Sydney: India need to beat Australia, preferably with a bonus point, today to make sure of their place in the finals of the Commonwealth Bank triangular one-day series.
India are placed second with 12 points while Sri Lanka have six and still have an outside chance of qualifying for the best-of-three finals on March 2, 4 and 7. Australia, with 22 points, are already through.
All three teams have played six matches each and have two more to round off the league phase.
M.S. Dhoni's team will need to overcome a surprisingly struggling Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) to take their points tally to 16. It could be 17 if they win a bonus point, which will consolidate their position.
Sri Lanka lost their fourth match in the tournament on Friday when Australia defeated them in a rain-hit game in Melbourne.
They have won just one match while one of their matches was abandoned due to rain, a result that might prove costly in the final analysis.
Sri Lanka cannot be ruled out. Even if India beat Australia today, their entry in the finals would hinge on the condition that Sri Lanka lost both their remaining matches.
A win with a bonus point in today's match would, however, should virtually see India through.
Each team plays the other four times and at the end of the league the top two teams qualify for the finals.
India will draw strength from Yuvraj Singh's return to form with a half-century against Sri Lanka in Adelaide Oval Tuesday.
At a time when India's top-order batsmen are struggling, the left-hander seems to be regaining his touch just when the race for the finals has intensified.
The other Indian batsmen, barring Dhoni, also need to fire if the team has to progress beyond the league stage.
The bowling, on the other hand, has been impressive throughout the tour, with pacer Ishant Sharma leading the way.
Australian batsmen, including Ricky Ponting, have also been short of runs and it is their bowling and excellent fielding that have bailed them out in the series.
Australia might rest some of the regulars and give an opportunity to the bench for today's match, as the outcome of the match is not going to effect their standing.
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