COLOMBO, July 19: It's Judgement Day tomorrow for India and Pakistan. Their needle clash at the Sinhalese Sports Club will virtually decide which of the two sides will advance into the final of the Pepsi Asia Cup. As the erudite Pakistan skipper, Rameez Raja, put it: ``It's a knock-out game.'' Pakistan lost their opening match to Sri Lanka and then beat Bangladesh, while India were outplayed by Lanka -- by six wickets and 36 balls to spare. The matches to follow tomorrow's key game feature Bangladesh against Lanka and India. Though one cannot say with a degree of finality, it is to be expected that Sunday's winners will play Lanka in the title clash for supremacy in Asia -- which, in the growing importance of cricket in the region, is very prestigious.

The key to Pakistan fortunes lies with their batsmen. Between Saeed Anwar, Aamir Sohail, Inzamam ul-Haq, Rameez Raja, Salim malik and Moin Khan, the frontline of Pakistan batting boasts of a combined experience of 925 One-Day Internationals (ODIs). And what are they up against tomorrow? Anil Kumble and Venkatesh Prasad apart, the rest of the Indian team's frontline bowlers -- Abey Kuruvilla (8), Robin Singh (21), Noel David (4), Nilesh Kulkarni (0) and Debashish Mohanty (0) -- have a collective ODI appearance of 33!

An important functionary of the Sri Lankan team management, who would not liked to be quoted, said that he was aghast to see India send a team with such a poor attack.

Batting sharks Shahid Afridi, Anwar and Inzamam must already have smelt blood with the kind of bowling that India is saddled with. But for the fact that Venkatesh Prasad managed to get both Sanat Jayasuriya and Aravinda de Silva quickly, the batting carnage would have commenced yesterday itself.

Pakistan not only have a richer experience in ODIs but they also have a better depth in batting when compared to Sri Lanka. And at the moment, their only batting worry seems to be the two failures of opener Aamir Sohail on his return from a disciplinary ban by the Pakistan Cricket Board. The Pakistan team management is now toying with the idea of sending Sohail down the order to regain his form. In which case, Afridi will increase the intensity of the attack at the start with Anwar.

Pakistan's bowling may seem emaciated in the absence of Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Mushtaq Ahmed. Which is a fact. But it was virtually the same attack which helped beat India in the Independence Cup. And Raja, yet again, reiterated that this Pakistan team is much stronger than the one that came to India recently.

India's position is such that they have to do some hasty revision of their game-plan. But given the poor balance of their team, the lack of qualitative resources and the inexperience of the reserve strength, there is no scope for much meaningful manouvres.

It is imperative that the Indians go in with five specialist bowlers. The first step has been taken in that direction by the team management. Noel David has been replaced by left-arm spinner Nilesh Kulkarni in the shortlisted 12, which also includes Navjot Singh Sidhu.

The indications are that it will be Sidhu who will finally get the nod with the thinking of the team management to strengthen their relative strong point by bolstering the batting.

One of the reasons of yesterday's paltry total against Lanka was the poor run-rate after the fall of the three early wickets. That is one area that the Indians can have a solution.

And the best man for the job in the middle-order would be the in-form Mohammed Azharuddin, who can pick the gaps with wristy easy to keep the board ticking. Specific orders to the effect and the opportunity to give him as many overs as possible by sending him higher up in the order will certainly be a productive move.

The team management wuold also do well to do some rethinking on Ajay Jadeja's position in the line-up. The Tendulkar-Jadeja association has statistically been among the best in terms of success percentage.

Somewhere along the lines it was separated. The time is ripe to bring them back together which has brought a high proportion of ODI victories.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.