INDIA vs SRILANKA THIRD ODI MATCH PREVIEW

 After two contrasting matches in Hambantota, the teams gear up for another double-header at the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, with the series neatly tied up at 1-1. Sri Lanka will be the more confident of the two sides after the nine-wicket hiding they dished out to India in the previous outing, but India have a superior record at the Premadasa, where the heat and humidity and shorter boundaries will feel more comfortable after blustery Hambantota.

India have won the last five matches at the Premadasa where they have used their preferred method - bat first, score big and let the pressure of the chase stifle the opposition. However, the pitch was relaid before the World Cup and run scoring at the Premadasa since then has not been easy; both seamers and slow bowlers were among wickets during the recent ODIs against Pakistan. After their struggle in the last ODI in Hambantota on a pitch that offered some help, the Premadasa pitch could offer another stiff challenge to India's batsmen.

Sri Lanka have only three wins out of nine - all batting first - against India in the last five years at the Premadasa, the last of those was when Muttiah Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis were around to block India's escape routes in the middle overs. Sri Lanka would hope for similar pressure from their in-form bowler Thisara Perera. In the last two games, their batting was more consistent compared to the Indians, and their bowlers extracted movement from a pitch on which India's bowling appeared insipid.

But just as a big loss puts pressure on those who fail to perform, like Rohit Sharma in India's case, a big win hides deficiencies. Mahela Jayawardene would have welcomed the chase that ended within 20 overs in the previous game, but the batting form of Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews and Lahiru Thirimanne remains untested and the Sri Lanka captain would hope for some runs from the young middle-order batsmen.

Form guide

Sri Lanka WLWWW (Completed games, most recent first)
India LWWLW

Watch out for...

Upul Tharanga endured a tough series against Pakistan recently and was under pressure to hold his spot in the team. But an unbeaten half-century chasing India's modest total may have just boosted not only his confidence, but also Mahela Jayawardene's faith on the batting order.

While Virat Kohli has been hogging the limelight recently, Suresh Raina and MS Dhoni's partnership down the order has gone unnoticed. The two have helped India convert good starts to tall totals and since CB series in Australia, they have scored 169 runs together from 17 overs. With Sri Lanka lacking express pace to bounce either of the two, the partnership will continue to a pose serious threat.

Team news

Pragyan Ojha's fitness is the only doubt surrounding the Indian team, with Gautam Gambhir saying fairlyemphatically that Rohit Sharma will not be dropped at this point.

India: (probable) 1 Virender Sehwag, 2 Gautam Gambhir, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 5 Rohit Sharma, 6 Suresh Raina, 7 Irfan Pathan, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Zaheer Khan, 10 Umesh Yadav, 11 Pragyan Ojha

Sri Lanka are likely to continue with the same squad that played in the second ODI.

Sri Lanka: (probable) 1 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 2 Upul Tharanga, 3 Kumar Sangakkara (wk), 4 Dinesh Chandimal, 5 Mahela Jayawardene (capt), 6 Lahiru Thirimanne, 7 Angelo Mathews, 8 Thisara Perera, 9 Isuru Udana, 10 Lasith Malinga, 11 Rangana Herath

Stats and trivia

• The average run-rate in 1st/2nd innings at the Premadasa from 2007 till before the World Cup was 5.22/4.58. Since the pitch was relaid, the average run-rate has changed to 4.37/4.81
• Angelo Mathews averages 33.56 with the bat after 78 matches. Against India, his average drops to 29.54. In Sri Lanka, it drops further to 26.35

Quotes

"When it comes to the [India] top order, they make a huge difference. If we can get a few wickets early on, we can put pressure the middle order batsmen."
Angelo Mathews 

"We need to remember that we are coming in after a two month break while Sri Lanka have been playing very good cricket and have beaten a very good side like Pakistan.

WHOM WILL DHONI CHOOSE ROHIT SHARMA OR MANOJ TIWARY?

