Mahendra Singh Dhoni will be the focus of attention when he steps out to play his 300th One-Day International (ODI) at the R Premadasa Stadium here on Thursday.
Dhoni was a special talent when he made his ODI debut way back in 2004, against Bangladesh. Thirteen years later, he remains a special player and still finishes games for India.
The wicketkeeper-batsman was instrumental in taking India home from difficult situations against Sri Lanka in the second and third ODIs, thus helping them pocket the series with an unassailable 3-0 lead. There is no change in his work ethics either. Dhoni has been the only player who attended every practice session – be it optional or mandatory – since joining the squad after the Test series.
At 36, Dhoni is not getting any younger, but that has not prevented him from getting smarter. No wonder he can still make the difference at critical junctures.
As for Sri Lanka, it will be difficult to stem the rot after things have gone topsy-turvy, both on and off the field.
The players have faced tremendous pressure from the media and fans, who vented their ire during the third ODI in Pallekele. Lasith Malinga, the latest to lead the side after stand-in skipper Chamara Kapugedara was ruled out of the remainder of the series with a back injury, has a thankless job to lift the team.
Sri Lanka have suffered for not getting a settled unit over a substantial period of time. Over the past year, they have fielded as many as 40 players in ODIs, which has not helped their cause in any way. It’s an ideal platform for India to try out those who haven’t got a chance yet.
Skipper Virat Kohli had said before the start of the series that they won’t be afraid of losing while trying out something new in order to have a better future.This is the time for him to walk the talk.
Although the 3-0 scoreline might indicate domination by India, the fact remains that their middle-order has looked vulnerable. It is actually the Indian bowlers who have done the job by not allowing Lanka to post a 250-plus total on the board so far. That has helped the visitors get out of jail despite looking down the barrel in the middle overs while chasing in two of the three games.
The think tank could give Manish Pandey, who had a great ‘A’ series in South Africa, and Ajinkya Rahane a game.
