India v Sri Lanka, the MSD factor to the power of two

India are arguably the best team in the world at any shortened form of the game.

The team they have just works for that stuff.

God Sehwag and Goutham City form the most dominating opening pair in world cricket. Plus they are in form. Plus they both like Sri Lanka.

The middle order’s pipped with experience and young uns.

The pacemen are solid with Zaheer and Adams apple, well more than solid. Zaheers been on a pearly patch and Adams always a threat with his seaming movement and bounce.

The only glitch seems to be the lack of experience in the spinners corner. Ojha and Jadeja are promising but SL batsmen love inexperience they feed on it like a baby on a tit.

Then there is the MSD – Factor.

For you to estimate the real threat of the Indian team you need to multiply the rest of the team with the MSD factor to the power of 2.

MSD knows how to draw the best out of the Indians and they love playing for him. In the recent Aus Ind series, there were two Indian teams. One under Dhoni and one under Kumble. The one under Dhoni was the team Australia feared.

India has been comfortably thumping everyone at home with ease. So a visit abroad might be tricky. Specially with next to no time to adjust to SL wickets.

Sri Lanka on the other hand have been sketchy for the last 6 months. But they seemed to have stumbled across a combination that works in Pakistan. So Mahela is deadset on eeking out every win possible out of that line up.

With only himself and Kapugedara the only visible weaklinks, Jayawardene will be hoping his romance with the home pitches continues to get the press and theflyslip off his back.

Sri Lanka’s bowling is its strength at the moment and people are finally starting to take notice of Kulesakara as an actual threat. Of course God Sehwag might have different ideas, he usually doesnt think like your average batsmen, and has scored 2 of his 100s in SL and I still remember the blitzkrieg 200 in the test series a few months ago.

The magic of Splendid seemed to have dipped in Pakistan. There was a lot of talk about how Pakistan handled him well. In hindsight, he bowled rather poorly. Sometimes short and sometimes too full. Pakistan looked to blindly hit him about and that seemed to worry Mendis.

He made his name against India but this time it will be tougher. It will be a good challenge for him and for us watching it should be a treat. The flyslip has a funny feeling that Mendis has something special in store for us.

Murali needs another 3 for another record. They just don’t seem to end.

How Thushara and Maharoof support Kulesekara will be key. Both are still finding their feet in the team and with Malinga to come back, one place will be under threat if they don’t perform.

In the end I think it will come down to how both teams are led and MSD seems have the edge there.

But if Mahela wins a few tosses, its anyone’s game.

8 Comments

  1. sam said:

    hey i m back…and guess wot with happy surprise to see u praising my team!! wow…..thank u thank u!!

    biggest factor between 2 teams is none other than the man himself from Mumbai playing in his 20th season.. wait, u hv Sanath in there. But then Sehwag turns the tide in for India…

    and guess wot will blabba kind will play with BAT doing the TALK and not his loose verbal diaorrhea ?

    January 27, 2009
    Reply
  2. damiths said:

    Sam> good to see you back. Well we at the flyslip try to keep our emotions in check. Most times we fail and we definitely try to give credit where its due

    Tendulkar is a massive boost for India and looks to be in good form of late. Lets see how he fares against Splendid Mendis – whom he has never faced.

    January 27, 2009
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  3. Vivek said:

    well, he has faced mendis but not in one dayers……..liek the last series Toss will be important…Mendis contest shoudl be an intresting one …….

    January 27, 2009
    Reply
  4. Ceci said:

    oooooo so looking forward to this but suspect I’ll be having to follow it on cricinfo which isn’t TOTALLY exciting but still… Think you’re so right about the MSD factor – the Indian team have charisma to spare… but they don’t have Murali or Splendid and I’m willing Mahela to spring back to form. Bring it on!

    January 28, 2009
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  5. insideEdge said:

    I hope we make some pitches designed for batting. Not the crap they had last time of 150 plays 140.

    January 28, 2009
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  6. damiths said:

    Vivek>Ya it will be a bit different in ODIs because he has to get a move on from the word go. I think Mendis will surprise us with some smarts.

    January 28, 2009
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  7. damiths said:

    ceci> yep, the lack of spinners will hurt them for sure. if mahela doesnt score runs this time he knows he will induce the wrath of the fly slip. and he does not want that

    January 28, 2009
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  8. damiths said:

    inside> no such luck, apparently the curator had no time to prepare the pitch cuz of rain and it had been under covers for the last 2 days or so. he says it will have something for the batsmen and bowlers. meaning it will be a low scoring affair.

    January 28, 2009
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