 Rohit Sharma and Manoj Tiwary stood at opposite ends in the same net during the practice session. One would bat for three-four deliveries against the fast bowlers, then the two would jog across and the other one would face the next few balls. There was not much to choose between the two. Tiwary walked down the pitch and lofted one over extra cover. Rohit hit the glass panels of the dressing room with a meaty hook. Of course, there was no guessing which of the two looked more elegant. There is also no guessing whom the team management prefers more.

Rohit averages 17.33 in ten ODIs this year. Tiwary hasn't got a game since December 2011 despite being a part of the squad. Will he finally get one soon? MS Dhoni did not reveal much. "That's a difficult choice that as a captain you have to make," Dhoni said after the second ODI. "You always back youngsters but what is important is that in the process you are not coming in the way of somebody else who is sitting on the bench. It is something that we need to decide, make a conscious attempt to [be] honest to yourself and not commit any harm to any other player."

Rohit and Tiwary made their ODI debuts within eight months of each other. Rohit has played 82 games, Tiwary just six. And we still talk about the potential of both men, revealingly in the former's case and correctly in the latter's. No one can deny that Rohit has had several chances to display his potential, and has also shown us some glimpses of what he can do. Tiwary's six games have been spread over five series. No one can deny that Tiwary hasn't had enough opportunities to show us what he can do.

Tiwary made a match-winning hundred in his last ODI, against West Indies in December 2011. He has since travelled to Australia for the CB Series and to Bangladesh for the Asia Cup, and wasn't considered worth a single game for a side that did not make the finals of either tournament.

Rohit, Man of the Series twice against West Indies last year, got an extended run, deservedly, in Australia and Bangladesh. Again, in Sri Lanka, Rohit has been preferred over Tiwary for the first two games. These are his ODI scores so far in 2012 - 21, 10, 33, 15, 0, 4, 68, 5, 0.

In his defence, he has come in very late in some of those games but he has also thrown it away at times. Short and wide deliveries have been cut to point; they have also been slashed to the wicketkeeper. In the first game of the ongoing series in Hambantota, Rohit walked in to bat at 180 for 2 in the 32nd over, lasting eight balls before he was bowled, caught on the crease to one that nipped in. In the second game, there was a bigger opportunity - to rebuild the innings from 33 for 2 - but he chopped one on to his stumps for a duck.

Rohit gives the impression of being at ease and of having time to play his strokes. It is, therefore, annoying he is nowhere near as consistent as the likes of Virat Kohli. The same languid style that is pleasing to the eye appears casual when he gets out. It is understandable why the team management has invested in Rohit, but after a point, even the most talented are to be judged by the scoreboard.

In Australia, Dhoni had indicated giving Rohit as many games as possible, even at the expense of leaving out Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir or Virender Sehwag from the playing eleven. Backing youth comes at a cost, but the price seemed justified in Australia since the three senior top-order batsmen didn't need to play in every game.

But does it seem acceptable now? Is Rohit the young batsman blocking the path of Tiwary the young batsman? That is what the captain and the team management have to decide. Dhoni would only say that he believed in giving players a decent run.

"What I personally believe in is to give a batsman or a bowler a few games before we change him because it gives him an opportunity to prove himself. In the same way, if he is not performing and then the new guy comes in, then you give him a stretch of games so that he is confident that he won't be shuffled in every match. I feel that's a good way to go ahead because it gives you a cushion of the next three or four games [that assures] you are the person who would be playing."

So does that mean Rohit will get another game? Does that mean Tiwary will finally get off the bench? We will have to wait till the third game on Saturday for the answe

POLLARD,NARAINE AND BRAVO TO PLAY FOR T&T IN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE T20

 The Trinidad & Tobago sports minister has said that allrounders Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo, and spinner Sunil Narine, will play for T&T in the Champions League T20 this October instead of their respective IPL teams, in contrast to previous seasons. However, their team affiliation at the tournament is likely to be debated further before being confirmed, with the franchises expected to fight for the three players.

 Pollard was part of Mumbai Indians' winning squad in 2011, while Bravo played for Chennai Super Kings. Both franchises have qualified for the CLT20 again this year. Narine played for T&T last year, but has also made it through with Kolkata Knight Riders in his maiden IPL season, in which he was named player of the tournament.

