Dhoni provides script for 'half-hour serial'

Whenever any of India's international cricketers are asked about how they react when they see something about them on television or read what's written in the newspapers, most of them respond: "I don't watch it or read it." Mahendra Singh Dhoni is an exception. At the end of the second Test, Dhoni had refused to comment about the selection problem that had arisen due to Suresh Raina's debut ton while replacing an unwell Yuvraj Singh.

While Dhoni cited "four days of (media) coverage" about it, on Monday also he kept his cards to his chest.

"You have a half-an-hour serial to run today and tomorrow. So I will protect the decision till tomorrow morning," said Dhoni. "Still the speculation will go on and a half-an-hour serial will be there."

Dravid dazzles

Despite producing a dull wicket at the Sinhalese Sports Club last week, Sri Lanka's national curator Anuruddha Polonowita is popular with both teams for one reason. The veteran curator has allowed the teams to practice on the wickets next to the main strip on the eve of the match.

And guess who made the most of it by hitting some lusty blows off the spinners? Not Virender Sehwag, but Rahul Dravid. Let's hope Dravid's change of mindset is carried into the third Test.

Sightscreen poses a problem

Sachin Tendulkar has been very particular about the sight screen. Even the slightest movement behind a bowler's arm bothers the master a lot. Naturally, when he saw an advertising hoarding above a not-too-high sightscreen at the scoreboard end of the P Sara Oval, there was concern.

"We have requested that the screen on the scoreboard end be increased in height because Sachin is short and when you have a taller bowler bowling it becomes tough to sight the ball.," said Dhoni.

One wondered how Sir Don Bradman coped with the sight screen, if there was one, while batting for an Australian XI against the All Ceylon XI at the same venue 62 years ago.

Stumpy arrives

In order to name the mascot of the next year's World Cup, the International Cricket Council had launched an online contest for fans to suggest names. However, the lack cricket fans' imagination came to the fore on Monday as the name of the baby elephant was made public. Stumpy. Yes, that's what the mascot for the showpiece event to be hosted by India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will be known as.