India set to seal the ODI series

Pune: India will look to seal the seven-match One-Day cricket series in their favour with another dominating display against a self-doubting Sri Lanka in the fourth tie here on Thursday.

Having taken a commanding 3-0 lead in the series, India are running high on confidence and it will require a superhuman effort from the Lankans to stop the winning run of their rivals.

Lanka have failed to click as a team, in total contrast to India, who suddenly seem to have found the winning touch, which had been missing over the last season as well as on the previous tours of Lanka and Zimbabwe.

The biggest let-down for Lanka in the series so far has been the Big Four -- former captain Sanath Jayasuriya, current skipper Marvan Atapattu, left-arm pace spearhead Chaminda Vaas and spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan.

None of them have performed to their potential, to a large extent due to the constant pressure applied on them by the hosts.

The Lankans are hence due for a match-winning display from at least one of this quartet in what is a do-or-die encounter for them.

Jayasuriya has been struggling with his freak shoulder injury and it remains to be seen how the Matara marauder performs with the bat tomorrow.

Atapattu has once again looked clueless on Indian soil after his lack of success in this country on previous visits while Vaas and Murali have looked largely ineffective against the determined Indian batsmen.

Adding to the Lankans' batting woes would be the non-availability of their vice captain Mahela Jayawardene in the crucial match who has returned home to get married and is expected back for the fifth match of the series at Ahmedabad on November 6.

All rounders Russel Arnold and Tillekaratne Dilshan too have been miserable failures so far with both bat and ball.

The only saving grace for the visitors has been the form displayed by their wicketkeeper Kumar Sangakkara who has scores of 43, 27 and 138 not out to his credit.

But he has not received sufficient support at the other end, barring the last tie when Jayawardene and the big-hitting Farveez Maharoof helped him set India 299 to chase.

Unlike the Indians, who have sent in Irfan Pathan, J P Yadav and Mahendra Singh Dhoni to the one-down slot in the series so far and have succeeded well beyond anyone's imagination, the Lankan think tank has preferred to use the clean-hitting Maharoof only in the lower order.

With Vaas and Murali not as effective as is their wont, it has been left to the likes of Maharoof, Dilhara Fernando, Nuwan Zoysa and Upul Chandana to rise to the occasion, but they have been mere cannon fodders to the rampaging Indian batsmen.

The hosts, in total contrast, are riding a wave of success under the aggressive leadership of Rahul Dravid and form of comeback man Sachin Tendulkar who seems to have rediscovered his glorious touch straightaway since returning to international cricket after a six-month injury lay-off.

The Indians have not only overwhelmed the Lankans but have also outwitted the visitors? the promotion of Pathan at Nagpur and Dhoni, who pulverized the attack to make a record 183 not out at Jaipur, to the number three slot being prime examples.

Both Chappell and Dravid have refused to divulge to the media anything about the batting order on match-eves by saying that it would help the opposition in framing a counter.

After the spectacular success of Pathan and Dhoni it is another guessing game as to who will come out to bat at number three for India on Thursday.

What is certain is that the Lankans need to get two or three early Indian wickets, or another Indian blitz is on the cards.

While the Indian batting has clicked in an explosive fashion, the economical as well as penetrative bowling of Harbhajan Singh in the middle overs should not be overlooked.

The off spinner has troubled the batsmen in all the three matches so far with good support from left arm Murali Kartik.

The Lankan batsmen have been unable to attack Harbhajan and it will be interesting to see what tactics they adopt here.

The hosts have also changed their Super subs constantly in the series and effectively used the Powerplays, another feather on the cap of coach Greg Chappell, Dravid and other seniors like Tendulkar.

To add to the Indians' comfort zone is the fact that they have beaten the Lankans on both occasions the two rivals have clashed here -- in 1990 and 1999.