According to Trinidad Express, Anil Roberts, the minister of sport, said an agreement had been reached with the three players to turn out for their national team and not their IPL franchise. CLT20 rules allow players to pick the team they wish to play for and in the past players had chosen their IPL franchises, which then compensated the players' home teams.

However, the Knight Riders team director, Joy Bhattacharjya said on Twitter that the franchise's chief executive, Venky Mysore, had indicated Narine would play for his IPL franchise.

Roberts said the players were close to signing a Memorandum of Understanding and following that the details of the individual contracts would be worked out. "All three players have said they want to play for Trinidad & Tobago. The government of Trinidad & Tobago have said they will match their fees, so that they will not lose anything.

"We want the best team. Some of the Indian teams, the owners are obviously a bit upset because they would love to have Sunil Narine, Pollard and Bravo but I told them quite upfront that we are being professional, that we are not holding anything in secret. We are not going to wait until the last minute and then steal the players from under them."

Roberts also said he had spoken to the franchises to explain the government's position. "I also explained to them, because some of them are quite upset ... I said, 'please for a moment, just picture Mahendra Singh Dhoni or Sachin Tendulkar or [Suresh] Raina deciding or contemplating to play for a club ahead of India. I don't think that would even be a choice. I don't think they would even be able to set foot in their land of their birth if ever they even consider disappointing their countrymen and their country by playing for club for money'.

"So while they may be upset, I tell them I am very sorry they are upset, but the [T&T] population wants our best players, the government wants our best players. The players want to play for Trinidad & Tobago and they will play for Trinidad & Tobago."

T&T topped their qualifying group in part thanks to the performances of Narine and fellow spinner Samuel Badree, but narrowly failed to qualify for the semi-finals. T&T will play the qualifying tournament again this year.

KAPIL DEV GETS BCCI BENEFITS OF 1.5 CRORE

Kapil Dev, the former India captain, has cut off his association with the unofficial Indian Cricket League, which is now defunct, opening the door to work again with the BCCI. He also stands to be awarded his benefit of Rs 1.5 crore ($270,000) and possibly his pension arrears.

Mr Kapil Dev has informed the Board that he has resigned from the Essel Sports Private Limited/ICL," the BCCI said. "He has also stated in the letter that he has always supported the BCCI, and will continue to do so in the future.

"The BCCI acknowledges Mr Kapil Dev's immense contribution to Indian cricket, and looks forward to a fruitful association with him in the years to come."

Kapil spoke briefly to reporters after the meeting. "The BCCI is like a parent and we are like its children. I have contributed to the welfare of cricket and cricketers during my earlier association [with the BCCI] and aim to do so even now."

Speaking to the BCCI's website, Kapil was all praise for the Indian board and its president, N Srinivasan. "There can be misunderstandings at times, but as part of Indian cricket, I've always had respect for the organisation more than the individuals [that form it]. I love my cricket board and I'm so happy to be back here. I'm proud to be part of one of the biggest sporting organisations in the world.

"He [Srinivasan] is a wonderful administrator and has shown his worth. I was so delighted to hear from him. He's a man with endless passion for Indian cricket and that's what I admire the most about him. There are people who are only interested in name and fame, but few work sincerely for 25 to 30 years for the betterment of the game."

This ends a long and bitter battle between the board and Kapil, which began with the birth of the ICL in 2007 in the aftermath of India's disastrous World Cup campaign in the West Indies. The ICL, promoted by the Zee group, pre-empted the BCCI's own IPL and was promptly declared unofficial, its players barred from all forms of the game in India and eventually globally. Kapil himself was sacked as chairman of the National Cricket Academy and there followed a series of events, court cases and failed negotiations that led to the ICL's closure; the league's last competitive match was in November 2008.

Kapil spent the next five years on the margins of the game as a television talking head and a newspaper columnist, his relationship with the official side of Indian cricket remaining rocky. However, he held centrestage at the official silver jubilee celebration of India's 1983 World Cup win and, two years later, was inducted into the ICC's Hall of Fame.

