First of five one-day games begins today:

Only a clean sweep will suffice for the Lankans

Indians a side that can be beaten:

ELMO RODRIGOPULLE

Sri Lanka under the inspiring leadership of Mahela Jayawardene is determined to make a clean sweep of the five one-day internationals, with the first one beginning at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium in Sooriyawewa, today.

Sri Lanka’s chances of winning are all the more rosy because the Indians, World Cup 2011 Champions will be donning coloured clothing after shedding them for nearly one and half months.

They will obviously be a bit rusty. But the Lankans must not take the visitors for granted.

They are a good all round side and have it in them to regroup and hit back strongly.

Ball blasters

Batsmen of the caliber of Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gmbhir, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma and Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni are all ball blasters and will not be easy to contain.

But Jayawardene with his shrewd leadership can inspire his bowlers to break through their defences and roll them over. As for their bowlers they have some stingers in Zaheer Khan, Irfan Pathan, Umesh Yadav, Ravichandran Ashwin and Pragyan Oja.As for the Sri Lankans, they must be like snakes all coiled up and waiting to unleash their venom on the Indians and avenge, especially their unbelievable World Cup final defeat.

Highest ever

The Indians chased the highest ever total in a World Cup final to win. The Lankans are still smarting under that defeat and nothing but a 5-nil white wash will quell the Sri Lankan anger. That was also the final where after Aravinda de Silva, Mahela Jayawardene scored a grand and stylish century, but yet had the misfortune of seeing Sri Lanka gift the final to India.

India and Sri Lanka are two of the most exciting teams to watch in this format of the game.

They are the number one and two sides in the world. And for two Asian countries that’s great. Sri Lanka would love to reverse that order and be tops. And they do not lack for want of men who can perform that job.

‘Magnificent seven’

The Sri Lankans have the ‘Magnificent Seven’ batsmen in Tillekeratne Dilshan, Upul Tharanga, Kumar Sangakkara, Dinesh Chandimal, Mahela Jayawardene, Lahiru Thirimanne and Angelo Mathews who can be better than the Indian top seven.

What they got to do is to believe that they are second to none.

Then their natural devastating strokes will cascade and could demoralise the much hyped Indian bowling attack.

In the first ever game played at the Sooriyawewa Stadium, Mahela Jayawardene christened it with a damaging century against Kenya in a 2011 World Cup game. That venue holds happy memories for the Sri Lankan skipper who will be yearning to repeat the feat.As for the Lankan bowlers, slinging sensation Lasith Malinga will be all keyed up to sling his toe crushing Yorkers on the India batsmen. In the World Cup final he silenced two of the Indian batting guns Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar that gave hopes of a Sri Lankan triumph. But what happened thereafter remains a mystery.

The Lankan attack is lively and can contain the run hungry Indian batsmen. Nuwan Kulesekera has been long enough in the game and knows what is expected from him.

All rounders Angelo Matthew and Thisara Perera have shown what they are capable of. Can one forget Perera’s dream finish in the World Cup when he hit six after six.

Under control

Spinners Rangana Herath, Sachitra Senanayake and Jeevan Mendis whoever plays can keep the batsmen under control.

The bowlers must bowl wicket to wicket which is very important in this style of game.

Fielding

However what will matter most is the fielding. The side doing the basics in this aspect to perfection – making impossible catches possible, cutting the ones into twos and saving runs should hold the edge. Both teams will not name their playing men, until they have a look at the wicket and the conditions. As to how the wicket will play can be predicted only after the game is in progress.