whether they retain Raina or bring in Pujara. India will sweat over the fitness of Gautam Gambhir as well, who was hit on the left hand in the first Test and the injury seems to have gotten worse.India (probable): 1 Gautam Gambhir, 2 Virender Sehwag, 3 Rahul Dravid, 4 Sachin Tendulkar, 5 VVS Laxman, 6 Cheteshwar Pujara / Suresh Raina, 7 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 8 Harbhajan Singh, 9 Zaheer Khan, 10 Ishant Sharma, 11 Sreesanth

Stats and trivia

• Rahul Dravid averages just 33 in Tests in South Africa and has just one hundred from 18 innings. Click here for a comprehensive stats analysis on the teams’ performances in Durban.
• Since Smith took over as captain, South Africa have won only three of the seven Tests played at Kingsmead, two of them against the lowly-ranked West Indies. The third was in 2006 against India and was ten minutes away from being drawn.

Quotes

“We don’t consider one Test match more important than the others. By doing that, you can put additional pressure on yourself. We believe in taking care of small things so we respect every Test, and not in taking any extra pressure.”
“There’s a lot of talk about momentum, and it’s important, but it’s just there until the next game. We are approaching this game as starting fresh again, having the confidence of the previous win.”

Zimbabwe bowler Ed Rainsford has been ruled out of the World Cup due to an ankle injury and Tinashe Panyangara has been named as his replacement

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Feb-2011Zimbabwe bowler Ed Rainsford has been ruled out of the World Cup due to an ankle injury and Tinashe Panyangara has been named as his replacement. Rainsford, who has played 39 ODIs and two Twenty20 games, is the third Zimbabwe player to be ruled out of the World Cup after batsman Tino Mawoyo and allrounder Sean Ervine.Panyangara, who is yet to play a World Cup game, bowled the Zimbabwe Under-19 side to victory over Australia at the 2003-04 World Cup with 6 for 31 and soon after, was fast-tracked into the national side during the rebel crisis. He made his international debut in 2004 and after initial success, suffered a stress fracture of the back, missed a year of cricket and drifted out of contention before moving to England to play club cricket.Panyangara last played for the national side in 2005 but returned to Zimbabwe cricket late last year after he was signed up by domestic franchise Mountaineers for the 2010-11 season. He has played three Tests and 23 ODIs for Zimbabwe.Rainsford is the eighth player to be replaced in the tournament after Mawoyo, Ervine, Australia’s Nathan Hauritz and Michael Hussey, Praveen Kumar from India, England’s Eoin Morgan and Sohail Tanvir of Pakistan.

Paul Sheldon has announced that he is stepping down as Surrey chief executive at the end of March after 15 years in the position

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Feb-2011Paul Sheldon has announced that he is stepping down as Surrey chief executive at the end of March after 15 years in the position. During that time he has overseen the club’s rise to become the most financially successful county, although that has coincided with a long-term slump in form on the field.Surrey’s strong financial footing has come from a number of schemes which included selling the naming rights to the ground and the construction of the OCS stand at the Vauxhall End of the ground. The club also benefits from a long-term staging agreement with the ECB and in 2005 and 2009 hosted deciding Ashes Tests.It has allowed the county to spend large sums on attracting big-name players to The Oval including Steven Davies and Chris Tremlett. However, there has been no swift upturn in results with the club still stuck in the second division of the County Championship but Sheldon has many positive memories.”I have stood down because I believe I have taken the club as far as I can, and that now is the right time to hand over the reins,” Sheldon said. “I am very proud of what we have achieved at the club over the last fifteen years. Most especially, I remember the winning era of the great Adam Hollioake side; the building of the iconic OCS Stand and the historic Ashes winning years of 2005 and 2009.”It has been a privilege to have served as chief executive of one of the greatest cricket clubs in the world and to have worked with so many talented people both inside and outside the club. Many of them have become good friends along the way.”Richard Thompson, the Surrey chairman, said: “Paul’s service to the Club, from running our 150th celebrations in 1995, to then becoming our chief executive shortly afterwards has been outstanding. Both on and off the field, Paul leaves a tremendous legacy and many enduring friendships. Paul will always be part of the Surrey family.”

