The packed international cricket schedule means the Indian Premier League is well-suited to retired players. The big stars from the international teams have limited windows of opportunity to make an impact, so it is often down to those who have hung up their boots for their national teams to give the event global star quality.
Adam Gilchrist, Matthew Hayden and Andrew Symonds are three of Australia's limited overs stars of the last decade whose days in the Baggy Green are behind them. Each has made a big impression on the third instalment of the IPL.
Gilchrist has the best strike rate of the leading run scorers in the competition, Hayden's masterful 93 from 43 balls against Delhi Daredevils was perhaps the tournament's best innings to date and Symonds is near the top of both the run-scoring and wicket-taking charts. Australia would undoubtedly be a stronger Twenty20 team with them still in their ranks.
Sri Lankan pair Chaminda Vaas and Muttiah Muralitharan have cut back on their international commitments but are still capable of being the leading bowlers in India. Vaas' skill with the new ball against openers on the attack during the fielding restrictions has been particularly impressive.
Jacques Kallis might not have retired, although the South African selectors are learning why it was a mistake to try and ease the Proteas legend out of their T20 line-up - he scored 264 runs in his first four IPL knocks without being dismissed. There's no doubt his presence would help shorten South Africa's World Twenty20 odds next month.
Not all of the oldies have enjoyed success. Sanath Jayasuriya was exposed at the top of the Mumbai Indians' order and Damien Martyn struggled on his comeback for Rajasthan Royals
Even the Royals' skipper and coach Shane Warne is finding life difficult, an inevitable consequence of the ageing process. It will happen to the other golden oldies, but not just yet.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
ANDERSON ANGRY OVER MISSING WORLD T20
Tuesday, June 15, 2010 -- England’s premier fast bowler has expressed his disappointment at not being a part of the ICC World T20 tournament winning playing eleven after missing each of the games in the tournament.
Anderson has said that he thought that being rested for the prior tour of Bangladesh meant that he was not a part of the thought process and hence missed out.
Anderson said that while one needed to congratulate the selectors for the tournament winning squad, he also said he was left seething at being left out.
He said, "But it [being left out] did take the wind out of my sails and I felt angry about being rested, because I felt that might have had something to do with it. I thought if I had gone there and gone to Abu Dhabi."
Anderson also said that he will now need to re-evaluate where he stands in England cricket. He also acknowledged that unless the side plays two spinners, he may not be a part of the starting eleven. "I now have to work my way back into the team and unless they play only one spinner I can't see me starting," he said. "I admit it has changed my thoughts on where I am in the side.
Anderson has said that he thought that being rested for the prior tour of Bangladesh meant that he was not a part of the thought process and hence missed out.
Left out and angry!
Anderson said that while one needed to congratulate the selectors for the tournament winning squad, he also said he was left seething at being left out.
He said, "But it [being left out] did take the wind out of my sails and I felt angry about being rested, because I felt that might have had something to do with it. I thought if I had gone there and gone to Abu Dhabi."
Anderson also said that he will now need to re-evaluate where he stands in England cricket. He also acknowledged that unless the side plays two spinners, he may not be a part of the starting eleven. "I now have to work my way back into the team and unless they play only one spinner I can't see me starting," he said. "I admit it has changed my thoughts on where I am in the side.
SCHIAVONE MAKES HISTORY AT FRENCH OPEN
Wednesday, June 9, 2010 -- Crowds roared in cheer as Francesca Schiavone fell to the clay tennis court at Roland Garros, after winning the French Open title for ladies’ singles.
Schiavone has forever marked tennis history for being the first ever Italian woman to ever win a Grand Slam title as well as the French Open. During the match, Schiavone played a memorable game against Sam Stosur, the Australian favorite. The memorable game against Stosur ended in a 6-4, 7-6(2) game, that included a very anxious tiebreak.
After Schiavone fell to the clay court, she stood up and embraced her opponent before moving towards the stands and disappeared among the numerous spectators who patted her back in support. Schiavone embraced every single moment of her victory after working real hard to achieve the much coveted title.
When thinking about the precarious tiebreaker, Schiavone remarked, “I was feeling much more energy, more and more and more. I couldn’t stop it. I really felt that it was my moment. I took it. I didn’t care about nothing. I wanted to take that point and play my tennis. It was the moment.”
