Given that the Indians have had the ‘wood’ on the Australians in what is popularly termed as the Mini World Cup, it would not be out of place to state that they would have preferred to play the Aussies in the Champions Trophy final slated for Sunday afternoon at the Premadasa Stadium. Also had Sri Lanka been knocked out, the frenzied support that is reserved for them in the packed stands would have transferred rightly to the Indians. After all, the Sri Lankans love nothing better than hating the Australians.

Now, it is a rather confident Sri Lanka who clash with India. Their veteran Aravinda de Silva, named Man of the Match in Friday’s semifinal for his outstanding bowling efforts, is on record saying that his side is the better team by far and that they would put it across the Indians. Well, the Indians aren’t exactly quaking. They are fully aware that they beat the ‘better team’ quite easily when the two sides last met in England.

Gone may be the days when the Indians, led by that redoubtable Sardar, Navjot Sidhu, made a mockery of the skills of Muthiah Muralitharan, but they are any day more adept at tackling spin than either the South Africans or the Australians. The hosts will certainly have to do some rethinking on their strategy and none will be surprised to see the big Dilharo Fernando return in place of one of the spinners, probably Upul Chandana.

Of more interest is the return of Javagal Srinath. Now his is a very strange case but typical of the way Indian selections go. For a large part of his career, Srinath was almost a misfit in the one-day arena, being effective only with his first few overs. The lack of variety – read slower delivery – meant that he invariably got thumped in the end overs. With his fielding and batting only marginally better than his throwing, Srinath was playing more on reputation than form.

Over the past couple of years, things changed. Srinath suddenly discovered the slower ball, something he had been working on for a long time without success, and he became twice the bowler he was in the one-day arena. Realizing that he could still leave an imprint in one-dayers, Srinath took the decision to quit Test cricket – his chief passion – and concentrate on playing the 2003 World Cup. Except that the selectors would have none of it and they promptly left him out of the NatWest Series squad as well the Champions Trophy team, only to – as it has turned out – reinvent the wheel and recall him once Ashish Nehra injured himself.

The pressure will certainly be on the Karnataka man to succeed. He does have this knack of getting rid of Sanath Jayasuriya early and should he do that on Sunday, Srinath would have done his job. Either way, it does look as if his World Cup place is secured.

Getting rid of Jayasuriya will be half the battle won for the Indians. The Lankan skipper’s presence at the batting crease has a direct bearing on the course of any match and whenever he departs early, Lanka struggle.

Just as Srinath – provided he does play – will target Jayasuriya, Chaminda Vaas will be after Virender Sehwag. The hard-hitting Delhi lad will have to watch out for Vaas’ sharp inswingers, although on present form, he might well turn the indipper past square leg for four.

Either way an exciting game is in prospect.