The captains will draw much of the focus in the initial stages of the tournament as the teams settle on their combinations

The Preview by Siddhartha Talya08-Apr-2011

Match facts

A fresh start for Kumar Sangakkara•Manoj Ridimahaliyadda

Saturday, April 9
Start time 1600 (1030 GMT)

Big picture

The controversial build-up to this year’s IPL has, for a large part, involved Rajasthan Royals, whose participation in the tournament had been in question. Their reinstatement came at a price – a significantly reduced auction purse – and much like in their first year, a lot depends, prescient tweets apart, on the leadership of Shane Warne. His presence in the inaugural edition was inspiring, spurring on a team of lesser-knowns to a title triumph, and his tactics drew admiration.His Deccan Chargers counterpart is an accomplished leader himself. Kumar Sangakkara stepped down from the helm of Sri Lanka’s one-day side, following their defeat in the World Cup final – one of many resignations in Sri Lanka’s setup – but takes charge of a revamped team after the franchise released all its players into the auction pool.Not unlike the other franchises, the captains will draw much of the focus in the initial stages of the tournament, as the teams settle on their combinations. In the case of Rajasthan and Deccan, one captain is leading a comfortable life in international retirement but returning to the IPL to revive his team’s fortunes after two disappointing seasons, while the embattled other seeks to mould an unfamiliar team into a successful one. Both are widely respected, strategically shrewd and expert sledgers, offering great potential for mind games in a format that is often an exhibition of machismo.

Team talk

Rajasthan lost Paul Collingwood in the lead-up to the tournament and Jacob Oram was brought in. They will be without the all-round services of Shane Watson, who is in Bangladesh as Michael Clarke’s deputy for a three-match one-day series. The pace of Shaun Tait might be preferred over Oram, while Ross Taylor will be a key player in the middle order. Ajinkya Rahane was a prolific scorer in the domestic season, and is among the Indian players to watch out for. Not to forget the four players who were a vital part of Rajasthan’s maiden Ranji title – Aakash Chopra, Ashok Menaria, and seamers Pankaj Singh and Deepak Chahar, who grabbed 12 wickets on his first-class debut back in October 2010.There’s no Kevin Pietersen or Cameron White for Deccan, one due to injury, the other due to international commitments. Rusty Theron impressed last season for Kings XI Punjab, Dale Steyn heads the pace attack, Michael Lumb is an attacking opening option while JP Duminy will lead the middle order. The bumper signing for Deccan was South Australia allrounder Daniel Christian, and he also remains an attractive draw in the top order. They also have left-arm spinner Chris Lynn, though it’ll be surprising if he makes the XI on Saturday.

In the spotlight

Ishant Sharma: Being left out of India’s World Cup XV would have been a setback for Ishant, with Munaf Patel being preferred over him, but now’s the time to bounce back. He was the pace spearhead for Kolkata Knight Riders last year, but will have to play a slightly subordinate role to Steyn in the Deccan attack. While Steyn can bank on some swing, Ishant will hit the deck hard and be determined to get back in to the reckoning for national selection.Rahul Dravid: For assistance in leadership and mentoring the younger players in the team, Warne need not look too far. Apart from his quality batting, Dravid’s richness in experience and his attitude makes him an example for the younger players, and his association with his once nemesis Warne will be among the key features of Rajasthan’s game.

Prime numbers

• Pragyan Ojha and Amit Mishra, both part of Deccan, were the two highest wicket-takers in last year’s IPL. Ojha picked up 21 wickets in 16 games, Mishra finished with 17 in 14.
• Harmeet Singh, Shane Warne, Michael Lumb and Dale Steyn have one thing in common – they had two ducks against their name in last year’s IPL, the second-highest for any batsman.

