World Cup T20: India vs. Sri Lanka - Battle of completely deserving finalists
The finals of the ICC World Cup T20 between India and Sri Lanka promises to be a humdinger of a contest. Both India and Sri Lanka have played each other so often in recent years that there is no element of surprise between the two countries anymore. This is a repeat of the riveting 50-over World Cup finals in 2011, and neutrals will be hoping that tomorrow’s match lives up to the expectations, as well.
Sri Lanka have been the perennial bridesmaid in the recent ICC tournaments. They’ve perpetually reached either the semi-finals or the finals of the ICC tournaments in the last decade but, for some reason, have struggled to get over the line. They’ll be hoping, though, to put that unwanted sequence of losing finals to bed with a victory against India. They had a hiccup against England early on in the tournament, but they have looked formidable ever since. All facets of their game seem to be coming together at the right time, and, if their big players can step up to the plate for one last time in this tournament, you can see ominous signs for the MS Dhoni-led team.
Both Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene have officially announced that this will be their last World T20. They have been fantastic servants of Sri Lankan cricket for well over a decade, and winning the elusive World T20 trophy will be the perfect swansong for the both of them in this format.
India, unlike Sri Lanka, weren’t one of the favourites coming into the tournament. They have had a poor few months, with consecutive series defeats to South Africa and New Zealand in addition to the Asia Cup debacle; however, there has been a dramatic turnaround in their fortunes in this tournament. They have stormed into the semi-finals, having hardly broken any sweat. There was a concern that they weren’t put under pressure in any of the group matches, but those concerns were eased in the semi-final win against South Africa. Chasing 173 to win against a quality South African attack in a semi-final match was never going to be easy, but Virat Kohli ensured that there weren’t going to be any obstacles by scoring a breathtaking 72* off just 44 balls.
India’s hopes once again pinned on Virat Kohli
As far as the Indian bowling is concerned, Ravichandran Ashwin has been a revelation. He has had a tough few months in international cricket, with people starting to question his place in the side not too long ago. He hasn’t, though, let his recent disappointments affect him. He is the most experienced member of the Indian bowling attack, and he has made his experience count by taking wickets whenever his captain, MS Dhoni, was in need of them.
Spotlight-
Sri Lanka:
The final is going to be Kumar Sangakkara’s last game for Sri Lanka in T20 internationals. He has had a poor tournament, as yet, and would be hoping to make amends for his low returns with a match-winning contribution in the final.
India:
Yuvraj Singh has shown glimpses of his class in this tournament. He started off in a lukewarm fashion but has picked up since then with a wonderful half-century in the game against Australia. He is known as a big-match player due to his good record in ICC tournaments, and a big performance from him in the final tomorrow will establish that even further.
Team news-
Sri Lanka:
The entire Sri Lankan playing XI made meaningful contributions in their semi-final victory against West Indies. With that being the case, it can be difficult to make any changes for the final. They might, however, bring in Ajantha Mendis for the final instead of the leg-spinner Seekkuge Prasanna. Mendis has a good record against India and is also much more experienced than Prasanna, which might tilt the balance in favour of Mendis.
Playing XI (probable) – Kusal Perera, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara (wk), Lahiru Thirimanne, Angelo Mathews, Nuwan Kulasekara, Sachithra Senanayake, Rangana Herath, Ajantha Mendis and Lasith Malinga(c).
India:
The two surprises in India’s playing XI for the semi-final against South Africa were the inclusions of Ajinkya Rahane and Mohit Sharma. Considering that both of them fared well in what was a must win encounter, there is no scope for any changes in India’s playing XI.
Playing XI (probable) – Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni ( c & wk), Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Amit Mishra, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohit Sharma.
Pitch conditions:
The pitch at Dhaka, due to the amount of cricket played on it recently, has had a lot of wear and tear, thereby becoming more conducive to the spin bowlers. The track for the final should be no different, and the spinners from both sides should certainly relish the prospect of bowling on it.