Weather plans foul play in India's self-assessing clean sweep aim

Chittagong, May 14 (UNI) The series pocketed, the Indians may not have the chance to make a clean sweep against Bangladesh and prove a point to themselves as a low pressure formation could render the game a non-starter at the Chittagong Divisional Stadium here tomorrow.

According to the Met office, a depression around Bay of Bengal that has intensified into a low pressure zone could mean more rain accompanied by squalls over the next 24 hours.

The conditions would not favour a match in any format as the ground is situated near the sea and has a clayey sub-soil, making it all the more difficult.

Skipepr Rahul Dravid also announced that Robin Uthappa and R P Singh are set to play for the first time in the series in place of injured Sreeshanth and Zaheer Khan if the game gets going.

Dravid said, ''Robin and R P Singh are sure to get a game tomorrow.'' ''Sreesanth is not fit completely. He is under constant monitoring. But he is improving. We don't want to risk him now as there is the Test series ahead of us. We are not under gruelling conditions. We want him fit and fresh for the Tests,'' Dravid said.

It was the same reason why Zaheer was rested in the final ODI.

''Zaheer also has a test series ahead. We want to give him a break and keep him fresh for the series. These two are the mainstay of Indian bowling attack and we want to use them with care,'' Dravid said.

He also informed that Uthappa would bat at number three and Dhoni will bat down the order. ''Dhoni has a lot to do in the Tests and we want him to come down the order,'' he said, without specifying which other player from the playing eleven would sit it out.

India's performance has not exactly been superlative till now.

India won the first ODI by five wickets. The results doesn't really reflect the spot in which the Indian team was before Dhoni and Kaarthick came together to rescue the team from the muck.

The second match was won by 46 runs but the match should have been over within 150 after reducing Bangladesh to ninety odd runs for five wickets. What opposition coach Dav Whatmore said about India being a shade better should fire the visitors up for a better all round show.

The fact is the fissures look bigger than ever in India's armour and if they plan to do wonders with this performance in Ireland in June against South Africa, who beat India black and blue on their home soil, and against England in July, it's a daydream that will bring about a rude awakening.

Indian Cricket Manager Ravi Shastri's loud warnings, ''We are on the rise. We will show no mercy in the last match. We are looking for a clean sweep'' sounds pretty hollow.

The Indian team management may be crowing with delight and may be calling it the right elixir to get over the bitter memories of the sucker punch that hurled Indian team out of the World Cup but clearly there lot more needs to be done.

UNI