India will wait until the last minute to decide whether or not to include Yuvraj Singh in thier starting XI.
Finger injury to star batsman could rule him out of opening ODI
India will wait until the last minute to decide whether or not to include Yuvraj Singh in their starting XI for the first one-day international against Sri Lanka.
The 28-year-old injured a finger while fielding during the second Twenty20 game in Mohali, which India won to draw the series 1-1.
India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni is prepared to wait on the news of Yuvraj's injury, giving him every chance to play in the first match before naming his squad.
He said: "He has been given an injection; we will see how he feels tomorrow before the game and then make a decision.
"If he does not play, there is a good chance Virat Kohli will take his place."
Dhoni insists that India need to improve their bowling and fielding performances if they are to repeat their test series victory against Sri Lanka in the one-day format.
Performance
He said: "The fielding is a bit of a concern, it has been a problem area for some time and we have been focusing on that aspect a little more ever since Mike (Young) has joined us.
"We also need to improve our bowling at the death. Variation is important, but at the same time you have to bowl good Yorkers and I think that is the key.
"We have done well in patches but we need to be more consistent especially in the last 10 overs."
With single runs helping the scoreboard to turn in one-day cricket, adding to the all-important boundaries, Dhoni believes cutting out the singles will be significant especially against batting technician Sanath Jayasuriya.
He said: "Once you have at least four good fielders, you can stop the batsmen, especially Jayasuriya, from getting those singles.
"He does a lot of running between the wickets especially in the middle overs. It would crucial to stop those easy runs.
Meanwhile the 28-year-old wicket-keeper is wary of the threat of Sri Lanka spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, despite his poor performance in the Test series.
He said: "What has happened until now counts for nothing, he is still a great bowler and can have an impact on the game at any time in the series."
