The expected changes came to the fore in the 2nd T20 of the Cricket All Stars between Sachin's Blasters and Warne's Warriors, as all the players that sat out the first match got an opportunity to show they have still got it, in Houston.
Amongst those who played their first Cricket All Stars match, Saqlain Mushtaq was the most impressive, surprising the batsmen a fair bit, including the legend that is Sachin Tendulkar, with his bag of tricks.
Saqlain's brilliant bowling went a little under the radar in that 2nd T20, understandable, considering the two teams scored nearly 500 runs together in a mere 40 overs. The bulk of those runs were scored by Kumar Sangakkara, who yet again showed he shouldn't be anywhere near the retired class.
Sangakkara bid adieu to international cricket amid cries of "please stay" and the left-hander showed in both matches, what a ridiculously-good batsman he really is, and definitely, the greatest Sri Lanka have produced.
Warne, the captain of his team, will have a couple of decisions to make in terms of team selection, even if his side have already clinched this All Stars Series after winning the first two games.
Courtney Walsh, Allan Donald and Daniel Vettori sat out the second T20 for the Warne's Warriors, and all three will want to be involved in the final match of this Cricket All Stars series, which will be held at the Dodger Stadium in LA.
Vettori, in particular, will feel unlucky to have been left out, after bowling brilliantly in the first T20 alongside Warne. However, with Saqlain doing the trick in the second match, Warne will have a tricky decision to make.
Wasim Akram – so wonderful to watch even now – and Ajit Agarkar might make way if Walsh and Donald come back in.
Sachin's Blasters will be reeling after two heavy defeats, and they will want to sign off from the 2015 leg of the Cricket All Stars with a win. The batsmen failed to show up in the first T20, while the bowlers went for too many runs in the second match. Both departments need to step up on Saturday in Los Angeles.
VVS Laxman, Carl Hooper, Curtly Ambrose and Moin Khan missed out on the 2nd T20 action for Sachin's Blasters, and it remains to be seen if Tendulkar brings any of them back, because the team balance seemed better in the second match.
Either way, Virender Sehwag and Sachin himself must put on a big partnership at the top, while the middle order needs to come to the part as well. Tendulkar will also want his new-ball bowlers to pick up a few wickets up front, which will then give the likes of Muttiah Muralitharan and Graeme Swann to apply the pressure.
Expected lineups: Sachin's Blasters: Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar (C), Sourav Ganguly, Brian Lara, Mahela Jayawardene, Moin Khan, Shaun Pollock, Graeme Swann, Muttiah Muralitharan, Shoaib Akhtar, Glenn McGrath.
Warne's Warriors: Michael Vaughan, Matthew Hayden, Jacques Kallis, Kumar Sangakkara, Ricky Ponting, Jonty Rhodes, Andrew Symonds, Daniel Vettori, Wasim Akram, Shane Warne (C), Allan Donald.
Prediction: Sehwag and Tendulkar need to fire along with Sourav Ganguly and Brian Lara. However, if the bowlers of Sachin's Blasters do not dismiss Kumar Sangakkara, in particular, early, this match will be won by Warne's Warriors.