A year ago, the same two players met each other during the first round. That time, however, Stosur won the match, and it was over for Schiavone before it even warmed up. Lessons learned and hard work after, Schiavone played hard and played smart, which allowed her to walk away with the cup and a history making achievement to boot
Francesca Schiavone
Schiavone has forever marked tennis history for being the first ever Italian woman to ever win a Grand Slam title as well as the French Open. During the match, Schiavone played a memorable game against Sam Stosur, the Australian favorite. The memorable game against Stosur ended in a 6-4, 7-6(2) game, that included a very anxious tiebreak.
After Schiavone fell to the clay court, she stood up and embraced her opponent before moving towards the stands and disappeared among the numerous spectators who patted her back in support. Schiavone embraced every single moment of her victory after working real hard to achieve the much coveted title.
When thinking about the precarious tiebreaker, Schiavone remarked, “I was feeling much more energy, more and more and more. I couldn’t stop it. I really felt that it was my moment. I took it. I didn’t care about nothing. I wanted to take that point and play my tennis. It was the moment.”
A year ago, the same two players met each other during the first round. That time, however, Stosur won the match, and it was over for Schiavone before it even warmed up. Lessons learned and hard work after, Schiavone played hard and played smart, which allowed her to walk away with the cup and a history making achievement to boot
AFC CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW: JETS VS COLTS
Coach Rex Ryan and his Jets team will always have doubters. The ones that expected New York to go into Cincinnati and lose and the same group that were laying up to nine points on San Diego being the final stop on New York’s playoff tour.
This week Indianapolis welcomes New York in the AFC Conference Final and although some of the doubt has been erased following back-to-back playoff wins, the challenge that awaits at Lucas Oil Stadium is arguably the toughest hurdle in all of football.
Let’s break this game down and look at the pick we suggest. You can see more analysis on this game and the Vikings at Saints at www.BetRepublic.com both by watching their innovative online sports betting TV shows and on their posting boards.
Online sportsbooks have the Colts set as 7.5-point favourites with an Over/Under of 39. Books reported early action on Indianapolis when the game went up on the board, but the betting has levelled off the last couple of days. The Over/Under is a different story, as bettors liked the Under right from the opening number, bringing it down from 41 to 39.
Peyton Manning leads one of the league’s most elite offenses and for this road-weary defense it will be a step up in class. In a 20-3 win vs. Baltimore in the division finals Manning used his usual play-makers, Reggie Wayne (8-63, 1 TD) and Dallas Clark (7-59, 0 TD), for key third down situations that kept the chains moving. But it is also the supporting cast, the other five targets that Manning spread 15 passes to, that make this unit hard to defend.
Indy’s offense scored 27-plus points in the four games that preceded the controversial Week 16 loss to New York that will forever live in infamy with the Colts faithful. There hasn’t been any real evidence so far this season that an opponent can come into this building and stop the home side (again, when the starters are all in the game) from putting up some points.
New York’s D is based on a shutdown, Pro Bowl corner (Revis) that can all but eliminate his opponent’s top WR. The rest of the secondary has above-average coverage skills and the front seven can blitz with the best of them. It helped New York lead in nearly every defensive category during the regular season, but 15 out of 16 times the Jets weren’t playing this offense and in the one game where they did face Indy, it was vs. the Junior-V edition in the second half.
Jets rookie QB Mark Sanchez is going to be expected to do his part running the offense but the majority of the time that just means handing the ball to any one of his talented backs and stepping out of the way. The Indianapolis run defense gets a bad rap for not being able to defend the run but it’s actually a bit of myth. Just ask the explosive Baltimore Ravens RB trio that managed 78 yards last week on 16 carries. So far New York has rushed for 171 yard (CIN) and 169 yards (SD) but the Colts will be gameplanning for this and do have more run-stopping ability than they are given credit for.
The Colts secondary had a facelift this season and helped by the speed-rush of DEs Freeney and Mathis will be able to limit New York through the air. If the Colts can keep the run-game on a short leash and prevent big gains that are becoming common place in this year’s playoffs, it is going to result in stalled drives and a lot of time spent on the field by New York’s defensive unit. Eventually this could lead to holes in the coverage and gaps on the line that Manning and the offense will take full advantage of.
Oddsmakers, much to the chagrin of HC Ryan, opened with a line of Colts -7 and that was quickly bet up a half-point to the current line. We recommend buying that line back to the TD and going with the superior offense to finish the job at home that it started in Week 16.