The chatter

“As a franchise and as a team, I hope the Hyderabadi fans will embrace us and we will do our best for you on the field and continue to do so right throughout the IPL season as we try and win IPL 4.”

ESPNcricinfo previews the IPL match between Chennai Super Kings and Delhi Daredevils in Chennai

The Preview by Abhishek Purohit11-May-2011

Match facts

Thursday, May 12, Chennai
Start time 2000 (14.30 GMT)James Hopes will take over from Virender Sehwag as Delhi Daredevils captain•AFP

Big Picture

Chennai Super Kings are the team to beat in the IPL, yet again. Mumbai Indians may have done the early running and may be top of the table, but they have also twice collapsed dramatically for totals of less than 100. Contrastingly, it has taken either the elements or a special performance to conspire against Chennai, who are one of only two teams to have posted totals in excess of 180 on three occasions. With the ball, they have done just about enough to choke off opponents, which is evident from the fact that they have bowled out their opposition only once this season.As if seven losses weren’t enough, Delhi Daredevils now have to compete without Virender Sehwag, architect of three of their four wins so far, who will miss the rest of the IPL to undergo shoulder surgery. Delhi with Sehwag were average, Delhi without Sehwag will be poor, unless they can manage to step up considerably under new captain James Hopes. Chennai have been unbeaten so far at home this season, and will start as clear favourites on Thursday. A win will mean a play-off berth is more or less secure.

Form guide (most recent first)

Chennai: WLWWW (third in points table)
Delhi: LWLWL (eighth in points table)

Team talk

It is impossible to replace Sehwag, but someone will have to take his place in the XI. It could be young Unmukt Chand, who had two torrid outings at the start of the season. Roelof van der Merwe could also get a game, but that would mean Colin Ingram having to miss out after only one match, in which he faced two balls.Chennai have grown stronger after the arrival of Dwayne Bravo but what Wriddhiman Saha’s role was in the previous match is anybody’s guess, considering that he didn’t keep, and would have batted at No. 8. At least S Anirudha can bat higher up or Joginder Sharma can bowl.Predict the playing XIs for this match. Play ESPNcricinfo Team Selector.

In the spotlight

After starting this season with three half-centuries and a 46 in five matches, David Warner‘s form has tapered off sharply, with only 26 runs in his next five innings. He was even left out against Deccan Chargers, but in the absence of Sehwag, his position at the top of the order acquires added importance, if Delhi have to challenge Chennai.That Doug Bollinger has a better economy rate than even R Ashwin, who is usually difficult to get away, shows how important the fast bowler has been for MS Dhoni. He has chugged in and hustled batsmen with pace, bounce, angle and variation, whether at the start of the innings or at the death. Thirteen wickets from just eight games have made Chennai even more reliant on him.

Prime numbers

• The highest total the in IPL is Chennai’s 246 made in 2010; the highest this season is Delhi’s 231
• Chennai have the best win-loss ratio in the IPL, 1.43

The chatter

“Irfan Pathan is a solid player and he will be given some more opportunities in the next three games.”

ESPNcricinfo previews the IPL match between Deccan Chargers and Pune Warriors Indians in Hyderabad

The Preview by Siddarth Ravindran09-May-2011

Match facts

Tuesday, May 10, Hyderabad
Start time 1600 (1030 GMT)The fielding of both teams will be in focus•Associated Press

Big Picture

Both these teams know that they are all-but-mathematically eliminated from the race for the play-offs. That makes the task of motivating the teams even harder for two captains who haven’t had the best of times in the IPL, Yuvraj Singh and Kumar Sangakkara. The two were team-mates during the first three seasons at Kings XI Punjab, a team which floundered in 2010 and the dismal form has continued for them this season as well.One area that Deccan Chargers will definitely need to lift is their fielding. Both of the defeats over the past week came after the a series of fielding lapses allowed the Man of the Match to turn in a game-changing performance. Yusuf Pathan was reprieved three times as he launched a late onslaught to power Kolkata Knight Riders to a tall score, and Virender Sehwag’s masterpiece had several slices of luck as well.What Pune Warriors will have to be wary about is Deccan’s new-ball attack. Dale Steyn and Ishant Sharma are forming a potent combination, and will pose a big threat to the Pune top-order. Deccan’s back-up bowling hasn’t been as threatening though, and if Pune are a touch cautious early on, they could capitalise when the weaker links come into the attack.

