A buoyant India will look to wrap up the five-match one-day cricket series against Pakistan when the arch rivals clash in the fourth tie.
GWALIOR: A buoyant India will look to wrap up the five-match one-day cricket series against Pakistan when the arch rivals clash in the fourth tie which promises to be another high-scoring tussle on Thursday.
India displayed excellent temperament to win the previous match at Kanpur and take 2-1 lead after failing to defend their mammoth total of 321 at Mohali and would be confident to carry forward the winning momentum at the capt Roop Singh stadium which has been a happy hunting ground for them.
With India boasting a deep batting line-up and the wicket at the predicted to be 'perfect for batsmen', the task could be easier for the hosts irrespective of whether Mahendra Singh Dhoni calls the coin correctly or not in the day-night clash.
Indian batting has specially clicked well with Sachin Tendulkar's continued good form while Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh also shining with the bat on various occasions in the three matches played in the series so far.
Yuvraj, who scored 58, 34 and 77 in the three ODIs, has emerged as a major threat for Pakistan due to his superb timing and knack to switch on and off his attacking instinct to suit the team's needs while Tendulkar, after repeatedly falling in nervous 90s, would be desperately looking to break the jinx about his 42nd century.
Dhoni said Yuvraj's all-round abilities were important for the side.
"Yuvi has always been a trump card for us. I want him to bat for at least 20 overs in all the matches. His knock is important in every match. He also bowled and fielded very well," Dhoni said.
Dhoni, just a step away from clinching his first ODI series win as the captain, is leading from front by top-scoring in the opening match and then chipping in with contribution of 49 and a partnership with Yuvraj in Kanpur.
Gautam Gambhir, extending his Twenty20 form to ODIs, hit 44 in the first match in Guwahati and followed it up with a 68-ball 57 in Mohali and a useful 29 in Kanpur, would look to carry forward the momentum.
Indian bowlers also rose to the occasion in the last ODI by restricting the visitors to clinch a 46-run win.
Irfan Pathan drew special praise from Dhoni for his accuracy in bowling which helped contain a blazing opener Shahid Afridi while spinners Harbhajan Singh exploited the spin-friendly conditions well to check the run flow.
However, with wicket here hardly having anything for spinners, it would be a matter to watch what combination the Indian team management picks for the match.
Fielding, however, was a cause of concern for the hosts as Dhoni admitted that dropped chances may end up costing them dearly in close matches.
"Fielding does matter a lot. We dropped a few catches and we know we have to work hard on this aspect," he said after the third ODI.
The visitors, who face a do-or-die situation in the match to be played under the floodlights, would try to bounce back in the limited over contest to go into the Test series with an upper hand and put the onus back on India.
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