The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Tendulkar predicts an interesting battle

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Friday, Jul 30, 2004

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Sport - Cricket

Tendulkar predicts an interesting battle

By Our Principal Correspondent

COLOMBO, JULY 29. Indian batting star Sachin Tendulkar expects the Indian Oil-Asia Cup 2004 day/night final against Sri Lanka at the R. Premadasa Stadium on August 1 to be an interesting battle.

Speaking to pressmen on Thursday afternoon, after the team's practice session at the Moors Cricket Club, the Mumbai maestro said, "It's going to be an exciting match. The previous two games (against Sri Lanka) were very close. We fought till the end in the last one and pulled it off very nicely."

The final would be a third meeting between the two countries in this edition. Sri Lanka won the preliminary phase match and India scored a four-run win in the super-league contest.

Describing Sri Lanka as a difficult side to defeat at home, Tendulkar explained, "I think it is because they know the conditions better than anyone else. And obviously they know the wicket too. When we batted, the ball was stopping a bit. But the Lankans batted with relative ease. It was evident that they know how to play on this ground.

"That is going to be an advantage (for Lanka). But then, that's what international cricket is about. You go to different countries and play on different surfaces. I suppose it's going to be a tough task for us."

Asked if he realised that he was the second-highest wicket-taker among the Indian bowlers, he said, "No, but I have been enjoying my bowling."

On India's patchy performance in the tournament so far, he said, "High and low points are part of the game, but only the low ones are highlighted. I think the pluses have outnumbered the minuses for the team. For the past two years we have been performing and if the focus is on the good points then we can do even better. We want to give our best in the final."

Laxman fit

The fitness of a few players has been a cause for concern. V.V.S. Laxman missed two matches owing to a knee injury. Physiotherapist Andrew Leipus said Laxman was fit for the final. "It was a bone bruise. He got hit on that part of the knee where there is not much muscle. So, the bone has taken a bit of a knock," said Leipus.

On left-arm pacer Zaheer Khan's fitness, the physio said, "Zaheer is a little bit stiff, but he'll be fit as well. We will have a full-strength squad for the final."

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