In April 2008 the BCCI announced an amnesty scheme for all involved with the ICL, with a May 31 deadline to cut off all ties with the rebel league. On June 2 it announced an amnesty for 79 players, 11 former players and 11 officials. Kapil Dev was not on that list but his rehabilitation has now been completed.

QUICK COMMENT

Kapitulation

The BCCI will tick July 2012 off as a month of restoration: first came the Indo-Pak cricket ties, then Kiran More was returned to the fold, and on Wednesday, it was time for reconciliation with the biggest fish of them all, Kapil Dev. A five-year cold war over the ICL has ended in a warm embrace of cordiality and bonhomie. The BCCI has kindly recognised Kapil's "immense" contribution to Indian cricket and Kapil has called the BCCI his "parent". Behind all this are two simple truths: one, that the BCCI's financial clout is very hard to resist, and two, fighting words from Kapil Dev are to be taken as seriously as crackpot news television. This is the same cricketer who had threatened to go on a hunger strike if the ICL's younger players were ignored by the BCCI.

The BCCI's first response to Kapil joining the ICL was to sack him as head of the National Cricket Academy and cut off his monthly pension. Devastating for a cricketer of small means, much less so to someone with Kapil's hefty financial earnings. Then the BCCI tried to snub him by not inviting him to a few functions and, as he was India's only World Cup-winning captain until 2011, that only made them look small. The master move came two months ago when the BCCI announced one-time benefits to former cricketers; Kapil was omitted, losing about Rs 1.5 crore ($270,000 approx). The BCCI's pound of flesh was in the form of written assurances of loyalty from former players who have had sterling careers for India. In an angry newspaper column, Kapil, though, drew himself up to his impressive height and said: "Not all cricketers are answerable to the board." On Wednesday, he put himself in the category of cricketers who are affordable.

KALLIS RESTED FOR ENGLAND ODI'S

 South Africa have given the clearest indication yet that Jacques Kallis will form part of their World Twenty20 plans by resting him for the ODI series against England. Kallis has not played T20I cricket for South Africa since the 2010 World Twenty20, apart from a one-off game against India in his honour in March, but was named in a 30-man provisional squad for Sri Lanka last week.

His place in the 15-man party for the five-match ODI series with England will be taken by the uncapped allrounder Dean Elgar. He was named in South Africa's squad to face Sri Lanka in January, before torn knee ligaments prevented him from making an international debut.

Imran Tahir, whose last ODI appearance came in the 2011 World Cup, is recalled, while the seamer Ryan McLaren, who played the last of his 10 ODIs in 2010, also returns after recovering from a side strain sustained while playing for South Africa A earlier in the month. Wayne Parnell remains in the squad despite allegedly testing positive for drugs after a rave party in Mumbai in May following his IPL commitments.

"Dean has been in our plans for some time and might well have made his debut last year but for injury," CSA selection convener, Andrew Hudson, said. "Imran is a genuine wicket-taking bowler and his selection enables us to explore our options in this area.

"Ryan has just come off some exceptional form for the South Africa A side and the added depth he provides in the seam bowling department will allow us to rotate players if we feel the need arises."

Parnell, Faf du Plessis, Justin Ontong, Elgar and McLaren are due to travel to Ireland with South Africa A for two four-day matches and an unofficial ODI, before joining the rest of the squad in England. South Africa will name their squad for the Twenty20 international series against England, as well as the World Twenty20, in August.

South Africa squad AB de Villiers (capt), Hashim Amla (vice-capt), JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis, Dean Elgar, Imran Tahir, Ryan McLaren, Albie Morkel, Morne Morkel, Justin Ontong, Wayne Parnell, Robin Peterson, Graeme Smith, Dale Steyn, Lonwabo Tsotsobe

SRI LANKA TRASH INDIA IN SECOND ODI

 For the first three overs on a blustery afternoon in Hambantota, Sri Lanka looked thrown. Running in through strong winds, their opening bowlers found rhythm elusive and lines hard to control. Lasith Malinga got no movement; the debutant Isuru Udana's first over comprised 11 balls and contained 16 runs; there were careless overthrows and misfields; and India scored 31 for 0 with barely a risk. And then Thisara Perera, in the midst of his best home summer, changed everything and turned Sri Lanka's quest to draw level in the series into a cruise.

