Test Series – India clear favorites to dominate Sri Lanka in three-match series

Cricket Odds:
India vs. Sri Lanka
Monday, November 16, 10.30pm
India –190
Draw +300
Sri Lanka +450

India is in the strange situation of the prospect of playing just five test matches this season, three of which will be in this series against Sri Lanka.

It is a sad indictment on the cricketing landscape when a country like India will play just a handful of Tests, the rest of their calendar is made up of one-day internationals and Twenty20 matches.

Add to this the latest instalment of the Indian Premier League in March and the Twenty20 World Cup in late April and this season’s calendar for the sub-continent’s leading team will be all about the short game.

And while growing the ire of legends such as Sachin Tendulkar, it appears that accountants with a close eye on the bottom line are winning the war between Test cricket and the short forms, which are now eclipsing the historic roots of the game.

This Test series though will give India a good hit out against sub-continent neighbours.

After losing the seven-match one-day series against Australia 4-2, India are low on confidence, something a big series victory against Sri Lanka will remedy.

India will try and give a second chance to some of its players while Sri Lanka are also planning to blood new talent but the eyes of the world will be on the form of the top line players like Sachin Tendulkar.

Tendulkar seems to be getting better with age having smashed a big century in the recently completed series against Australia and is in glittering form.

Rahul Dravid has already signalled his return to the top grade scoring 177 not out in the first Test which started today in Ahemdabad while MS Dhoni also smashed 110 as India set a fantastic tone for the series setting 6/385 on the first day against a lacklustre Sri Lankan outfit.

Chanaka Welegedara on debut for the Lankans took 3/75 off 17 overs including the prized wickets of Gautam Gambhir (1), Virender Sehwag (16) and clean bowling Tendulkar for four.

Sri Lanka will be keen for Tillakaratne Dilshan and Kumar Sangakkara to fight fire with fire in the first Test but more importantly, to get themselves into form for the long haul ahead of them.