<p>But scratch the top, even this seemingly insignificant piece of action throws up a lot of sub-texts. The euphoria of India reaching the pinnacle of ICC Test rankings has not faded, but even that glorious achievement cannot mask their inconsistency in one-day cricket and Twenty20 formats.<br /><br />India have faltered in all the major tournaments like the World Twenty20 in England in June, the Champions Trophy in South Africa and then in the one-day series against Australia in 2009. Though they outpunched an injury-ravaged Sri Lanka in the one-day series in December, their performance, especially bowling and fielding, was largely unsatisfactory.<br /><br />When Virender Sehwag stressed the importance of playing consistent cricket, he was merely stating the obvious. “Our target is to play good cricket. Last two years, we have played very tough and good cricket and hopefully we will do it in 2010 as well,” Sehwag said here after the team's arrival on Saturday. “But it's important for us to play consistently. If you do that, you will stay at number one or number two positions,” the dashing opener said.<br /><br />So, the Indians will be eager to start 2010 with a forceful performance that will give them the right momentum to a year that features some top action like the World Twenty20 and a home and away series against South Africa.<br /><br />On the face of it, Sri Lanka’s second-string side and Bangladesh, whose learning curve seems to be a never-ending path, offer Men in Blue perfect opponents. Even without batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar, who opted out of the tri-series, the Indians have the ammunition to destroy their opposition.<br /><br />But it will be naïve to write off the fighting spirit of Sri Lankans. The Islanders had stretched the Indians in the recently concluded one-day series, but it will be tough for them to tide over the absence of impact players like Sanath Jayasuriya, Mahela Jayawardene, Lasith Malinga, Muttiah Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis.<br /><br />However, this will be a splendid chance for a set of untested but talented youngsters to prove their mettle and a strong show for them will go a long way in helping Lanka in their process of finding a core team for the 2011 World Cup. Sehwag too underlined the dangers of taking Lanka lightly. "When new players break into the side, nobody really knows what he will do or what his strength is. It's difficult for the teams to bowl or bat against them. I think Sri Lanka still are a good side. It will be a tough task for us," Sehwag cautioned.<br /><br />Bangladesh, under the stewardship of all-rounder Shakib al Hasan, too strive for consistency and they will certainly like to come up with a power-packed display to further bridge the long gap between being a stable side and the party-poppers.<br /><br />That they will be playing in the home conditions will be a bonus for them. Sehwag was aware of it. “Whenever you play in the sub-continent, you get more or less the same kind of wicket. It's generally a good track to bat on here and the wicket gets slower and slower. Dew can also be a big factor here," he added.<br /><br />However, the home side suffered a blow on Saturday when paceman Nazmul Hossain was ruled out of the tri-series with a right quadricep muscle injury. Left-arm pace bowler Shahdat Hossain replaced Nazmul in the Bangladesh squad.</p>
<p>But scratch the top, even this seemingly insignificant piece of action throws up a lot of sub-texts. The euphoria of India reaching the pinnacle of ICC Test rankings has not faded, but even that glorious achievement cannot mask their inconsistency in one-day cricket and Twenty20 formats.<br /><br />India have faltered in all the major tournaments like the World Twenty20 in England in June, the Champions Trophy in South Africa and then in the one-day series against Australia in 2009. Though they outpunched an injury-ravaged Sri Lanka in the one-day series in December, their performance, especially bowling and fielding, was largely unsatisfactory.<br /><br />When Virender Sehwag stressed the importance of playing consistent cricket, he was merely stating the obvious. “Our target is to play good cricket. Last two years, we have played very tough and good cricket and hopefully we will do it in 2010 as well,” Sehwag said here after the team's arrival on Saturday. “But it's important for us to play consistently. If you do that, you will stay at number one or number two positions,” the dashing opener said.<br /><br />So, the Indians will be eager to start 2010 with a forceful performance that will give them the right momentum to a year that features some top action like the World Twenty20 and a home and away series against South Africa.<br /><br />On the face of it, Sri Lanka’s second-string side and Bangladesh, whose learning curve seems to be a never-ending path, offer Men in Blue perfect opponents. Even without batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar, who opted out of the tri-series, the Indians have the ammunition to destroy their opposition.<br /><br />But it will be naïve to write off the fighting spirit of Sri Lankans. The Islanders had stretched the Indians in the recently concluded one-day series, but it will be tough for them to tide over the absence of impact players like Sanath Jayasuriya, Mahela Jayawardene, Lasith Malinga, Muttiah Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis.<br /><br />However, this will be a splendid chance for a set of untested but talented youngsters to prove their mettle and a strong show for them will go a long way in helping Lanka in their process of finding a core team for the 2011 World Cup. Sehwag too underlined the dangers of taking Lanka lightly. "When new players break into the side, nobody really knows what he will do or what his strength is. It's difficult for the teams to bowl or bat against them. I think Sri Lanka still are a good side. It will be a tough task for us," Sehwag cautioned.<br /><br />Bangladesh, under the stewardship of all-rounder Shakib al Hasan, too strive for consistency and they will certainly like to come up with a power-packed display to further bridge the long gap between being a stable side and the party-poppers.<br /><br />That they will be playing in the home conditions will be a bonus for them. Sehwag was aware of it. “Whenever you play in the sub-continent, you get more or less the same kind of wicket. It's generally a good track to bat on here and the wicket gets slower and slower. Dew can also be a big factor here," he added.<br /><br />However, the home side suffered a blow on Saturday when paceman Nazmul Hossain was ruled out of the tri-series with a right quadricep muscle injury. Left-arm pace bowler Shahdat Hossain replaced Nazmul in the Bangladesh squad.</p>