India launch their Asia Cup cricket campaign against minnows UAE in Dambulla on Friday, determined not only to get into early rhythm but also to extend their successful run into the new season.
The day-night match against the newcomers could prove to be a cakewalk for the formidable Indians but both captain Sourav Ganguly and coach John Wright were not ready to take the opposition lightly, stressing the need to get into form quickly after a three-month break.
The Indians, currently viewed as the second best team in the world, are keen to convert the new respect into a halo and to put the competing teams, including arch-rivals Pakistan, on an alert for the duration of the tournament, held after a gap of four years.
The Indian think-tank does not have much data available on the Emirates team but they intend to sleep walk through the game, riding on the back of their match-winning bowlers and quality batsmen.
There is not much room for experiment in the team but it appears off-spinner Harbhajan Singh will figure in the playing eleven as the dry conditions during the day-night encounter at the Dambulla International Stadium might just call for the spin card.
Harbhajan, returning to the squad after a seven-month long injury lay-off, will be happy about the ground as the dryness in this northern highland of the country helps slow bowlers. The baked conditions allow a tossed up ball to strongly grip the turf.
It will also help to play the two spinners, Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh, together at the start of the season as Indians look for a perfectly matched bowling pair before facing tougher challenges later in the year.
New heartthrobs Laxmipathy Balaji and Irfan Pathan face little opposition from the rest of the medium pacers, which speaks volumes about how much progress the two have made in just one season.
Left-arm speedster Zaheer Khan has often come in for lucid praise from his captain but if the Baroda bowler continues to go without rhythm, direction and pace it would not be long before Sourav Ganguly is forced to revise his opinion. For the moment though it does seem as if Zaheer would be afforded another chance on Friday. Ganguly would do his best to see the left-armer, he so much admires, finding his groove.
The tournament, which features many talented batsmen, may also see a new record for the top score replacing the existing one of 135 by Ganguly against Bangladesh in 1999-2000.
UAE has three young prodigies in Syed Fawad Mohammed, Ramveer Raj and Abdul Rehman who all are below 17-years. Arshad Ali and Asim Saeed are likely openers while Asghar Ali Khan, Fahad Usman, Khuram Khan and Syed Maqsood make up the middle-order.
Next in line could be Naeemudin, who shone in the ACC final in Malaysia, and Mohammad Tauqir, also the deputy of the side, who is a good spinner. Khuram Khan is the leader of the pack.
Ali Asad in all probability will make the first use of the cherry and will be supported by medium-pacers Asim Saeed and Syed Maqsood. Left-arm spinners Rizwan Latif and Khuram Khan will try to keep a control on scoring.
The Indians, who have won the title four times, are here with a full strength team with Harbhajan, Zaheer and Ashish Nehra returning to the squad fully fit.
Vice-captain Rahul Dravid is likely to double up as wicketkeeper giving his skipper the cushion to include one more specialist batsman in the line-up.
Coach Wright felt the biggest challenge for his team would be to get the momentum going quickly. "We want to get going early. We are anticipating tough matches," he said.
Squads (from):
India: Sourav Ganguly (captain), Rahul Dravid (vice-captain), Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, V V S Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, Mohammad Kaif, Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra, Irfan Pathan, Laxmipathy Balaji.
UAE: Khuram Khan (captain), Mohammed Tauqir (vice-captain), Ali Asad Abbas, Arshad Ali, Asghar Ali, Asim Saeed, Fahad Usman, Naeemudin, Ramveer Rai, Rizwan Latif, Sameer Zia, Syed Maqsood, Syed Fawad Mohammed and Abdul Rehman.
Umpires: Billy Doctrove (West Indies) and Ian Howell (South Africa)
Third umpire: Gamini Silva (Sri Lanka)
Match referee: Mike Procter
Hours of play (IST): 1415 to 1815, 1900 to 2230.
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