ODI team pass first test

Warm-up matches lend themselves to selective interpretations and, for a team that is desperate for some good news after a tough Test series, Yuvraj’s fiery 172 and the total of 342-5 could be interpreted as extremely positive signs. But it would be dangerous to read too much into Friday’s match, in which India first pounded and then restricted the wannabes of Sri Lankan Cricket to 250-6 because things could change dramatically in the first one-day in Dambulla.

For starters, the wicket in Dambulla is known to be slow and low — average scores in the vicinity of 220 — unlike the flat track that allowed Yuvraj to hit through the line and on the rise. Then, the Indians who are still working on a plan to counter Ajantha Mendis and Muttiah Muralitharan, were confronted by a three-man pace attack, with Malinga Bandara the only specialist spinner and Jehan Mubarak and Warnapura no more than part-time options.

Good start

But Bandara tied the Indians down as the middle-order batsmen tried to smother the spin by using their feet. Left-handers Yuvraj and Raina looked to play safe against his leg-breaks, and even Rohit Sharma was conservative. Bandara went for 48 from his 10 overs with just three boundaries. But the same strategy against Mendis, Murali, Tillakaratne Dilshan and Sanath Jayasuriya on a turner may not even be as effective.

Once the batsmen had done the job, the focus shifted to the Indian seamers with RP Singh sharing the new ball with Munaf Patel and Irfan Pathan coming...