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With series already in the bag, Indian team would love to win the final ODI against Sri Lanka to break dead-rubber jinx. M.S.Dhoni who missed the last two ODI’s after getting banned from the match referee is back into the team, which will boost whole team energy.

Sri Lanka on the other hand will be playing for much more. They arrived in India with much expectation from their fans and with one of the strongest Sri Lankan side but the results is totally different from their expectation. They have lost test series by 2-0, tied the twnty20 series by 1-1 and not sitting on the fence with series already lost 3-1 with one more match to go.

They were also hit by injuries to some of their key players like Muttiah Muralitharan, Angelo Mathews, Thilan Thushara, Dilhara Fernando and Chanaka Welegedara. But somehow they have manage to compete in each and every game and that will give them hope of winning the last one day international at Feroz Shah Kotla, New Delhi.

India will be more confident after chasing down 316 runs target with ease and that too without Yuvraj Singh & M.S.Dhoni. After reduced to 23/2 (with Sachin and Sehwag back in the pavilion), it was left to young Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir and they both did it with perfection. It was such a clinical chase that would lead India into believing that they can now win from any position.

Sunday's match offers an opportunity for Sehwag to sizzle in his home ground and the swashbuckling right-hander would be keen to pout behind the disappointment of Eden Gardens, where he perished in the second over.

Both teams batting are terrific in the series but the two concerned area for them is their bowling and fielding department. Both teams looks out of shot when it comes to fielding and bowling. Whichever team improve these two areas at Feroz Shah Kotla will be the winner of fifth and final ODI before moving for another series in Bangladesh starting January 4^th 2010.

Watch out for

Virendra Sehwag & Sachin Tendulkar: Both players missed the scoring opportunity in the last games and this allowed youngster like virat kohli to show his immense talent. However both will be tempting to play a match winning knock at Ferozshah Kotla to give their team another win in the series to make the series victory score line looks like one sided.

Kumar Sangakara: He is in good form right from the third and final test against India. However he needs to score big hundreds if he would like to win the final match of already lost series. With players like Dilshan, Tharnga, Jayasurya and Jayawardne around him, he needs to bat till the end to put good score on the board or chase down the target.

Pitch & Condition

The pitch at Feroz Shah Kotla ground, New Delhi will be not like the one used in the series so far. As we have seen in the IPL games as well as in the ODI played here between India and Australia. It’s not suited totally for batting and as the game progresses it will provide more help for the spinners. By considering the 9’o clock start there will be some swing for the fast bowlers. So team winning the toss would love to have a bowl and restrict the opposition team below 250 to give them chance of chasing the target.

Teams

Indian middle order will be strengthen with the return of M.S.Dhoni, which means Dinesh karthik will miss out. With series already in the bag, Indian team might be tempted to give a chance to players like Sudeep Tyagi, S.Sreesanth and Pragyan Ojha.

Sri Lanka on the other hand will play with their full strength and they will try to end their unsuccessful tour on a high note. Lasith Malinga who didn’t look impressive might get replaced by mysterious spinner Ajantha Mendis.

Likely Playing XI for both Teams (Match is Schedule to begin at 09:00 AM India Time)

India Squad: V.Sehwag, S.Tendulkar, G.Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, M.S.Dhoni (Captain & WK), Ravinder Jadeja, P.Ojha, S.Sreesanth, S.Tyagi, Z.Khan.

Sri Lanka Squad: Upul Tharanga, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Kumar Sangakkara (Captain/WK), Mahela Jayawardene, Sanath Jayasuriya, Chamara Kapugedera, Thilina Kandamby, Thissara Perera, Suraj Randiv, Suranga Lakmal, Ajantha Mendis.

Stats & Trivia

India have played two ODI’s at Kotla and on both occasions Sri Lanka came out as winner. The second of those matches, during the 1996 World Cup, featured a vicious assault from Jayasuriya which signalled the end of Manoj Prabhakar's career.

In the total runs scored in the series, Virendra Sehwag and T.Dilshan have scored 537 runs so far, off 418 deliveries.