Perera made the ball swing in the air and seam off the surface. He did not bowl grenades, but he did not need to. Against accurate lengths and stingy lines, India's batsmen weren't far from playing an impatient shot. Perera took a wicket in each of his first three overs without conceding a run, and he could have had a fourth had Angelo Mathews not dropped MS Dhoni at first slip. His spell of 3-3-0-3 left India on 41 for 4 after eight overs, a slide that did not subside.

As India collapsed like an undercooked cake at one end, Gautam Gambhir held the other up. He'd begun with a crisp square drive and a flick off the pads as early as Malinga's second over, but his steadiness was swamped by the ineptness of his team-mates. He nearly became the first India player to carry his bat in a one-day international but was the last man out, for 65.

Having dismissed India for 138 in the 34th over, Sri Lanka had nine overs to bat before the dinner break. The wind was still blowing in Hambantota, and Upul Tharanga and Tillakaratne Dilshan capitalised on several loose deliveries to score 64 before the interval. The remaining 75 was added without much alarm as well, though Dilshan's dismissal prevented Sri Lanka from achieving their first ten-wicket victory against India in ODIs.

The momentum shift after Dhoni won his second toss in two games, and chose to bat in favourable conditions, had been sudden. It occurred when Perera lunged to his right, throwing his large frame against the momentum of his follow through, to catch with both hands a loose push from Virender Sehwag. In his second over, Perera got rid of the bogeyman by inducing a thick edge from Virat Kohli, who had hundreds in his previous three innings against Sri Lanka. He made 1 today after failing to execute a steer to third man.

Perera hurt India further in his third over. Suresh Raina hung his bat outside off stump, reaching for the ball angling across him without fluent footwork, and played on. A ball later, he found another edge, off Dhoni's bat, but it was put down at first slip.

Mathews, who had extended Rohit Sharma's wretched run by bowling him off the inside edge for a duck, soon made amends for his gaffe. He got the ball to bounce off a good length, cramp Dhoni for room on the cut and take the edge to Sangakkara. Between those edges, Dhoni had played two fluent off drives against Perera for boundaries.

After Irfan Pathan holed out to Perera at mid-off, Gambhir and R Ashwin put on 28 for the seventh wicket before a comical run-out ended the partnership. Having cut the ball towards third man, Ashwin wanted a third but was sent back. His turning radius was so large and his movement so slow that he failed to cover the short distance even though he dived. Gambhir looked on in despair. Sri Lanka ended the India innings well before dinner; the only pity was there were so few people to watch their clinical performance.

The crowd was bigger when Sri Lanka began their chase and the sound of celebratory trumpets was ever-present. The hosts could have lost Dilshan on 1 but Sehwag grassed the edge off the attempted booming drive against Irfan. India barely had another opportunity. Dilshan scored at more than a run-a-ball despite hitting only four boundaries. Tharanga, in contrast, hit fours more frequently, freeing his arms to play the drive and the cut when given room outside off stump.

Both India's left-arm bowlers - Zaheer Khan and Irfan - bowled wayward lines in the wind. Between them, they conceded 14 runs through wides. There were 24 extras in all. India were a beaten side before the dinner break and Dilshan flicked the first ball after resumption to the midwicket boundary, continuing Sri Lanka's inexorable march towards victory, which was achieved with 30.1 overs to spare.

WEST INDIES vs NEW ZELAND FIRST TEST PREVIEW

 Match facts
July 25-29
Start time 1000 (1400 GMT)

Big Picture

Midway through the limited-overs leg of the tour, you felt sorry for New Zealand as, bereft of several seniors, they slid from defeat to defeat. Their stand-in captain Kane Williamson, all of 21 years old and looking even younger, earnestly defended his inexperienced team after Chris Gayle's effortlessly dished out half-century after half-century.

Two senior batsmen, Ross Taylor and Brendon McCullum, were available in the final two ODIs, and New Zealand will be further boosted by the arrival of two old hands, their man-for-all occasions Daniel Vettori and their pace spearhead Chris Martin. Their presence lifts a bowling line-up that looked pretty fragile during large parts of the one-day series, as does the inclusion of Neil Wagner, a man in whom New Zealand fans have placed an almost inordinate amount of faith.