This week Indianapolis welcomes New York in the AFC Conference Final and although some of the doubt has been erased following back-to-back playoff wins, the challenge that awaits at Lucas Oil Stadium is arguably the toughest hurdle in all of football.
Let’s break this game down and look at the pick we suggest. You can see more analysis on this game and the Vikings at Saints at www.BetRepublic.com both by watching their innovative online sports betting TV shows and on their posting boards.
Online sportsbooks have the Colts set as 7.5-point favourites with an Over/Under of 39. Books reported early action on Indianapolis when the game went up on the board, but the betting has levelled off the last couple of days. The Over/Under is a different story, as bettors liked the Under right from the opening number, bringing it down from 41 to 39.
Peyton Manning leads one of the league’s most elite offenses and for this road-weary defense it will be a step up in class. In a 20-3 win vs. Baltimore in the division finals Manning used his usual play-makers, Reggie Wayne (8-63, 1 TD) and Dallas Clark (7-59, 0 TD), for key third down situations that kept the chains moving. But it is also the supporting cast, the other five targets that Manning spread 15 passes to, that make this unit hard to defend.
Indy’s offense scored 27-plus points in the four games that preceded the controversial Week 16 loss to New York that will forever live in infamy with the Colts faithful. There hasn’t been any real evidence so far this season that an opponent can come into this building and stop the home side (again, when the starters are all in the game) from putting up some points.
New York’s D is based on a shutdown, Pro Bowl corner (Revis) that can all but eliminate his opponent’s top WR. The rest of the secondary has above-average coverage skills and the front seven can blitz with the best of them. It helped New York lead in nearly every defensive category during the regular season, but 15 out of 16 times the Jets weren’t playing this offense and in the one game where they did face Indy, it was vs. the Junior-V edition in the second half.
Jets rookie QB Mark Sanchez is going to be expected to do his part running the offense but the majority of the time that just means handing the ball to any one of his talented backs and stepping out of the way. The Indianapolis run defense gets a bad rap for not being able to defend the run but it’s actually a bit of myth. Just ask the explosive Baltimore Ravens RB trio that managed 78 yards last week on 16 carries. So far New York has rushed for 171 yard (CIN) and 169 yards (SD) but the Colts will be gameplanning for this and do have more run-stopping ability than they are given credit for.
The Colts secondary had a facelift this season and helped by the speed-rush of DEs Freeney and Mathis will be able to limit New York through the air. If the Colts can keep the run-game on a short leash and prevent big gains that are becoming common place in this year’s playoffs, it is going to result in stalled drives and a lot of time spent on the field by New York’s defensive unit. Eventually this could lead to holes in the coverage and gaps on the line that Manning and the offense will take full advantage of.
Oddsmakers, much to the chagrin of HC Ryan, opened with a line of Colts -7 and that was quickly bet up a half-point to the current line. We recommend buying that line back to the TD and going with the superior offense to finish the job at home that it started in Week 16.
FRENCH OPEN WOMEN'S SEMI FINALS BETTING
Day twelve at Roland Garros sees the Semi Final matches between the final four players left in the Women’s tournament. Who will be playing in Saturday’s final? BetRepublic.com previews both matches here:
Elena Dementieva v Francesca Schiavone Tennis Betting:
The bookmakers are having a hard time determining who will be the player that progresses to the French Open final with both PaddyPower.com and William Hill having odds of 5/6 for both Dementieva and Schiavone to win the match. It looks like it’ll be a close match, but will it be the fifth or seventeenth seed that progresses to the final?
After a relatively easy route through the tournament, Dementieva came across Nadia Petrova in the Quarter Finals. Petrova had defeated Venus Williams in round four and started the Quarter Final match with great confidence and won the first set in an injury broken sixty-two minutes. From there, however, things went downhill for the nineteenth seed as Dementieva got into her stride and won the next two sets 6-2, 6-0 to book her Semi Final place. She will need to perform like she did in those final two sets to progress to the final, but will Dementieva be able to?
Schiavone is the first Grand Slam semi finalist from Italy since the Open era began and she has claimed this feat in style. She has beaten three seeded players on route to the final four, Na Li (11) in round three, Maria Kirilenko (30) in round four and Caroline Wozniacki (3) in the Quarters. More impressive than that is the fact that bar dropping her first set of the tournament she has won the following ten sets to reach the Semi Finals. She is clearly the player in the better form of the two, but can she reach the final?
