COLOMBO: Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene is looking for a consistent all-round performance from his team in the crucial third One-Day International against India starting here today.
It is a must-win tie after the home team lost the first two games of the five-match series but Jayawardene said his side was capable of raising their performance. "We have been in this situation before. You don't have to tell the boys (to raise performance) because they understand the situation. They understand the mistakes they had made," Jayawardene told reporters yesterday.
"We have to be a bit more consistent with our all-round game.
That's one area we have to focus on, especially when you are playing against a good team. You can't keep making mistakes." The Sri Lankan captain said his team needed to put more pressure on in-form India who had won their last seven one-dayers, including five against England at home last year. "Their confidence is pretty high because they have been consistent in the last six months. That's something probably where we lack. If we put more pressure on them, I think we can ask them a few questions," he said.
Jayawardene hoped his openers would give a solid start, especially Tillakaratne Dilshan who had managed just eight runs in two matches.
"Both the openers (Sanath Jayasuriya and Dilshan) are capable of batting according to the situation," he said. Dilshan smashed a career-best 137 not out in Lahore last month to help his side win a three-match series.
India coach Gary Kirsten said his team was keen to clinch the series with a victory today. "Yes, it would be nice if we could finish off the series as quickly as possible," said Kirsten.
India made one change to their 15-man squad, with paceman Lakshmipathy Balaji replacing injured Munaf Patel.
"Patel has been rendered unfit due to a groin injury," the Indian cricket board said in a statement.
"He will be returning to India for rehabilitation and take at least seven to 10 days to be fully fit. Balaji will fly to Sri Lanka late in the night." Balaji, who played his last one-dayer in August 2005, has taken 34 wickets in 29 matches.
India (from): Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh, Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, Yusuf Pathan, Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma, Lakshmipathy Balaji, Pragyan Ojha, Irfan Pathan, Praveen Kumar.
Sri Lanka (from): Mahela Jayawardene (capt), Sanath Jayasuriya, Kumar Sangakkara, Upul Tharanga, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Chamara Kapugedera, Thilina Kandamby, Jehan Mubarak, Farveez Maharoof, Muttiah Muralitharan, Ajantha Mendis, Dilhara Fernando, Nuwan Kulasekara, Thilan Thushara, Angelo Mathews.
Umpires: Brian Jerling (RSA) and Gamini Silva (SRI) TV umpire: Kumar Dharmasena (SRI) Match referee: Chris Broad (ENG)
