Right combination and wrong jinx

The Indian team will face its stiffest challenge well before the Asia Cup final gets under way. It has struggled throughout the tournament to get its combination right and doesn''t seem to have arrived at a reasonable solution even now; as if that it isn''t enough, it has to grapple with the little matter of cracking the jinx in the final.
India have done very well to enter all the 12 finals (in tournaments involving three or more teams) over the last couple of years; but they''ve succeeded in winning only one of them. Rain and other forces have helped them share the trophy on two other occasions too.
But they''ve lost in as many as nine finals, and quite often very badly. While the opponents seem to rise above themselves in the big games, India have invariably looked lacklustre and out of depth: the batsmen either crumble in an ugly heap or the bowlers suddenly look lost and wayward.
The finals are clearly won or lost in the mind first: tension, pressure, expectations come hurling from all directions and if you don''t sidestep them at the right time, even one punch is good enough for a knockout.
This is where the seniors must step forward, absorb the blows calmly and storm out lashing with their own counter punches. Unfortunately, India have struggled both at the top of the order and with the new ball. Tendulkar and Sehwag are yet to provide the starts that can propel the team into the high 280s; Irfan is bowling with fire and enthusiasm but Balaji has run into bad form and worse habits.
The problems don''t end there: Zaheer Khan may have bowled one tight over but his injury cannot be overlooked. He looks circumspect in the outfield and India can only pray that he doesn''t break down at a crucial time; it might be smarter to return to Ashish Nehra instead of taking a gamble.
Sourav Ganguly will also have the sublime batting skills of Venkatsai Laxman who has reportedly passed the fitness test. But it only adds to the creases on his forehead: does he go back to his old formula of seven batsmen and four bowlers or does he continue with five specialist bowlers?
More importantly who should bat at Number Three? Ganguly, Laxman, Dravid or even Yuvraj? Ganguly has scored a number of runs at this position in the Asia Cup and he usually doesn''t need much time to get going. Laxman, on the other hand, looks ineffective when he is running out of time and overs: he prefers to gauge the pitch, the bowlers and then play the anchor role.
India will also have to think hard about the array of slow bowlers in Sri Lanka''s ranks. Led by Muralitharan, they have the ability to squeeze the life out of any batting line-up. Ganguly is easily the best batsman against spin and must unleash himself as a weapon against this menace.
Also, Yuvraj is more comfortable against the fast, darting ball than a slow turner. The key, however, shall remain Dravid and Kaif. They can revive the innings and give a final spurt to the total.
Well before that, though, the Indian batsmen will have to cope with the verve of Vaas and zip of Zoysa. Sri Lanka also have a set of formidable batsmen. Sanath Jayasuriya simply loves the Indian attack and must be bristling after all the criticism that his lost hundred attracted. He has single-handedly thrashed India in the past and will aim to do precisely that one more time.
All in all, India are up against it. Hopefully, it will be a good match and not another one-sided final.