India search for Sri Lankan formula

Rahul Dravid's runs will be vital but his captaincy skills will face an acid test in the next few weeks © Getty Images

Apart from the fact that both coaches hail from the land under the Southern Cross, there is little in common between India and a Sri Lankan side whose upward mobility in recent times has been in stark contrast to Big Brother's fall from grace.

When a revitalised India meted out a 183-run thrashing in a World Cup Super Six encounter less than three years ago, it appeared that the two teams were far traversing two very separate paths. Under Sourav Ganguly and John Wright, India had managed to harness their mercurial qualities consistently enough to trouble the very best, while Sri Lanka - despite the return of Dav Whatmore as coach - seemed to be a team in decline, with the World Cup heroics of 1996 a fond and ageing memory.

But instead of heralding a time of plenty, India's run to the World Cup final was merely the harbinger of a time of ODI famine. In 60 matches since, they have lost 30, and been regularly embarrassed by teams that pay far greater attention to the basics like running between wickets and sharp fielding. Sri Lanka, who have outwitted India five times out of six since that drubbing at the Wanderers in March 2003, have been one of those to ruthlessly expose the decline, and have racked up a formidable record of 33 wins in 47 games after Australia ended their World Cup dream at Port Elizabeth.

While Tom Moody has presided over seven wins and a solitary defeat in the first few months of his tenure, Greg Chappell's cup-half-full record - five wins and five losses - includes disappointing reverses in finals at both Colombo and Harare. More importantly, Moody has only had to fine-tune an outfit that is peerless when it comes to the execution of ODI game-plans in the subcontinent, while Chappell's task has involved a near-complete overhaul of a limited-overs side that had forgotten how to win.

India's preparations have also been affected by the Ganguly saga, which has merely illustrated the truism that a losing team is an unhappy one. Rahul Dravid's first task will be to bring back onside those players who have expressed their reservations about the Chappell way of functioning, and to ensure that the mid-pitch huddle once more becomes a symbol of team unity rather than a half-hearted sop to sponsors.

Muttiah Muralitharan's wiles will give the Indians plenty to think about © Getty Images

Dravid's captaincy in Sri Lanka was aggressive and thoughtful, and this will be the perfect opportunity to prove that a calm demeanour doesn't necessarily equate to being a soft touch. Temperamentally and otherwise, he is far closer to the Chappell hymn sheet than Ganguly was, and a harmonious partnership between the two is India's best bet to reverse a rotten run of one-day form and stabilise a team that has seen far too much chopping and changing of late.

The loss of Mohammad Kaif through injury is a potentially devastating blow. Not only is he India's best fielder, but Kaif's work ethic and ability to wrench the most out of a limited repertoire of shots have made him something of a mascot for the new coach's long-term vision. With Ganguly and Kaif missing, the onus will be on the returning Sachin Tendulkar and the likes of Suresh Raina to thwart a Sri Lankan attack that will rely heavily on an assortment of spin.

Muttiah Muralitharan will size up an Indian pitch for the first time in eight years, and the vastly under-rated Upul Chandana will provide the foil that lacerated India in the Asia Cup final of 2004. The supporting pace cast is equally strong, with Chaminda Vaas, clearly the best exponent of the art from the subcontinent, Farveez Maharoof and Dilhara Fernando all capable of asking searching questions of batsmen even on placid tracks.

India, by contrast, have gambled on the exuberance of youth, with Kerala's S Sreesanth set to make his debut in tandem with Irfan Pathan, who has yet to convince on the flatbeds of home. Sreesanth's lively pace and control was the highlight of the recent Challenger Trophy and the daunting Sanath Jayasuriya test that he will face first up will give observers many clues about whether he has the mettle for the long haul.

With big-scoring matches far more likely to entice crowds, the bowlers are likely to be eclipsed by the bating talent on either side. In addition to the remarkable Jayasuriya, Sri Lanka can call on Marvan Atapattu, Mahela Jayawardene, Upul Tharanga and the effervescent Kumar Sangakkara, who played two wonderful knocks against Australia for the World XI.

India will expect Dravid to lead by example with the bat, and Tendulkar's return to the top of the order may also free Virender Sehwag from the belt-every-ball expectation that has torn apart the fabric of his one-day batting. Yuvraj Singh's tussles against Murali will be an interesting sidelight, as will Mahendra Singh Dhoni's wood-cutting impersonations against pace and spin alike.

Given the quality of their allround options, and the fact that they have clearly stumbled on a winning formula for Asian conditions, Sri Lanka will start favourites. If India can eke out an early win and then ride on the momentum from that, all doom-and-gloom predictions could well be shredded, but if they start poorly and Ganguly is drafted in - as appears inevitable now - the melting pot could well boil over once again.