THE REALITY CHECK – After more than a month of exciting cricket, it’s all down to the final now in the refurbished Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. In an all-subcontinental affair, joint hosts India and Sri Lanka will come face to face in an evenly matched contest. While the Indians got the better of a buoyant Pakistan side in the second semi-final, Sri Lanka defeated a spirited New Zealand in the first semi-final in Colombo to make it to their second successive World Cup final.
Both teams have won the World Cup once before – India did it in 1983 while Sri Lanka were the champions in 1996. The game is, of course, a sell-out. Fans with and without tickets are flocking to Mumbai to enjoy the occasion. Both teams will stick to the tried and tested and there won’t be any major changes in the playing elevens. Sri Lanka are expected to play champion spinner Muttiah Muralitharan despite his niggles, while all-rounder Angelo Mathews has been ruled out.
Sri Lanka’s main strength lies in their batting. The right-left opening combination of Tillakaratne Dilshan and Upul Tharanga has been highly successful and is equally adept at hitting boundaries and stealing singles. Both of them are followed by two dynamic batsmen, Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, who act as the glue which holds the Sri Lankan batting together. When it comes to their bowling, it’s the variety in their attack which gives them a huge advantage.
Lasith Malinga is always a big threat with his slingy action and deadly yorkers. In the spin department, they have Muttiah Muralitharan, Ajantha Mendis and Rangana Herath, who can test the best in business. Murali will be eager to end his glittering career on high, with this being his last international game. Sri Lanka’s later order batting is a concern as their batting beyond number 4 has been untested in this tournament and in a pressure game like a final, it can be a big downside. So the top order will have to click big time.
India’s batting is where their strength is. They have a destructive opening pair in Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag, who can be a threat to any opposition and their early onslaught can be demoralising for the opposition. The Indian middle order is well served with the presence of Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli and Yuvraj Singh, all of whom are amongst the top run scorers in this tournament. Skipper MS Dhoni hasn’t been scoring runs in this tournament but has the ability to click just when it matters.
Indian batting showed their tendency to crumble under pressure as they did against Pakistan and against a disciplined and capable Sri Lankan bowling, things can get difficult. India’s bowling unit isn’t very skilful and penetrative but they have the bowlers who can bowl well within their limits to restrict the opposition. Zaheer Khan has bowled well in the tournament and will be expected to lead the way once again, while Harbhajan Singh would also have gained confidence after getting wickets against Pakistan.
Ashish Nehra has been ruled out with a fractured finger and India might replace him with Ravi Ashwin. With this being the final, batting first can be crucial and posting a big total on the board will be vital. Sri Lankans will be eager to win, after losing out to Australia in the final in 2007, while the Indians will be more than motivated to repeat their heroics of 1983.
The scene is set for another epic encounter and the Wankhede pitch looks primed to ensure it does not disappoint. All said and done, in the end it will be the team who handles the pressure better on the day who comes up trumps.
Form Guide & Conditions – India have won 67 of the 128 ODIs played against Sri Lanka, with the latter winning 50. However, in the last 10 games between the two, Sri Lanka have won six and India have won four. The wicket is expected to favour the batsmen and the captain winning the toss will like to bat first.
The pitch will become slower as the game progresses and run-scoring will be at its easiest early on. The weather is expected to be clear throughout the day and in the first half it can be really hot, before getting relatively cooler in the evening with the sea breeze coming into play.
Watch Out For – Zaheer Khan has been a revelation as a strike bowler in this tournament and with 19 World Cup wickets to his name, he’s been mightily impressive. He has been penetrative and led the attack in every game and just when it matters. He lost his way in the 2003 final against Australia and today’s game will be an opportunity for him to redeem.
Kumar Sangakkara is the pivot around which the Sri Lankan batting revolves. He’s batted under the most intense pressure at times in this tournament and pulled Sri Lanka through, while looking completely composed; being in sublime form and leading the side inspirationally. Sangakkara has also been really good behind the stumps, hardly missing anything. With his experience, form and class, he will be the one to look out for today from Sri Lanka.
Who Wins – Indians will have tremendous self-belief going into the final. However, you can expect Sri Lanka to be at their competitive best and with a proficient side at their disposal, they look on course to break the Indian dream.
Likely Playing Elevens
India: Sehwag, Tendulkar, Gambhir, Kohli, Yuvraj, Dhoni (wk), Raina, Ashwin/Nehra, Harbhajan, Zaheer, Patel
Sri Lanka: Dilshan, Tharanga, Sangakkara (wk), Jayawardene, Samaraweera, Silva, Mathews, Malinga, Muralitharan, Herath, Mendis