This will be the eleventh meeting of the two players, with Dementieva holding a 6-4 advantage on the scorecard. Dementieva has won the last three encounters and Schiavone’s last victory against the Russian came in 2007. Also, they have met just once on clay with Dementieva emerging victorious. Despite this I feel that Schiavone will add another victory to her previous four wins against Dementieva as her form at Roland Garros has been exceptional so far. My money will be on Francesca Schiavone to beat Elena Dementieva at odds of 5/6.
Jelena Jankovic v Samantha Stosur Tennis Betting Tips:
After beating Justine Henin and Serena Williams in the last two rounds, it is unsurprising that Samantha Stosur is the favourite with William Hill at odds of 8/13 to reach the final of the French Open. My pre-tournament favourite Jelena Jankovic is available at 6/5. Who will be right, me or the bookies?
Of the two players Jankovic has had the easier route to this point in the tournament and has only had to defeat the twenty-third and twenty-seventh seeds in rounds three and four. Unsurprisingly she has dropped just the one set on the way to the final four and that came against Kaia Kanepi in the second round.
Stosur, on the other hand, has beaten the top seed in Serena Williams in the Quarter Finals and the four time winner of the French Open in Justine Henin in round four. Henin started off the stronger of the two in their match and won the first set 6-2 in thirty-two minutes before Stosur won the next two sets 6-1, 6-4 to book her place in the last eight of the competition. Filled with confidence from beating Henin she raced off into a 6-2, 5-3 lead before Serena came back and won the second set in a tie-breaker. The final set was nip and tuck until the very end when Stosur broke Williams at 7-6 and won the match 6-2, 6-7, 8-6 in what was an epic game. Can she carry on from there and book her place in the final?
These two players have met on four previous occasions and Jankovic has won three compared to Stosur’s single win. All four matches have been played on hard courts and they have met twice this year with the score tied at 1-1, with Stosur winning the last game in Miami. None of their four matches have gone to three sets, but I feel that this one will with Stosur in the form of her life and highly confident after her last two victories. Unfortunately for her I am sticking with my original prediction of Jankovic to win the title, so I’ll be backing her at odds of 6/5 to win this match. I’ll also be putting a small bet on Jankovic to win 2-1 @ 7/2 with PaddyPower.com.
Elena Dementieva v Francesca Schiavone Tennis Betting:
The bookmakers are having a hard time determining who will be the player that progresses to the French Open final with both PaddyPower.com and William Hill having odds of 5/6 for both Dementieva and Schiavone to win the match. It looks like it’ll be a close match, but will it be the fifth or seventeenth seed that progresses to the final?
After a relatively easy route through the tournament, Dementieva came across Nadia Petrova in the Quarter Finals. Petrova had defeated Venus Williams in round four and started the Quarter Final match with great confidence and won the first set in an injury broken sixty-two minutes. From there, however, things went downhill for the nineteenth seed as Dementieva got into her stride and won the next two sets 6-2, 6-0 to book her Semi Final place. She will need to perform like she did in those final two sets to progress to the final, but will Dementieva be able to?
Schiavone is the first Grand Slam semi finalist from Italy since the Open era began and she has claimed this feat in style. She has beaten three seeded players on route to the final four, Na Li (11) in round three, Maria Kirilenko (30) in round four and Caroline Wozniacki (3) in the Quarters. More impressive than that is the fact that bar dropping her first set of the tournament she has won the following ten sets to reach the Semi Finals. She is clearly the player in the better form of the two, but can she reach the final?
This will be the eleventh meeting of the two players, with Dementieva holding a 6-4 advantage on the scorecard. Dementieva has won the last three encounters and Schiavone’s last victory against the Russian came in 2007. Also, they have met just once on clay with Dementieva emerging victorious. Despite this I feel that Schiavone will add another victory to her previous four wins against Dementieva as her form at Roland Garros has been exceptional so far. My money will be on Francesca Schiavone to beat Elena Dementieva at odds of 5/6.
Jelena Jankovic v Samantha Stosur Tennis Betting Tips:
After beating Justine Henin and Serena Williams in the last two rounds, it is unsurprising that Samantha Stosur is the favourite with William Hill at odds of 8/13 to reach the final of the French Open. My pre-tournament favourite Jelena Jankovic is available at 6/5. Who will be right, me or the bookies?
Of the two players Jankovic has had the easier route to this point in the tournament and has only had to defeat the twenty-third and twenty-seventh seeds in rounds three and four. Unsurprisingly she has dropped just the one set on the way to the final four and that came against Kaia Kanepi in the second round.
