Nagpur News :- Shifting focus, changing gears

Nagpur The Sri Lankan bandwagon has shifted from the bustling metropolis of Mumbai to sleepy Jamtha in the outskirts of Nagpur, which doesn’t come to life unless its hosting a cricket match. And as the action moves from the history and nostalgia of the Brabourne stadium to the ultra-modern Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA) stadium — which springs into view like an anchored alien ship in the middle of an abyss — the pace of the game is all set to accelerate.

The buzz of reaching the Test summit and the accolades that followed may take a while to wear off for Team India, but while they dominated the Sri Lankans during the Tests, thrashing them 2-0, the two-match T20 series which kicks off in Nagpur on Wednesday promises to be a more even contest.

Though Mahendra Singh Dhoni has managed a spotless record while leading his team to the No.1 spot in Test cricket, India’s fortunes in the shortest format have fluctuated ever since they won the inaugural World T20 championships in 2007.

Recent record

They lost to Australia in the only T20 international they played in 2008, while their form this year has deteriorated further. While they won both the Test and ODI series during the tour of New Zealand, India were comfortably beaten in both T20 games. And after bowing out of the second world T20 in England — a tournament which they entered as defending champions — India’s seeding has slipped to No.6 for the third edition in the West Indies.

Since their memorable triumph in South Africa two years back, India have lost six out of 10 matches. Sri Lanka during the same period have won nine out of 15 games. Kumar Sangakkara & Co enjoyed an unbeaten run into the final earlier this year in England and it was only a spirited Pakistan that halted their progress towards the title.

Batting form

As the Indian team entered the VCA stadium for their practice session on Tuesday, the baseball bat that accompanied new fielding consultant Mike Young proved to be the centre of attraction. And while most batsmen had a go with it, Dhoni proved that he can hit the ball far regardless of the shape of the willow in his hands.

However, the Indian skipper, who struck two centuries during the Test series, has not been at his devastating best in T20 cricket this year. While he averaged 32.60 with a strike-rate of 130.40 in 2007, he has averaged 21.50 with a strike-rate of less than 100.

The batting, though, will be bolstered with the return of Virender Sehwag, who missed the second world T20 with injury, while Yuvraj Singh has maintained his consistency with the bat.

For Sri Lanka, Tillakaratne Dilshan — player of the tournament in England-with an average of 48.44 with five fifties this year — a record that passes muster even in the 50-over format — is a dangerous proposition at the top of the order. And with the likes of Angelo Mathews and Ajantha Mendis in the mix, the bowling too is in good stead.

With Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh rested, the Indian team wears an inexperienced look in the bowling department. Sreesanth too didn’t turn up for the practice session on Tuesday. When asked about the Kerala speedster’s absence, skipper Dhoni said, “The physio said he was unwell. I think it is diarrhoea and slight fever. We are hoping he will be fit to play tomorrow.”

The last — and only — time these two teams met in a T20 international, the Pathan brothers, Irfan and Yusuf, guided India home to a thrilling victory. And Dhoni will be looking to focus more on that night in Colombo rather than the disappointments that have followed.