India Face Crucial Lankan Test at the Gabba

Brisbane: India are grappling with a selection dilemma and a prolonged form slump of their batsmen as they go into the crucial tri-series match against Sri Lanka on Tuesday without the services of their in-form captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

Dhoni has been handed a one-match ban for slow over-rate in India's last match against Australia, which they lost by a huge 110 runs at the Gabba on Sunday.

Sachin Tendulkar also appears to be a doubtful starter after he received a blow on his head from a bouncer by Brett Lee.

While fielding in the slips, Tendulkar also took a hit on his shin thanks to an edge from Peter Forrest, which kept him out for 25 of Australia's 50 overs.

Barely a couple of points ahead of Sri Lanka in the table but already having played an extra game, India's best chance is to maximise their winning options in the two remaining games against Sri Lanka.

India have three remaining games, one of them against Australia in Sydney on February 26 besides the two matches against World Cup runner.

Virender Sehwag is set to lead and Parthiv Patel would get his first game as a wicketkeeper in the side, but Indians would still have to make a choice about the batsman to leave out.

They would surely recall Ravichandran Ashwin who has bagged all his five wickets in the triangular series against the Lankans for impressive figures of three for 32 and two for 30.

India would also have to choose between the four medium-pacers -- Zaheer Khan, Umesh Yadav, Vinay Kumar and Irfan Pathan -- to get the balance right.

Zaheer, because of his firepower, ought to be in the eleven even though the heat of Gabba appeared to get to him on Sunday.

Pathan, despite the runs he went for, had a useful outing with both bat and ball and Vinay Kumar, but for his final three overs, was spot on. It makes Umesh Yadav the fall guy even though he clocked 150kmph more than once in the last match.

India would be happy to continue with Gautam Gambhir at the top of the order but there is little to cheer by way of performance by the young middle-order batsmen.

Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Suresh Raina -- the young batting trinity in the middle -- have been disappointing in the series even though the Delhi batsman began impressively with 77 against Sri Lanka in Perth.

Rohit has 79 runs from five matches while Raina has 102 from as many knocks.

Sri Lanka, on the other hand, have moved on nicely. Mahela Jayawardene looked the batsman of old in his 60-odd runs against Australia in Sydney.

Tillakaratne Dilshan has always threatened to notch up a big score. Kumar Sangakkara has shown everything except big scores in the series so far. Young Dinesh Chandimal has looked the safest of them all and young all-rounders, Thisara Perera and Angelo Matthews, are extremely dangerous floaters, be in the middle order or as fourth or fifth bowling options.

Above all, the Sri Lankans have been exceptional in the field and led quite superbly by Jayawardene.

The Lankans, given the relative frailty of their batting, have looked to pull down the scoring of the rivals and succeeded to a large extent.

Their two scores in 230s still could stretch India to the limit on both occasions. Against Australia, they once got them down to 231 and on another occasion, in Sydney, to 151.

Teams from

India: Virender Sehwag (capt), Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma, Parthiv Patel (wk), Ravinder Jadeja, Irfan Pathan, Ravichandran Ashwin, Zaheer Khan, Vinay Kumar and Umesh Yadav.

Sri Lanka: Mahela Jayawardene (captain), Upul Tharanga, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Kumar Sangakkara (wk), Dinesh Chandimal, Lahiru Thiramanne, Thisara Perera, Angelo Matthews, Nuwan Kulasekara, Lasith Malinga, Fervez Maharoof and Rangana Herath.

Pitch and conditions
The Australian fast bowlers thrived at the Gabba, and the same surface will be used for Tuesday's game. There isn't good news on the weather front - thundershowers are predicted in the afternoon and evening.

Stats and trivia

• Sri Lanka have lost nine of their 11 ODIs at the Gabba. Their only win came against South Africa in 2006 and one is no result.

Match facts
Tuesday February 21, 2012 (day/night)
Start time 13:20 local (03:20 GMT, 08:50am IST and SL)