COLOMBO, July 17: Former Prime Minister Narasimha Rao once explained the predicament of balancing India's economy: ``If we try to cover the head, the leg is exposed and if we try to cover the leg, the head is exposed.''

Skipper Sachin Tendulkar might well be feeling the same way while trying to strike a balance between India's batting and bowling resources from the composition he has been given.

India's best hopes lies in bolstering it's batting. But, in going for an extra batsman, they will expose the inadequacies of a bowling that looks terribly emaciated. And against the brilliant stroke-players of Sri Lanka -- India's opening hurdle in the Pepsi Asia Cup to be played at the Premadasa Stadium tomorrow it will be a calculated risk, if not an open invitation to disaster.

The absence of Javagal Srinath apart, there is the diminishing returns of Venkatesh Prasad and Anil Kumble to contend with -- the two paying the price of overload and over-reliance. Prasad has gone wicketless in the last four matches and Kumble's form, too, is not very encouraging either.

Kumble's track record against Lanka is dismal, which is not a good augury under the circumstances. The Indian vice-captain has just taken 17 wickets in 20 One-Day Internationals (ODI) against Lanka, registering a none-too-flattering average of 43.82 per scalp.

Prasad, Abey Kuruvilla and Kumble will take care of 30 overs. But it is the other 20 overs which is going to test, tease and torment the troubled captaincy of Tendulkar.

Robin Singh's strike and economy rate in his brief but extended international career gives little cause for cheer and does not warrant him to be billed as a frontline bowler of an international attack. But the limited options before the team management leaves little choice but to play him in the eleven.

The fifth bowler's slot is likely to be taken up by off-spinner Noel David, considering the fact that the Sri Lankan batting line-up has an array of left-handers. But David was not even a frontline bowler of his state till a few seasons back and as such, there has to be an element of gamble in his bowling.

Tendulkar's sorry options is in sharp contrast to the luxury enjoyed by the Pakistan and Sri Lankan skippers, who have more than one all-rounder to fall back on if one of the main bowler gets collared.

If one goes through the history of great one-day teams, including the 1983 World Cup-winning Indian side, then you will find that the bits-and-pieces men have always played major contributory roles in fashioning their team's superiority.

India's chances of upsetting the Sri Lankan apple-cart can be a reality if they get to bat first and one or two of their main batsmen get cracking to help the team pile up a huge score.

It is also vital that they get a couple of early wickets through the new ball bowlers to pile on the pressure.

The Premadasa Stadium has been a happy hunting ground for Tendulkar. It was here that he ended an extended drought to hammer his first ODI century against Australia. It was on this venue again that he made his debut as India captain with a century to his credit.

Sadly, the hundred went in vain as Lanka upstaged Indian team effort.Mohammed Azharuddin is back after a mini exile from international cricket. Azhar's touch of class is respected in international cricket and despite his lean patch, he earned encomiums from the Lankan skipper Arjuna Ranatunga, who felt the former skipper's return is something that will set his bowlers thinking.

Though the Indian team management has not short-listed their team for the morrow, it would be safe to assume that Mumbai left-arm spinner Nilesh Kulkarni and fast bowler Debasish Mohanty, the two new comers, will sit out, leaving the selectors to drop one of the remaining twelve.

The Lankans have everything clicking in their favour: they have the advantage of winning their opening match, the support of their vocal home fans, qualitative superiority in all facets of the game and the form and recent track record against India in ODIs.

If there is one cause for worry, then its the form of Romesh Kaluwitharana both in front and behind the stumps. Little Kalu's performance has been a disappointment for some time and he did not enhance his credentials in the opening match of the championships against Pakistan.

Though the Sri Lankan selectors have not finalised their team, they may replace Kalu with young Lanka de Silva.

Both Tendulkar and Ranatunga are not reading much into the past records of the teams. The Indian skipper was not too enthused by the fact that his country has won all the four Asia Cup championships they have participated in. Nor is Ranatunga too cocky that his team has arguably become the finest One-Day team in contemporary cricket.

Its an overs-limit game, they opine, in which a team can dominate a match for a major part and yet lose their hold in a matter of a few overs.

And there can be a very little argument over that logic.

The Teams

India (from): Sachin Tendulkar (captain), Saurav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, Mohammed Azharuddin, Navjot Sidhu, Ajay Jadeja, Robin Singh, Saba Karim, Anil Kumble, Noel David, Abey Kuruvilla, Venkatesh Prasad, Nilesh Kulkarni and Debashish Mohanty

Sri Lanka (from): Arjuna Ranatunga, Sanat Jayasuriya, Maravan Atapattu, Aravinda de Silva, Roshan Mahanama, Lanka de Silva, Kumara Dharmasena, Chaminda Vaas, Muthiah Muralidharan, Sajeewa de Silva, Upal Chandana, Romesh Kaluwitharana, Ruwan Kalpage and Dilip Liyanage

Umpires: Nazir Junior and Saleem Badar; Third umpire: N Ashgar

ICC Match Referee: John Reid

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.