It’s down to the two teams best suited in playing on wickets in the subcontinent. The hosts will obviously have a bit of an edge, with all conditions favouring them. However, it is India that have looked the more positive side in the tournament. In their earlier encounter with the Lankans, India edged past simply because they had players who could force the pace of the game. The Lankans rely more on restricting the opposition with tight, flat bowling than on bowling them out. While this has worked for them on most occasions, it was exposed by some aggressive Indian cricket.

Going into the match, the Sri Lankans will be hoping that both Malinda Gajanayake and Ian Daniels will get going. The two batsmen have been the foundation on which the Sri Lankan batting has scored runs. The Lankans also have a fair few utility players. Stumper Rashan Pieris has also been safe behind the stumps and backed that up with some innovative batting. The spinner Dhammika has also displayed the ability to bowl a nagging line. Pushpakumara has come through as a good utility cricketer, doing a bit with both bat and ball. The Lankans have manny players who can all chip in.

In contrast, the Indians have at least five batsmen who have made runs in the tournament. The openers have posted two hundred run plus opening. Ravneet Ricky made a solid 108 in the semifinals and told CricInfo that he was very confident and that it was difficult, but not impossible to concentrate for long periods on Sri Lankan wickets. Yuvraj Singh has shown what he is capable of, slamming 50 off just 25 balls against the Australians in the semifinals. He too is keen to go on and make a big score and said that he wanted to make a hundred in the tournament, and there’s no better time than the finals. Mohammad Kaif has looked good for a big score all tournament but has been dismissed in the thirties and the forties. The vice captain Reetinder Singh Sodhi has also done his bit, both with the bat and with the ball. Lastly, the lads who have hardly been pressed into action in the tournament so far, Niraj Patel and Venugopal Rao. If India lose quick wickets tomorrow, it will be up to these boys to stem the rot. Patel in particular has shown a cool temperament and is willing to play well within himself, pushing the ball into the gaps and picking up ones and twos.

So it will be case of Indian positivity against Sri Lankan defense. If the Indians don’t let Sri Lanka make full use of the home conditions, we will have a close match on our hands.

© CricInfo