Form guide (most recent first)

Pune: WLLLL (eighth in points table)
Deccan: LLLWL (ninth in points table)

Team talk

Deccan’s trouble has been that their overseas players have done moderately well, but not well enough to win matches. They could consider giving Michael Lumb a game to give them the impetus at the start, in place of either JP Duminy or Dan Christian.Pune made plenty of changes in their previous match to finally end their losing streak. If Sourav Ganguly is deemed match fit, he is likely to slot in at the top of the order, perhaps taking the place of Jesse Ryder. That frees up an overseas slot for Jerome Taylor to return, perhaps in place of Shrikant Wagh.Predict the playing XIs for this match. Play ESPNcricinfo Team Selector.

In the spotlight

Pune bet big on Robin Uthappa but the returns have been modest so far. He is now being used higher up the order, giving him more time to make an impact. He has shown flashes of brilliance, clearing the boundary with ease on occasion, though the finishing skills for which he was bought has seldom been on display.Ishant Sharma has had several outstanding matches this season, with the highlight being his dismantling of Kochi’s top order. He was spot-on in Deccan’s previous match against Delhi as well, and Tuesday’s encounter will be his last chance to convince the national selectors he deserves a spot in the one-day squad for the West Indies tour.

Prime numbers

• Alfonso Thomas has the third-highest number of wickets in T20s, behind Dirk Nannes and Albie Morkel
• With 104 sixes, Cameron White is 11th on the list of batsmen with the most Twenty20 sixes
• Kumar Sangakkara has an abysmal captaincy record in IPLs, winning only six of the 23 matches he has led in

The chatter

“When I look at my team, I can’t imagine how we lost so many games with that talent. We just haven’t clicked.”

“If you don’t hold on to the chances that you create, especially when that is wicket you need, it is tough to win the game.”

Dewald Nel, the Kent and Scotland seam bowler, will leave the club after on-going injury problems

ESPNcricinfo staff24-May-2011Dewald Nel, the Kent and Scotland seam bowler, will leave the club after on-going injury problems.He joined Kent in 2010, having made 18 one-day international and 10 Twenty20 appearances for Scotland, and took 9 for 119 in the final game Championship game of the season but has been unable to shake off a back injury.”Having finished on such a high last year, I was really looking forward to this season,” he said. “However, it is with great regret that I have decided to leave Kent due to an on-going back problem.”I would like to thank everyone for their support during my time at Kent, I will hold fond memories of The Garden of England and I wish the club and its players a successful 2011 season.”

Sussex Sharks moved to the top of the South Group after recovering from a terrible start to convincingly beat Middlesex Panthers by 49 runs

16-Jun-2011Sussex 165 for 8 beat Middlesex 116 by 49 runs
Scorecard
Murray Goodwin top-scored with 48 in Sussex’s victory•Getty Images

