India vs Sri Lanka

India vs Sri Lanka, 6th ODI Match, Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium, Dambulla

India vs Sri Lanka, 6th ODI Match, Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium, Dambulla, On Jun 22, 2010 from 09:00 GMT | 14:30 IST Onwards

With both sides having qualified for the Asia Cup final on Thursday, the “dead game” being played 48 hours before the final is not just going to be a practice game, says Harbhajan. “It is a serious game for both sides and that is the way we are approaching it,” he said, sidestepping who India are planning to play in the game to rest other players.

What is known is that Dinesh Karthik, Indian selectors favourite failure is back in the side again as the Krish Srikkanth panel’s dalliance with the Chennai chump replacing the injured Virender Sehwag whose hamstring twinge has ruled him out of the final two games and the series. Word from the coaching hotplate is that he is likely to be fit for the Test series on the emerald isle next month, with the first of three being played in Galle from July 20.

Harbhajan was adding his own positive spin to the outing by suggesting that India were keen to go through the tournament unbeaten. It would add confidence to their cause, especially as they have now gone past South Africa and are back in second place on the ICC ODI rankings with MS Dhoni repositioning himself as the leading ODI batsman.

“We are aware how important such games as these are,” he said. “Most people look on them as being of little importance. This is not the case here as we would like to win and tune ourselves for the series.”
As for Karthik, the selectors do not seem to be able to get enough of his failures. He is becoming to India what Sanath Jayasuriya is to Sri Lanka, a rolling disaster. His series in Zimbabwe was a disaster and with an average of 28.96 from 45 ODI games with four half-centuries with a top-score of 79 and only 869 runs to his credit, what are the selectors trying to do by giving him more chances to fail than a stand up comic telling a series of bad jokes.

What it suggests is that the Indian selection policy is based on flawed thinking and Karthik’s continued presence in the side is an embarrassment.