A morale-boosting series win sealed, India would be aiming to finish with a
flourish when they take on England in the inconsequential fifth and final
cricket one-dayer at the picturesque HPCA stadium here tomorrow.
A 4-1 victory might not heal the scars of a Test series loss against the same
opponents but it will surely inject a fresh lease of life in Mahendra Singh
Dhoni's men ahead of their next Test assignment against Michael Clarke's
Australia.
The skipper himself will certainly feel good as he is leading from the front and
walking the talk of shouldering more responsibility upfront having successfully
wielded his willow.
There is an old adage that 'revenge is a dish best served cold' and certainly
the irony is not lost out when one considers the problems that the Englishmen
faced whenever their caravan headed north – be it Delhi or Mohali.
Dhoni would certainly expect that the same script is followed to the 'T' when
his side steps on to the field for the 43rd international venue in India.
With the series already decided, the match is of academic interest but for the
team management and the national selectors, there are a few areas that they
would like to check out.
Cheteshwar Pujara has been eagerly waiting for his ODI debut and one would
expect that that the talented Saurashtra batsman would finally get a chance
considering that he has not been released for the high-profile Ranji Trophy
final against Mumbai starting today.
Knowing Dhoni's penchant for sticking to tried and tested combinations, it will
be interesting to know if the likes of Pujara and Amit Mishra, who has so far
only warmed the dug-out will get a chance to be in the thick of things.
Emerging story. Watch this space for updates as more details come in
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