Sussex Sharks moved to the top of the South Group after recovering from a terrible start to convincingly beat Middlesex Panthers by 49 runs in the Friends Life t20 fixture at Lord’s.The Sharks were 2 for 2 in the second over after Chris Nash and Joe Gatting, who have both struggled for runs in the competition so far, were dismissed for ducks. But solid contributions from their three internationals, Luke Wright, Lou Vincent and Murray Goodwin, allowed them to recover to 165 for 8.When the Panthers were reduced to 61 for 4 halfway through their reply Sussex were on their way to avenging their only defeat so far at Hove last week.A well-grassed pitch played better than it looked but Sussex made a dreadful start with Nash bowled by Steven Crook’s yorker and Gatting pulling tamely to square leg to give Steve Finn the first of two wickets. But Wright and Vincent revived their side with a stand of 69 from 39 balls.Wright, Sussex’s leading scorer in the competition this season, twice cleared the ropes in his 34 off 18 balls before former team-mate Tom Smith turned one past his defences. Vincent made 44 from 32 and also hit two sixes only to be caught off a top-edged sweep and it was left to skipper Goodwin to make sure Sussex maintained their recovery.Goodwin scored 48 off 33 deliveries with four boundaries and a six and it was a surprise when he was foxed by Ryan McLaren’s slower ball, especially as McLaren’s four expensive overs had gone for 43.The Panthers used seven bowlers but a cameo from Rana Naved ul-Hasan, who made 24 from 14 balls, lifted Sussex to a total which they always looked capable of defending given the quality of their bowling attack.Middlesex were hampered by the absence of Chris Rogers, who hurt his hand when he dropped Vincent and was unable to bat, and were struggling on 41 for 4 after 6.1 overs.Paul Stirling cut to point and John Simpson, promoted to open, missed a full toss. Crook carelessly drove at a widish delivery and Dexter gave Monty Panesar a return catch immediately he came into the attack.A fifth-wicket stand of 64 between Scott Newman and Dalrymple kept their hopes alive but the asking rate was climbing all the time. When left-armer Chris Liddle returned to the attack in the 19th over he finished off Middlesex with three wickets in five balls.Liddle cleaned up Newman (44) and claimed Anthony Ireland next ball and although Finn averted the hat-trick he soon gave a tame catch to gully. Liddle finished with 4 for 20 and Middlesex had lost for the fifth time in six games.

UAE recovered well from Monday’s loss, putting in team effort to register a four-wicket win against Kenya in the Intercontinental One-Day Cup in Nairobi, as a century from Kenya opener Rakep Patel went in vain

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Jul-2011
Scorecard UAE recovered well from their loss in the first 50-over game against Kenya, putting in a team effort to register a four-wicket win in the Intercontinental One-Day Cup in Nairobi, as a century from Kenya opener Rakep Patel went in vain.After Kenya were asked to bat, Patel – who was very highly rated by the previous Kenya coach Eldine Baptiste – built the host’s total almost single-handedly with a knock of 124 off 154 balls. He struck nine fours and six sixes before being run out in the final over of the innings. Only Tanmay Mishra offered Patel adequate support, scoring a half-century in a 111-run stand for the third wicket, as Kenya posted 230 for nine. Saqib Ali was pick of the UAE bowlers, claiming three middle-order wickets while conceding only 28 in an eight-over spell.UAE lost Bakthiyar Palekar early on in the chase, but were steadied by Arshad Ali and Amjad Ali who added 85 for the second wicket. Kenya fought back with three wickets in the space of 17 runs, including that of Amjad Ali for 60, before another half-century stand between Shaiman Anwar and Khurram Khan put them back on course. Anwar fell with his side 46 short of victory, but Khurram saw the chase through, finishing unbeaten on 65 as UAE won with 20 balls to spare.

ESPNcricinfo previews the fourth ODI between Sri Lanka and Australia in Colombo

The Preview by Brydon Coverdale19-Aug-2011

Match facts

August 20, Colombo
Start time 1430 (900 GMT)Lasith Malinga took five wickets in Sri Lanka’s comfortable win in the 3rd ODI•AFP

Big Picture

A lot has changed in Australian cricket over the past 24 hours but one thing remains the same: the team is in Sri Lanka trying to win a one-day series. The players have been briefed on the Argus report, which has resulted in Andrew Hilditch and Greg Chappell being removed from the selection panel, and the captain and coach being made selectors. Chappell remains in Sri Lanka with the side, and will pick the team for Saturday’s match. It might be difficult for the players to retain their focus amid such turmoil, but given how impressive Sri Lanka were in the third match, they will need to shut out all distractions.Tillakaratne Dilshan and his men found a spark to keep the series alive in Hambantota, and victory in Saturday’s game in Colombo will level the series. The teams met at this venue during the World Cup but the match was washed out. The pitch had offered plenty of spin on that occasion, which should give the hosts some confidence.