New Zealand pulled off one of their greatest Test victories last year against Australia, and competed against South Africa in a home defeat. It's been more than a decade since they won a Test series away from home (excluding Bangladesh and Zimbabwe), and while they enter these contests as underdogs, it still presents them with their best opportunity for an overseas victory.

For that they need to find answers to the same players who gave them plenty of headaches in the limited-overs matches: Gayle and Sunil Narine. Gayle returns for his first Test in more than 19 months, and West Indies will hope that solves their top-order troubles; in recent series, West Indies have typically been three for almost nothing, leaving the middle-order facing a salvage job. Shivnarine Chanderpaul has been their rescuer-in-chief for years now, and his presence solidifies a batting line-up that was explosive but inconsistent in the one-dayers.

The focus will also be on Narine, who continued to be a match-winner in limited-overs matches, but is yet to show whether he can be similarly effective in the five-day game. His Test debut in England was a disaster, but on more familiar surfaces and in more comfortable temperatures, Narine should prove more dangerous. If he clicks, West Indies' chances of only their second series win in more than nine years (excluding Zimbabwe and Bangladesh) will be considerably bright.

Form guide

(Completed games, most recent first)
West Indies DLLLD
New Zealand DLDWW

Watch out for...

Neil Wagner, the South Africa-born left-arm seamer, has dominated the domestic scene in New Zealand in recent years. The days remaining till he qualified to represent New Zealand were eagerly counted down, and he was picked as soon as he was available. He impressed in the practice match, and with fast bowlers Trent Boult and Mark Gillespie injured, he is expected to make his Test debut.

Kemar Roach was on-song against Australia in the home series earlier this year, and troubled England's batsmen as well before pulling out of the tour with an ankle injury. The warm-up game against the New Zealanders was his first match since then, and he showed he was ready to go with a four-wicket burst in the first innings. With his raw pace, Roach provides West Indies with a genuinely threatening spearhead.

Pitch and conditions

There were runs available in the warm-up match on the same ground if batsmen had the required patience, but there should be plenty of opportunity for the bowlers on this surface. Chris Martin, the New Zealand fast bowler, said: "The warm-up game showed us that if we're in the right areas for long enough the up-and-down nature of the pitch is probably going to get us results."

Team news

Gayle's return and the form of Marlon Samuels, who scored plenty of runs in the recent England Tests, means the batting burden on Chanderpaul is reduced. One of the harder decisions West Indies will have to take is who between Ravi Rampaul and Tino Best to pick.

West Indies: (probable) 1 Chris Gayle, 2 Adrian Barath, 3 Kieran Powell, 4 Shivnarine Chanderpaul, 5 Marlon Samuels, 6 Narsingh Deonarine, 7 Denesh Ramdin (wk), 8 Darren Sammy (capt), 9 Sunil Narine, 10 Ravi Rampaul/Tino Best, 11 Kemar Roach

With Trent Boult injured, Wagner is expected to start, possibly the only change from the XI that lined up for the final Test against South Africa.

New Zealand: (probable) 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Daniel Flynn, 3 Brendon McCullum, 4 Ross Taylor (capt), 5 Kane Williamson, 6 Dean Brownlie, 7 Daniel Vettori, 8 Kruger van Wyk (wk), 9 Doug Bracewell, 10 Neil Wagner, 11 Chris Martin

Stats and trivia

• New Zealand last lost a Test against West Indies in Barbados in 1996. Since then, they have won five and drawn five.
• Chris Gayle is just 63 runs away from surpassing Gordon Greenidge as the highest run-getter for West Indies against New Zealand. Gayle has scored 820 runs in seven Tests at 74.54.

Quotes

"A warm-up game is a warm-up game. We got what we wanted out of it. We were lucky to come away with the draw but most of the batsmen had a decent bat out there and the bowlers got a good trundle for one innings."
New Zealand's Ross Taylor doesn't want to read too much into his team's showing in the tour match