Stosur, on the other hand, has beaten the top seed in Serena Williams in the Quarter Finals and the four time winner of the French Open in Justine Henin in round four. Henin started off the stronger of the two in their match and won the first set 6-2 in thirty-two minutes before Stosur won the next two sets 6-1, 6-4 to book her place in the last eight of the competition. Filled with confidence from beating Henin she raced off into a 6-2, 5-3 lead before Serena came back and won the second set in a tie-breaker. The final set was nip and tuck until the very end when Stosur broke Williams at 7-6 and won the match 6-2, 6-7, 8-6 in what was an epic game. Can she carry on from there and book her place in the final?
These two players have met on four previous occasions and Jankovic has won three compared to Stosur’s single win. All four matches have been played on hard courts and they have met twice this year with the score tied at 1-1, with Stosur winning the last game in Miami. None of their four matches have gone to three sets, but I feel that this one will with Stosur in the form of her life and highly confident after her last two victories. Unfortunately for her I am sticking with my original prediction of Jankovic to win the title, so I’ll be backing her at odds of 6/5 to win this match. I’ll also be putting a small bet on Jankovic to win 2-1 @ 7/2 with PaddyPower.com.
10 HIGHEST PAID TENNIS PLAYERS IN 2010
With 2010 almost done halfway, many of the tennis stars are increasing their performance in hopes of increasing their annual earnings.
While many tennis players are on the rise, there are a few players who have already staked their grounds and have achieved huge annual earnings that have propelled them to the top 10 highest paid players in 2010. Below are the highest paid tennis stars and their respective annual earnings:
10 – James Blake [$7,000,000]
James Blake used to rank No. 4 in the World but he slipped from the top spot to No. 23 at some point due to a decline in performance. Nevertheless, his performance has not turned off sponsors who like his good looks.
9 – Ana Ivanovic [$8,000,000]
Ana Ivanovic has one Grand Slam title to her name, and even managed to achieve the No. 1 sometime in 2008. However, her recent performance has been plagued with injuries and decreased play, which caused her a certain amount of prize money and some lucrative deals.
8 – Novak Djokovic [$10,500,000]
Novak Djokovic has one Grand Slam title to his name when he made his breakthrough performance at the 2008 Australian Open. Unfortunately, his performance was slowed down when he switched rackets from Wilson to Head.
7 – Andy Murray [$12,000,000]
Andy Murray is said to be on the fast track to winning a Grand Slam, especially after he was able to perform well through recent competitions.
6 – Venus Williams [$14,500,000]
Venus Williams is one of the Williams sisters who have been noted as one of the best players in women’s tennis.
5 – Andy Roddick [$16,000,000]
Andy Roddick has been performing well since he entered the world of professional tennis. Unfortunately, almost every time he reached the final round of a tournament, Roger Federer has been able to defeat him, making Roddick win one Grand Slam title to date.
4 – Serena Williams [$18,000,000]
Serena Williams is the other Williams sister who has made waves in the world of women’s tennis. In fact, she has been noted to have acquired the highest career prize money ever won by a female professional athlete so far.
3 – Rafael Nadal [$20,000,000]
Rafael Nadal, while still relatively young, already has six Grand Slam titles to his name. He has an impressive career that many tennis experts believe is just the start of a glowing career.
2 – Maria Sharapova [$22,500,000]
Maria Sharapova is one of the tennis players who have a number of sponsors backing her up despite various injuries suffered as of late. Adding to her earnings is the fact that she has won three Grand Slam titles already.
1 – Roger Federer [$36,000,000]
Roger Federer has accumulated a total of 15 Grand Slam titles which have been reason enough for his lucrative deals and career prize money.
While many tennis players are on the rise, there are a few players who have already staked their grounds and have achieved huge annual earnings that have propelled them to the top 10 highest paid players in 2010. Below are the highest paid tennis stars and their respective annual earnings:
Roger Federer tennis
10 – James Blake [$7,000,000]
James Blake used to rank No. 4 in the World but he slipped from the top spot to No. 23 at some point due to a decline in performance. Nevertheless, his performance has not turned off sponsors who like his good looks.
9 – Ana Ivanovic [$8,000,000]
Ana Ivanovic has one Grand Slam title to her name, and even managed to achieve the No. 1 sometime in 2008. However, her recent performance has been plagued with injuries and decreased play, which caused her a certain amount of prize money and some lucrative deals.
