Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni confident Tendulkar will fire under pressure of expectations
Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni confident Tendulkar will fire under pressure of expectations
India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni is confident that the massive load of expectations won't bog down Sachin Tendulkar when India take on Sri Lanka in the World Cup final at the Wankhede Stadium today "Since he made his debut in 1989, the whole of India have been expecting things from him. So it is nothing new to him," said Dhoni.
Sachin Tendulkar at the Wankhede Stadium yesterday. Pic/ Getty Images
"God has made him play cricket. He has been doing that for the past 21 years and will be there a few more years to come. Sachin will have a good night's sleep and do well," the captain assured.
Dhoni probably based his comments on perfect practice Tendulkar indulges in before every match.u00a0 "Every time Sachin turns up for practice, you find him giving his hundred per cent. Whenever he comes on to the field, he arrives with a purpose. Till it (problem) gets resolved, he will not leave the field," Dhoni said yesterday.
"More often, with the kind of talent he has got, he makes sure that in two hours everything falls into place. I think the attitude has not changed for the last 21 years." Tendulkar has 99 international centuries to his name, 51 in Tests and 48 in ODIs. A World Cup is the one title missing in his trophy-filled cupboard.
"I always think about going on the field and giving your best because you can't control the result. What you can control is how you prepare for the game. "If you prepare well, definitely you can get runs and make your team win. There is no point in thinking about milestones. He has achieved a lot and doesn't need to prove anything, added Dhoni." Meanwhile, Tendulkar's coach Ramakant Achrekar expressed confidence that his ward would win the World Cup for India.
Bad news for India
*u00a0Sri Lanka have an edge over India in World Cup matches with a 4-2 win-loss record.
* Sri Lanka have always given India a fight in a tournament final. Out of 17 final matches between these two teams, Sri Lanka have won 8, whereas India have won 7. On two occasions, the final could not be completed.
* Sri Lanka have had experience of playing at refurbished Wankhede (they thumped New Zealand by 112 runs in their last league match here), while India will be playing their first game at the new Wankhede.
* Indian batsmen rely heavily on boundaries (they have scored maximum boundaries in the tournament), but Sri Lanka have conceded fewest boundaries (only 102 fours and 7 sixes!)
* Almost all Sri Lankan batsmen are in prime form, that's why Sri Lanka have the highest batting average in the tournament - 48.33 runs per dismissal. Indian batsmen average 37.83
* The opening pair of T Dilshan & Upul Tharanga has been the most dreaded pair in the tournament. They have added 783 runs @ 111.86 in 8 innings, which includes two 200+stands. In comparison, Sehwag-Tendulkar pair has aggregated 427 runs in 7 innings @ 61.00
Good news for India
* India have always dominated proceedings against Sri Lanka in India. Of the 42 matches between these sides on Indian soil, India have won 28 and Sri Lanka only 11 (3 matches were abandoned).
* India have a pretty impressive record at home in recent times. Of the 16 ODIs India have played in India since January 2010, they have won as many as 13 and lost only 2 (one match ended in a tie).
* Three of Sri Lanka's main batsmen - Tharanga, Jayawardene and Samaraweera average only 32.50, 19.63 and 7.00 respectively while playing against India in India.
* None of the Sri Lankan bowlers have an impressive record against India in India. Muralitharan has the lowest bowling average with 32.53, while Lasith Malinga averages 130 with the ball!
* Dhoni, Gambhir, Kohli and Tendulkar all average more than 60 while playing Lanka in India.
Raina & Yuvraj average more than 40. Sehwag is the only one with less than 40 average (35.86)
Compiled by Rajneesh Gupta
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