West Indies tri-series 2013: Reinvigorated India ready for the final with Dhoni likely to return from injury

MS Dhoni is rumoured to make a comeback in the final of the tri-series

Pushed to the brink after shoddy start to the tri-series, India, led by stand-in captain Virat Kohli, rebounded with a bang to storm into the final following back-to-back bonus-point victories.

Rain and adverse conditions paled into the background as India cantered to a facile 81-run win by Duckworth Lewis method and with it, eliminate the profligate West Indies from the tournament.

The possible return of regular skipper and ice-man, MS Dhoni will reinforce the team further. Dhoni, having sustained a hamstring pull during India’s opening fixture, missed the subsequent three games.

Sri Lanka, who were slightly disadvantaged playing the third consecutive day, will strive to fire in unison since there will be no margin for error in the final at the Queen’s Park Oval on Thursday.

India’s batting has always overflowed with riches but the dearth of front-line pace has been its bane. After years of anxious searching, it is safe to say that India finally discovered a reliable pacer in Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

In a must-win clash against Sri Lanka, Kumar’s mastery of swing and seam (6-1-8-4 in the must-win game against the Lankans) along with able back-up from Ishant Sharma made the Lankan batsmen dance to his tunes.

The spin twins- Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin have exploited these slow pitches effectively, leaving the only cause for complaint with the wayward Umesh Yadav.

India’s batting as always looks strong and stable with all batsmen chipping in with substantial contributions. Kohli, who knows the Sri Lankan bowling attack like the back of his palm will be India’s key linchpin. Rohit Sharma(159 runs) has weathered the storm only to let his guard down and flitter away bright starts.

Sri Lanka’s batting flirts with mediocrity if you take Mahela Jayawardene(177 runs), Kumar Sangakkara( 107 runs) and Upul Tharanga(212 runs) out of the picture. Unless the top three come to the party collectively, it will be a stroll in the park for the World Champions.

Captain/All-rounder Angelo Mathews’ probing line and length has troubled the opposition. The mean and miserly Mathews, in fact, is the most economical bowler in this series. Dilhara Lokuhettige will cling onto the third seamer’s berth behind Lasith Malinga and Shaminda Eranga if the injured Nuwan Kulasekara fails to clear a late fitness test.

Players to watch:

V Kohli : The art of building and re-building an innings has been ingrained in his batting system ever since grade cricket- a key aspect of the game that batsmen like Rohit Sharma and Darren Bravo would do well to learn from. Kohli’s leadership skills in the face of adversity bodes well for the future.

D Chandimal: The Sri Lanka vice-captain, suffering a stark dip in form, needs to shore up his temperament and convert his starts into big scores like his counterpart. Mahela and Sanga alone cannot help Sri Lanka quell the Indian challenge.

Probable XIs

India: S Dhawan, R Sharma, V Kohli, D Karthik, S Raina, R Jadeja, MS Dhoni/ M Vijay, R Ashwin, I Sharma, U Yadav, B Kumar

Sri Lanka: U Tharanga, M Jayawardene, K Sangakkara, D Chandimal, L Thirinamme, A Mathews, R Herath, J Mendis/ S Senanayake S Eranga, L Malinga, N Kulasekara/ D Lokuhettige

Pitch and conditions: As we have seen, there will be plenty of juice in offer for the bowlers at the Queens Park Oval in Port of Spain. After the lengthy rain interruption in the last league match, Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s swung the ball so prodigiously that even survival became a lottery.

Considering the ever-present rain threat, the side that wins the toss will be inclined towards bowling first so that they get to know the exact target when they come out for the chase.

Prediction : India will beat Sri Lanka to add another trophy to their mantelpiece