The third One Day International between India and West Indies was another experiment from both teams - the Windies coming out on top thanks to a fine innings of 83 by Brian Lara.

The victory, which leaves India 2-1 ahead in the four-match series, underscored the great value of Lara's presence to the team, while Marlon Samuels, who hasn't been in the best of form, compiled a brilliant 98 in the company of his captain.

Lara was at his very best as he toyed with the Indian bowling. His mastery over spin was commendable, with late cuts, perfect placements and big hits all on display. Lara never looked in trouble and India never looked like pulling off a win.

India's lack of bowling resources made matters worse and Harbhajan Singh's absence was strongly felt. Even if he didn't take wickets, Harbhajan's ability to curtail the runs has been a great asset to the team. After the initial mayhem, neither Anil Kumble nor Ramesh Powar was able to restrict the flow of runs. And with Sachin Tendulkar as the fifth bowler, India never really had the resources to put up a fighting bowling performance.

It is becoming increasingly clear that Sri Sreesanth is too much of a "loose cannon" to be used in ODIs. He is best saved for Test matches and lacks the experience to be successful in the shorter version of the game. This match was virtually lost in his first over.

Ajit Agarkar, on the other hand, seems to be the best bet to spearhead India's bowling attack. He generates a fair amount of pace and uses his head while bowling, unlike most of his fellow seamers.

Apart from Lara's brilliance and Samuels' fine knock, the other highlight of this match was the batting of Robin Uthappa, who once again showed signs that he has what it takes to open India's innings at the highest level. The dashing start that was Virender Sehwag's trademark is no longer his alone. Uthappa showed that he is capable of similar razzle-dazzle and his performance here is hard to ignore.

The fact that he is a right hander and with Saurav Ganguly having virtually sealed the other opening spot, certainly gives Uthappa the edge over Gautam Gambhir for the World Cup team. To make matters worse, Gambhir blew another chance to impress.

The final ODI should now be of special interest, and both teams are likely to field their best combinations. With Tendulkar struggling in the middle order, it might be time to return to the famed Ganguly-Tendulkar opening combination. Irfan Pathan is virtually certain to return, while Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Zaheer Khan and Ganguly all likely to figure.

Given the importance of this final game to winning the series, India would be inclined to bring back Harbhajan as well. This means that Powar will most likely be forced to sit this one out. Perhaps Suresh Raina will given another chance over Dhoni. The team management is going to have a hard time deciding on the final combination.

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