*Official* - Final - India v Sri Lanka

[social]

Originally Posted by biased indian

do you have to post this i every single Indian match thread..FFS we defeated Australia because we where better team than them..even if all the of the 15 where some random from the street

Matthews is a huge loss and Nehra is rank

Sorry for stating the obvious

[Ikki]

Originally Posted by social

SL are big favourites as they are by far the best all-round side in subcontinental conditions in the comp

They have quality batsmen, bowlers and fieldsmen whilst India only excel in one discipline

They've upped their fielding quite a bit in this tournament.

I am going for SL but I think it's neck and neck, really.

[biased indian]

Originally Posted by social

Matthews is a huge loss and Nehra is rank

Sorry for stating the obvious

ya quiet obvious ..hope you did watch the semifinal we played aganist Pakistan...he didnt look like a random from the street for me....

[Lostman]

Not looking good for SL, Mathews is so damn important to the balance of the side.
Only reason they brought in Randiv instead of Vaas, is they are expecting a spinning wicket and want to play 3 spinners.

Tharanga
Dilshan
Sanga
Jayawardena
Samaraweera
Silva/Kapu
Perera
Randiv
Malinga
Murali
Mendis

[Borges]

India's best bet would be to go to either extreme in pitch preparation - either an absolute road that would make grown ups like Malinga and Murali cry, or one on which Harbhajan would be an absolute terror.

If it is a pitch with a reasonable balance (even by current ODI standards) between bat and ball, Sri Lanka who have much the better balance would be fancied. IMHO, of course.

[Xuhaib]

Originally Posted by biased indian

ya quiet obvious ..hope you did watch the semifinal we played aganist Pakistan...he didnt look like a random from the street for me....

yea but this is like Imran Farhat guiding a 4th innings run chase last summer.A fluke performance by a crap bowler, agree with Social Nehra is rubbish.

[Blaze 18]

Out of interest, can India also bring in someone who's not in the squad to replace Nehra(like Sri Lanka have brought in Randiv)?

[jeevan]

Originally Posted by Xuhaib

yea but this is like Imran Farhat guiding a 4th innings run chase last summer.A fluke performance by a crap bowler, agree with Social Nehra is rubbish.

Last summer in SL, Nehra outbowled Zaheer & Praveen Kumar (probably the 2 best ODI seamers in India right now) on a couple of occasions. And that is not even invoking his 6-fors - has at least a couple of those - earlier on. Against SL he has a reasonable record of taking wickets (SR of 33), which is the key tomorrow.

[Borges]

Originally Posted by Blaze 18

Out of interest, can India also bring in someone who's not in the squad to replace Nehra(like Sri Lanka have brought in Randiv)?

I would presume that If Sri Lanka are allowed to replace an injured player, India too would be allowed to do that.

Don't see the Indian team management doing that, though if Praveen has magically regained his fitness there would be a strong case for bringing him in. Throughout the WC, this Indian team is playing with their cards very close to their chest. Indian players haven't mouthed off to the press of their own accord; their only press interactions so far has been restricted to instances where the ICC has mandated it. So I suppose we will never know for sure till the morning of the match.

[vcs]

Originally Posted by jeevan

Last summer in SL, Nehra outbowled Zaheer & Praveen Kumar (probably the 2 best ODI seamers in India right now) on a couple of occasions. And that is not even invoking his 6-fors - has at least a couple of those - earlier on. Against SL he has a reasonable record of taking wickets (SR of 33), which is the key tomorrow.

He was very good in the Asia Cup last year.

[Xuhaib]

that is a good stat maybe I am underrating him but I still feel Angelo for Lanka is a bigger loss then Nehra for India.

[Blaze 18]

What has Matthews done in this World Cup? Judging from the comments, I'd say two centuries and two fivers?

[Himannv]

Mathews is too much of a key player. Gets through a fair number of overs to cover for the 5th bowling option and also adds much needed finishing skills coming in at no.7.

Hasn't really fired this tournament but I think he's done it often enough now to be taken seriously. just gives us that extra balance in the team.

[Lostman]

With Mathews SL can play 3 spinners and 7 batsmen in the same side.

Plus he is the only good lower order bat we have, and great under pressure.

[Isura]

Yup, Mathews is gun. I'd rather us call up a pure batsmen like Chandimal or Kausal Silva than Randiv tbh. Our bowling is fine without a 5th specialist.