8 – Novak Djokovic [$10,500,000]
Novak Djokovic has one Grand Slam title to his name when he made his breakthrough performance at the 2008 Australian Open. Unfortunately, his performance was slowed down when he switched rackets from Wilson to Head.
7 – Andy Murray [$12,000,000]
Andy Murray is said to be on the fast track to winning a Grand Slam, especially after he was able to perform well through recent competitions.
6 – Venus Williams [$14,500,000]
Venus Williams is one of the Williams sisters who have been noted as one of the best players in women’s tennis.
5 – Andy Roddick [$16,000,000]
Andy Roddick has been performing well since he entered the world of professional tennis. Unfortunately, almost every time he reached the final round of a tournament, Roger Federer has been able to defeat him, making Roddick win one Grand Slam title to date.
4 – Serena Williams [$18,000,000]
Serena Williams is the other Williams sister who has made waves in the world of women’s tennis. In fact, she has been noted to have acquired the highest career prize money ever won by a female professional athlete so far.
3 – Rafael Nadal [$20,000,000]
Rafael Nadal, while still relatively young, already has six Grand Slam titles to his name. He has an impressive career that many tennis experts believe is just the start of a glowing career.
2 – Maria Sharapova [$22,500,000]
Maria Sharapova is one of the tennis players who have a number of sponsors backing her up despite various injuries suffered as of late. Adding to her earnings is the fact that she has won three Grand Slam titles already.
1 – Roger Federer [$36,000,000]
Roger Federer has accumulated a total of 15 Grand Slam titles which have been reason enough for his lucrative deals and career prize money.
BETTING PREVIEW OF INDIA V BANG AT DAMBULLA
The second game of the Asia Cup will be played between India and Bangladesh. The match like the rest of them will be played at Dambulla and will see the previous year’s runner-up take on the minnows, who have never got to the final of the tournament before this, in the game.
India has a decent batting side going for them but the problem is with their bowling. The injuries and the lack of form of some of the key fast bowlers, has meant that the side has struggled in the recent past to pick up the wickets, and that as meant that the side hasn’t had the best of the results going for them.
The batting, though stronger than most is shorn of Sachin Tendulkar and Yuvraj Singh. Tendulkar has opted to rest out of the series, while Yuvraj was dropped from the tournament. Amongst the rest, the series will see the return of Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir, both of whom have been intermittently injured and out of form and greatly desired that break that they got after the World T20.
For Bangladesh, the story has not been too dissimilar from their last two or three years. Whilst there have been definite improvements, the side has fallen by the wayside in their middle order on more occasions than one. Over-dependence on Tamim Iqbal has made them a one-man batting army, with the likes of Shakib al Hasan and Mohammad Ashraful struggling to regain their glory days.
The track at Dambulla will need to be assessed before hand, but one gets the sense that the spinners will hold the key here. And one also gets the sense that both the sides will want to go into the side with three spinners and not more than two pace bowlers.
India are obvious favourites going into the game (2/11 at Stan James), as compared to the offer of (7/2 at Ladbrokes) for a Bangladeshi win. My money is on India, but they will do well to remember that they had lost to this very team in the 2007 World Cup.
India has a decent batting side going for them but the problem is with their bowling. The injuries and the lack of form of some of the key fast bowlers, has meant that the side has struggled in the recent past to pick up the wickets, and that as meant that the side hasn’t had the best of the results going for them.
The batting, though stronger than most is shorn of Sachin Tendulkar and Yuvraj Singh. Tendulkar has opted to rest out of the series, while Yuvraj was dropped from the tournament. Amongst the rest, the series will see the return of Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir, both of whom have been intermittently injured and out of form and greatly desired that break that they got after the World T20.
For Bangladesh, the story has not been too dissimilar from their last two or three years. Whilst there have been definite improvements, the side has fallen by the wayside in their middle order on more occasions than one. Over-dependence on Tamim Iqbal has made them a one-man batting army, with the likes of Shakib al Hasan and Mohammad Ashraful struggling to regain their glory days.
The track at Dambulla will need to be assessed before hand, but one gets the sense that the spinners will hold the key here. And one also gets the sense that both the sides will want to go into the side with three spinners and not more than two pace bowlers.
India are obvious favourites going into the game (2/11 at Stan James), as compared to the offer of (7/2 at Ladbrokes) for a Bangladeshi win. My money is on India, but they will do well to remember that they had lost to this very team in the 2007 World Cup.
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