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It’s a mind game with Vaas and Dravid out
Daminda Wijesuriya reporting from Ahmedabad
Having two key players - Chaminda Vaas and Rahul Dravid - lying on the sick list, the two teams played a mind game on Saturday before the third and final cricket test which starts at the Sardar Patel Gujarat Stadium in Ahmedabad today.

The Indian captain was hospitalized just before midnight on Friday and he was on a drip for the whole night. What Dravid had contacted was something similar to what Virender Sehwag got last week and his chances of playing in the third match seem rather remote.

His condition was to be reviewed later in the evening yesterday but the general feeling here was that even a half fit Dravid would play.
Given the circumstances, Indian coach Greg Chappell chooses his words carefully before saying, "We don't like to think the worst but we'll just do what we'll have to do".

Chaminda Vaas and Dilhara Fernando were also down with viral flu but the vice-captain was recovering fast. Although Fernando's condition is not critical, he may not play today. Sri Lanka coach Tom Moody played down the googlies on the team’s fitness at the press.

"We kept out a couple of players to rest. They are in the hotel."
"We are hoping to pick from the full squad tomorrow morning," said Moody, closing all inroads to the query of the team’s fitness.

"At the moment, they've got a fever but I am pleased that it is 24 hours before the match and not during the match," the coach said. "Generally the fever passes in 24 hours. Given another good rest today and tonight, we are hoping they'll be fine tomorrow," Moody added.

Muttiah Muralitharan, who batted with a runner at the Delhi test, was doing his usual exercises and running but refrained from bowling yesterday. Apparently he didn't want to waste his wicket taking deliveries at the nets.
Marvan Atapattu too recovered from flu but had a good knock at the nets before getting a massage on his neck.

Young Upul Tharanga is set to make his test debut today. He will open the innings with Atapattu. However, Sri Lanka may stick to their usual composition of seven batsmen and four bowlers, with Muralitharan and Malinga Bandara bowling in tandem during the latter stage of the innings. Bandara did no mistakes in his last three outings on tour and few catches were dropped off his bowling to deprive him of a better reading on the score card.

Despite his illness, Sri Lanka would not keep a bowler of the caliber of Chaminda Vaas in their endeavour to save the series. Yet Dilhara Fernando may have to sit out in the presence of "Pocket Rocket" Lasith Malinga.
Speaking on the wicket Moody said that the wicket looked much the same when the Lankans played in the previous matches.

"It looks a good cricket wicket. But I am sure it will take turn as the game progresses" "Historically, it is a pretty good run scoring pitch here. So hopefully we can have good five days cricket," Moody said. Sri Lanka's most concerned area was their batting which has not clicked.

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