Australians Tom Moody and Greg Chappell have a common goal and common problem.
Chappell, the Indian cricket team coach, and Moody, the coach of Sri Lanka, know defeat on Tuesday in the triangular series final would draw critics' daggers out of the sheaths.
Both know a win would set them up for the hectic season ahead in the right frame of mind. Both also realise that failure of their top order is the biggest obstacle in this quest.
"We are inconsistent at the top order and are relying on some excellent partnerships down the order," declared Moody. "Most games in one-day cricket are won by the top order doing the hard work."
Chappell's views are similar.
"We want our top order to bat big and be there in the final overs to launch a late assault. We don't want to lose too many early wickets."
Sri Lanka have not yet seen Marvan Atapattu and Kumara Sangakkara, arguably their two best batsmen, hit their straps, while Sanath Jayasuriya and Mahela Jayawardene have had only one notable performance each under their belts.
India's case is worse, with Virender Sehwag, Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid -- the four big guns -- fighting their own demons of form, fitness and pressure of seniority.
It is the opening gambit of Moody and Chappell in their new roles as national coaches who are crossing each other's path for the second time this year. Initially both had applied for the coach's role with the Board of Control for Cricket in India, but it was Chappell who won the vote in the end.
Both have set out to look at hidden talents of their adopted countries and are intent on giving youngsters a break in the international arena.
Sri Lanka have so far persisted with 21-year-old young opener Upul Tharanga even though he has not done anything of note. They also brought in Pradeep Jayaprakashdharan from outside the 15-member squad after Muttiah Muralitharan pulled out of a game because of back pain.
India too have tried to give Suresh Raina and Venugopal Rao as much chance as possible.
"We need to invest in players like Tharanga. He is only 21 but has a lot of talent. We've got a lot of confidence in him," said Moody.
"Sometimes, a youthful side shows a lot of spirit and can carry a lot of weight."
Chappell too wants a bigger pool of cricketers as he wants to have the bench strength, which would serve Indian cricket in the season ahead as well as in the 2007 World Cup.
Both want to concentrate on their own games rather than worry unduly about the opposition.
While Moody talks about the need to be prepared well, Chappell emphasises the process is more important than worrying about the end result.
The duo realise that there are a lot of good individual performances but team effort is missing somewhat. They also realise the fast bowlers start well but lack consistency.
"The ball gets softer in the middle overs so it becomes difficult to maintain the pressure. But that's the situation we want to redress," said Chappell.
One would not be surprised if something radical is attempted by the teams on Tuesday. Both would look to take the bull by the horns and something unexpected is there in the air. That is what would make the final particularly intriguing.
