Sri Lanka favourites in summit clash

India may accept had the added acceptable after-effects during the access of contests adjoin Sri Lanka over the aftermost brace of years but, in this Asia Cup, the hosts accept looked decidedly superior. They accept a added acclimatized batting line-up, greater authority in their bowling advance and absorbing affluence who abounding in admirably during the dress call aback the bigger names were missing. India's achievement lacked the aggressiveness of their opponents, and they activate Thursday's final with added glitches to rectify.

The foremost affair with India's batting is the boilerplate order. Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina and Virat Kohli accept not akin the bendability of Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, while Ravindra Jadeja, an allrounder, has alone kept his abode with his tidy left-arm spin. His analogue Angelo Mathews, on the added hand, has lived up to his role successfully. The anguish over Virender Sehwag's absence was eased by a solid innings from his backup Dinesh Karthik on Tuesday, but Sri Lanka's aperture aggregate of Upul Tharanga and Tillakaratne Dilshan has aggressive greater confidence.

The acknowledgment of Ashish Nehra and Harbhajan Singh will strengthen India's bowling but those changes will be apprenticed added by call and bound choices. Adjoin the best-available Indian batting line-up, Farveez Maharoof did added than abundant to ensure that aggregation alternative for the final remained a beneath than aboveboard affair for Sri Lanka. With Lasith Malinga, Nuwan Kulasekara and Muttiah Muralitharan in acceptable form, amidst adherence in the batting, India charge a quick turnaround to agitate Sri Lanka's conviction.

Form adviser (most contempo first)

Sri Lanka: WWWWL

India: LWWLL

Watch out for...

Suresh Raina and Virat Kohli: Both batsmen blown opportunities during the dress rehearsal, authoritative their position in the batting adjustment accessible to change. Adaptability, however, is article the brace should be adequate with. They are additionally invaluable for their activity in the field, but abundantly below-par after-effects with the bat of backward accept contributed to India's fragility.

Sri Lanka's clip attack: The hosts accept affluence of options to assignment with in this department. Kulasekara and Malinga accept been absorbing up front, with the closing ensuring the wickets accept been accompanied by a abatement in scoring. The acrimonious cutters from Maharoof in bike with Rangana Herath's circuit put the brakes on India on Tuesday. Mathews possesses a agnate access which, if complemented with Murali's variations, offers Sri Lanka an accomplished aggregate in the boilerplate overs.

Ravindra Jadeja: "Jadeja needs to accord added with bat," Dhoni said. "When he came into the team, he was added of a batsman who could bowl. But now he has angry into added of a specialist bowler." For addition with a batting boilerplate of 33.78 and a bowling boilerplate of 44.08, that charge sting.

Team news

India should comedy their first-choice advance of Praveen Kumar, Zaheer Khan, Harbhajan Singh and Ashish Nehra, who will acknowledgment afterwards convalescent from aback spasms. A half-century in the antecedent bold could acquire Rohit Sharma a promotion.

India (possible) : 1 Gautam Gambhir, 2 Dinesh Karthik, 3 Rohit Sharma, 4 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 5 Virat Kohli, 6 Suresh Raina, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Harbhajan Singh, 9 Praveen Kumar, 10 Zaheer Khan, 11 Ashish Nehra.

Maharoof's five-for and hat-trick could alert the selectors to accept him advanced of Chanaka Welegedera. Thilan Samaraweera has batted aloof already this alternation and it charcoal to be apparent if Thilina Kandamby is best in his place.

Sri Lanka (possible): 1 Upul Tharanga, 2 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 3 Kumar Sangakkara (capt & wk), 4 Mahela Jayawardene, 5 Thilina Kandamby/ Thilan Samaraweera, 6 Angelo Mathews, 7 Chamara Kapugedera, 8 Farveez Maharoof/Chanaka Welegedera, 9 Nuwan Kulasekara, 10 Lasith Malinga, 11 Muttiah Muralitharan.

Stats and trivia

* India and Sri Lanka accept played 15 clash finals, with India acceptable six and Sri Lanka seven. Sri Lanka accept won six of those finals back 2000, while India aloof one, in the Compaq Cup aftermost year.

* India haven't won an Asia Cup in 15 years; Sri Lanka, if they win on Thursday, will booty the appellation for the third beeline time.

* The teams comedy their 19th ODI adjoin anniversary added back the alpha of 2009, and there is added in store. India bout Sri Lanka in July for three Tests and a triangular ODI clash additionally involving New Zealand.

Quotes

"It's a acceptable bearings to be in. We will be thrashing a few issues out with the selectors to see what the best eleven is activity to be. We've got to booty that bout in isolation. We are not activity to attending too far abaft us but aloof got to focus on acrimonious the best band for that one game."

Kumar Sangakkara

"The abridgement of an allrounder is a big concern. If you appetite to comedy with bristles bowlers again one or two of them charge to bat."

MS Dhoni.