No pressure to be Test number one, says Dhoni

Mendis likely to make way for seamer Kulasekera in Third Test:

Kuldip Lal

India do not feel under any pressure to become cricket’s top-ranked Test side when the third and final match against Sri Lanka starts here on Wednesday, captain Mahendra Dhoni said. Dhoni’s men, who lead the series 1-0, will dislodge South Africa at the top of the official Test rankings for the first time if they win the match and secure a 2-0 scoreline.

A draw or a defeat for the hosts at the Brabourne stadium, which is holding in first Test for 36 years, will keep Sri Lanka in second place behind South Africa and India in third.

“I think winning the series is more important, but at the end of the day if we do that it will reflect on the ratings,” Dhoni told reporters on Tuesday.

“We are not thinking about the ranking because you don’t really want to be under pressure, you just want to play your natural game and play according to the game plan.

“We don’t think about the ratings because we know if we keep winning, the ratings will take care of themselves.”

India are buoyant after winning the second Test in Kanpur by an innings and 144 runs inside four days last week, following a high-scoring draw in the first match in Ahmedabad.

“There was no way we could have taken 20 wickets on that flat Ahmedabad wicket,” said Dhoni. “The bowlers did a good job in Kanpur because after the first two days it looked like another match with big scores.”

Centuries from Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag and Rahul Dravid helped India pile up 642 and bowl the Sri Lankans out for 229 and 269.

Left-hander Gambhir, who has hit centuries in each of his last four Tests, will miss the match due to his sister’s wedding on Thursday and will be replaced by Murali Vijay.

Dhoni and his Sri Lankan counterpart Kumar Sangakkara said they expected the seamers and spinners to do well on the grassless Brabourne stadium wicket, indicating a draw was far from their minds. “The wicket looks good, the outfield is great,” said Dhoni. “It is a ground where you will get value for your shots because the outfield is quick.

“There will be a bit of bounce for the fast bowlers and turn for the spinners as the match progresses. There could also be swing for the seamers because of the sea breeze.”

Sangakkara said the wicket will “definitely turn”, but was hopeful the seamers will get more help than they did in Kanpur.

The tourists appear certain to abandon their second Test policy of playing three spinners, with unorthodox slow bowler Ajantha Mendis likely to make way for seamer Nuwan Kulasekara.

“Nuwan has the edge over fast bowler Dilhara Fernando, but we will have another look at the wicket before the toss before deciding our team,” said Sangakkara.

Sangakkara was confident his team can bounce back to win their first ever Test match on Indian soil, and backed versatile off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan to overcome his poor run so far.

“Its a case of regrouping and doing what we do well,” said Sangakkara. “We are still good enough to beat any side in the world. That has not changed.

“Murali is still our spearhead and I back him 100 percent every time he takes the field. He’s had a few off-days but that does not make him a worse bowler.”

Muralitharan, the world’s leading Test bowler with 788 wickets, has taken just five in the series so far at an unflattering average of 79.20.

The likely teams:

India: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt), Virender Sehwag, Murali Vijay, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Venkatsai Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, Pragyan Ojha, Zaheer Khan, Shanthakumaran Sreesanth.

Sri Lanka: Kumar Sangakkara (capt), Mahela Jayawardene, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Tharanga Paranavitana, Thilan Samaraweera, Angelo Mathews, Prasanna Jayawardene, Chanaka Welegedara, Muttiah Muralitharan, Rangana Herath, Nuwan Kulasekera.

Umpires: Nigel Llong (ENG) and Daryl Harper (AUS)

MUMBAI, Tuesday, AFP