Nothing is predictable in the game of cricket. This applies to the next match between India and Sri Lanka as well.
Nothing is predictable in the game of cricket. This applies to the next match between India and Sri Lanka as well. Past records will battle it out against the experience of the players under the thunderous Gabba stadium.
The second of the ODI's of the CB series in Australia will be played at the Brisbane cricket ground between Asian giants India and Sri Lanka. The ground is situated on the Vulture street in Brisbane suburb of Woolloongabba well known as Gabba.
The ground which is the city's second test ground is traditionally made to suit fast bowlers. The ground's curator has been the Mitchell generation. Interestingly Kevin Mitchell was the first curator and now his son Kevin Mitchell jr. takes care of the pitch. It can let approximately 40,000 spectators enjoy the game.
But Gabba has a climatic twist to itself. The current series has coincided with weather gods' time to scare people around. To go with weather forecasts for tomorrow's match, they forecast an 80 % chance of rain. This would be preceded by likelihood of thunderstorms. In retrospective, a ferocious electrical storm had ended the first of the Ashes Test in 1998-99 season.
Looking at the records of both the team's, India has won 3 out the 10 ODI's played since 1980 and the last one against Australia on Sunday failing to give a result, courtesy: climatic interference.
Sri Lanka on the other hand has a miserable record at this venue. They have played 9 ODI's in the last 23 years and have only won one game. They prevailed over South Africa in January, 2006.
Strictly going by ground records at the venue, none of the India's match winners are playing in the current squad. Kapil Dev scored a half century and bowled an economical spell of 10 overs conceding 28 runs and getting an all important wicket of New Zealand opener BA Edgar who had scored 75 runs.
This was the first ever victory at the venue against New Zealand in 1986. Then after a gap of 18 years, VVS Laxman who always keeps his best for the Oz scored a century in January 2004. This was followed by Yuvraj Singh's half century against Zimbabwe in the same series on the same ground.
One cannot consider Kapil Dev to play till long, but Laxman by records has always been the biggest thorn in the flesh for Aussies, but is not in the team. Yuvraj Singh is unfit.
On the other hand, the island team has won the game against the Proteas with Kumar Sangakarra's special eighty something score. He is currently in the squad for the series.
Experience is another important criterion to be considered while playing anywhere in Australia. The last victory of the Men in Blue in Brisbane came with a team which has none of its players playing in the current squad, except for Sachin Tendulkar and an unfit Yuvraj Singh. Sri Lanka on the other hand has got all the experience in their kitty with Jayasuriya, Sangakarra, Jaywardena, Vaas, Tharanga and of course magician Murali.
The encounter will be an interesting one to watch as ground realities and on-paper records are at loggerheads. The balance is tilted in favour of the seasoned Sri Lankan squad. But ground records suggest a better Indian performance.
Within less than 12 hours now either Dhoni's new recruits or Jayawardene's men will emerge victorious on the basis of their current performance keeping the past as past.
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