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India and Sri Lanka are familiar opponents. The subcontinental teams have played a great deal of cricket with each other. The novelty of the fixture might have faded, but the intensity of a Champions Trophy semi-final will produce enough excitement for the viewers who will be hoping for a lively affair after a pretty one-sided game between England and South Africa. The Oval finally produced a pace-friendly wicket, but it is unlikely to be the case at Cardiff. It is likely to be a subcontinental style battle in which a lot of runs are scored and spinners are involved.
India have had a flawless campaign in the tournament so far as they come into this knockout game having won all of their fixtures. Sri Lanka, on the other hand, are peaking at the right time. They had a disappointing start to the tournament when they lost out to the Kiwis in a low-scoring game that went down the wire. They produced a massive effort against England, chasing down a mammoth target of 293 with relative ease. Having beaten Australia in their last and crucial group fixture, they will be high on confidence. The only area of concern for India will be the fact that their middle order has not been exposed to any pressure due to the form of their openers.
Here is a list of five players who can show their steel in the grand semi-final to clinch a victory for their side:
5. Mahela Jayawardene
The stylish right-hander came into this competition having scored very few runs, but he has turned it around when it mattered the most. His innings against Australia was a match-winning one and exhibited true determination as he had to step out of his comfort zone to score those runs. Batting at the death, he had to target the boundaries and he did that with timing instead of brute muscle. Along with Kumar Sangakkara, he will have the responsibility of playing a long innings around which other batsmen can make their contributions. India will be wary of the threat he poses and will want to ensure that he does not repeat the performance that came in the World Cup final.
4. Bhuvneshwar Kumar
The swing bowler from Meerut has lived up to the expectations that were evoked by his promising start in international cricket. He has taken 5 wickets in 3 matches for India; but more significantly, all of them came at the head of the innings. He troubles the batsmen with his late lateral movement even though he does not strive for high speeds. The fact that he can swing the ball both ways makes him equally effective against right-handed and left-handed batsmen. He exhibits great control over his line and length, forcing the batsmen to play the ball more often than not. MS Dhoni utilizes his abilities extremely well as he allows him longer spells when the ball is swinging, and that might be the case against Sri Lanka if he picks up an early wicket.
3. Shikhar Dhawan
The new sensation of Indian cricket, Shikhar Dhawan has commanded absolute obedience from the bowlers ever since his debut against Australia. He is the highest run-scorer in the tournament so far with two consecutive hundreds and an innings of substance against Pakistan. He has adapted to English conditions in no time, and has exhibited that he has the technique and the temperament to play at the highest level. He exhibits controlled aggression in the power-play overs by being playing cautiously against the swinging ball and putting the loose deliveries away. He has found the perfect opening partner in Rohit Sharma who can take the pressure off him by playing his shots. Dhawan would want to continue with his great run of form and make a claim for the man of the tournament award with a match-winning knock against Sri Lanka.
2. Lasith Malinga
Lasith Malinga has faced his biggest challenge in International cricket against India. He had an initial spell in ODI cricket in which he troubled the men in blue, but soon he became predictable. The Indian willow has since then come down hard upon him. The Indian batsman, especially Virat Kohli, enjoy the pace at which he delivers the ball. He has added a few deliveries to his bag since the last time the two teams met, and will be eager for some wickets. He has had a terrific tournament so far and a match-winning performance against India will be expected.
1. Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli has shown great maturity at a young age. He made the transition from the U19 Indian side to the senior side remarkably well. He has been to tougher terrains and has garnered valuable experience, and all of it seems to be paying off. It is the hallmark of a great player that they come good on big occasions; and the next two matches, provided India win this one, will offer him that chance to stake a claim for greatness. His significance in that middle order cannot be put into words. He has the temperament to score a run-a-ball innings when it is required, or take full advantage of the situation when the conditions are favorable. He has been on the verge of a big innings in this tournament, and there can be no better time to unleash it than now.