Form guide

(Most recent first)
Sri Lanka WLLWL
Australia LWWWW

In the spotlight

Lasith Malinga’s five-wicket haul in Tuesday’s victory was overshadowed by Upul Tharanga’s century, but it was just as impressive. At his best, Malinga is fast, accurate, and gets late swing that means a batsman cannot afford to play the wrong line. He will be a key weapon throughout the rest of the series.Doug Bollinger has been in excellent form for Australia so far in this series, having taken taking eight wickets at 13.87, yet he’s not part of the squad for the Test matches coming up after the one-dayers. He has used his pace, bounce and angle to great effect in the first three games, and was easily Australia’s best bowler in the loss in the third match. Bollinger might not exactly be able to bowl himself into the Test squad, but if he keeps his form up, he’ll have every chance of being the first backup if any of the bowlers break down in the longer format.

Team news

Sri Lanka might have won the third ODI, but not all members of their team have pulled their weight, and three men have been dropped from the squad. Of those, Dinesh Chandimal was the only one who played in the victory, and his axing should mean Chamara Silva retains his spot. The uncapped legspinner Seekkuge Prasanna has been rushed home from England, where he was playing for Sri Lanka A.In Hambantota, Sri Lanka played just the one specialist spinner, Ajantha Mendis, with Jeevan Mendis playing a supporting role. But with the action shifting to Colombo Dilshan said in the pre-match press conference they would play two spinners. He also said Prasanna could be handed a debut though he will be competing for a spot with Suraj Randiv. Dilshan admitted Sri Lanka may consider dropping Jeevan Mendis since they had given him plenty of opportunities, and he has not produced with either bat or ball in the series.Angelo Mathews has been ruled fit after missing the third game.Sri Lanka (probable) 1 Upul Tharanga, 2 Tillakaratne Dilshan (capt), 3 Kumar Sangakkara (wk), 4 Mahela Jayawardene, 5 Chamara Silva, 6 Angelo Mathews, 7 Jeevan Mendis, 8 Nuwan Kulasekara, 9 Suraj Randiv / Seekkuge Prasanna, 10 Ajantha Mendis, 11 Lasith Malinga.Australia’s main concern surrounds the out-of-form Brad Haddin, but with no other gloveman in the squad, they have no option but to retain him. One possibility would be to bring Shaun Marsh in to open and push Haddin down the order, perhaps squeezing out Steven Smith, who has delivered little with bat or ball so far in the series. But Australia are loath to tinker, and a more likely scenario if the conditions are suitable would be a straight swap of the allrounder John Hastings for Smith, with Haddin to stay at the top.Australia (probable) 1 Shane Watson, 2 Brad Haddin (wk), 3 Ricky Ponting, 4 Michael Clarke (capt), 5 Michael Hussey, 6 David Hussey, 7 Steven Smith / John Hastings, 8 Mitchell Johnson, 9 Brett Lee, 10 Xavier Doherty, 11 Doug Bollinger.

Pitch and conditions

The Hambantota pitch didn’t offer as much assistance to the spinners as might have been expected, but expect the ball to turn in Colombo. Dilshan said the track looked slow.

Stats and trivia

• Kumar Sangakkara will play his 300th ODI, the sixth Sri Lankan to reach the milestone.
• Upul Tharanga needs one more century in 2011 to equal the Sri Lankan record for most ODI hundreds in a calendar year for the second time. The record is jointly held by Tharanga and Sanath Jayasuriya, who made five each in 2006.
• Australia fare better under Michael Clarke when he loses the toss. They’ve lost four of nine ODIs when he’s won the toss, and only three of 21 games when he’s lost the toss.
  

  Quotes

  “The difference between the other teams and the Australians is if you take their fast bowlers, they have speed and ability to swing the ball and, more than other teams, they pose a massive challenge.”
  “We know that if we can make inroads in their top order, we’ve got a good chance.”