Monday, August 22, 2011

Teams look for momentum before Tests in dead rubber

With the series already 3-1 in favour of Australia, both sides would be playing for pride in the fifth and final ODI at Colombo and take some momentum into the Test series.

Just a meager formality is left in the ODI series as Sri Lanka and Australia face each other in the fifth match at R Premadasa Stadium which is a dead rubber.

Australia had a perfect outing in the last ODI, with bowlers faring amazingly well to dismantle the Lankan batting line-up and the batsmen chasing the required runs with little bit of fuss.

However, even though the series is in the pocket, Aussie skipper Michael Clarke surely will not allow complacency. The team would hope to keep up with the good work and carry the winning momentum into the Test matches.

The hosts, on the other hand, after a strong show in the third ODI once again flopped with the bat. The batting lacked depth and class and once the top four were removed, there was no fight from the middle and lower order. This is one area they would look to work on; otherwise the bowling and fielding have been steady.

Australia have been fairly dominant in this series so far but the Castrol Index does not see much difference between the two sides - 48 to Australia, 46 to the Lankans. The batting has been the area where the hosts have scored winning the race in Batting Momentum, and the Quick Start Overs as well as the Extreme Performance ones with the willow. In terms of bowling, Australia have been ahead in terms of the Efficiency but the Lankans have won the battle with the ball in the Quick Start as well as the Extreme Performance ones.

Ricky Ponting has dominated with the bat for Australia and earned a Batting Momentum of 53 while for Sri Lanka, it has been Nuwan Kulasekara with a value of 48. As far as the bowling is concerned, Mitchell Johnson of Australia has earned 55 points for Bowling Efficiency while Ajantha Mendis has been Sri Lanka’s best.

Overall, Mitchell Johnson has been the best player with a Castrol Index value of 53 while for the hosts, Nuwan Kulasekara has earned a value of 48.

This match will be played at the same venue and as we witnessed the track will offer good assistance to the spin bowlers. It will be a tricky call at the toss after the last game but still the side winning it could opt to bat.

Sri Lanka start off with a value of 194 on the Index while Australia are on 184. Should be a cracking contest which will commence at 0900 GMT!

Saturday, August 20, 2011

Buoyant Bangladesh look to end tour on a high

Having won the fourth ODI convincingly at Bulawayo, on song Bangladesh look forward to give a repeat performance on Sunday and end the series on a happier note with 2 wins.

The hosts have been in a tremendous form this entire tour, right from the Test. They haven’t set a foot wrong and the fourth ODI was probably the only negative thing to happen in this series. The hosts struggled against some good bowling at the top and the middle order could not handle the pressure.

Bangladesh were brilliant right from the outset, with the ball initially and then with the bat. Skipper Shakib will be finally relieved that things went his way in the fourth game. Still, the batting needs a look over and the fifth and final game might see a few changes.

Not much has gone right for the visitors in this series and that is the reason they are with 40 points on the Castrol Index as compared to 54 of the hosts. The Batting Momentum sees both the teams level with 39 points apiece with the Zimbabweans ahead in the Quick Start Overs while the Bangladeshis get it back in the Extreme Performance Ones. The leading run scorer for Bangladesh has been Mushfiqur Rahim with 188 runs but it has been Shakib Al Hasan who has the best Batting Momentum of 49.

In terms of Bowling Efficiency, Zimbabwe have their noses ahead, with a value of 52 while Bangladesh are on 46. The home side have prevailed in both Quick Start and Extreme Performance Overs with the ball. Two 4-wicket hauls have seen Rubel Hossain with 10 wickets in 4 matches, the leading wicket-taker for Bangladesh and he has the best Bowling Efficiency for his side with a value of 50.

As far as Zimbabwe are concerned, Vusi Sibanda is the leading run-scorer with 208 runs consisting of 2 half centuries and he also has the best Batting Momentum of 55. Brian Vitori who did not take part in the fourth ODI is the leading wicket-taker with 11 scalps and also has the best Bowling Efficiency of 64.

Vitori also possesses the best Castrol Index of 63 while for Bangladesh, it is Rubel with a value of 48.

There is nothing much to choose between these two sides, though, it has been Zimbabwe who have outshone Bangladesh in this series so far. The Castrol Index gives Bangladesh a value of 124 with Zimbabwe way behind on 99. Should be a cracking encounter and toss will be crucial.