The stage is set for the grand finale
Eleven young Lankans will carry the aspirations and prayers of another twenty million people when they cross the boundary line of the Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur to take on India in the final of the ICC T-20 World Championship here today.
This is a positon that the Lankans are more than familiar with, especially where the more important ICC world cricket titles are concerned. They were there in the 1996, 2007 and 2011 World Cup finals and were also a feature in the 2009 and 2012 T-20 World Championship finals. Now, they will face India this evening in the 2014 version of it.
On Friday, India powered their way to beat the strong South Africans to book their date with Sri Lanka.
Lankan skipper Lasith Malinga speaking to the press last evening during their last net sessions prior to the game said that he and his team are keeping their emotions under wraps prior to this game. Malinga said, “We are not bothered about what occurred in the past. This is just another game of cricket and we are hoping to play to a set game plan. You need only one ball to beat even a batsman like Virat Kohli and I hope one of our bowlers would produce that one tomorrow. At same time we are not playing this game for the incentives that are on offer. We are playing this for our nation and for their pride”.
The Indian skipper M.S. Dhoni was of the view that the Lankans are the strong side and they do posses a composition that excels in these conditions. As a result he is expecting a fitting final tomorrow.
Curator of the Shere Bangla National Stadium, former International umpire Gamini Silva said that the game will be played on the fifth strip which has been prepared for this. He said that the wicket has runs in it and the side who is willing to play positively could make runs on it. He said, “I think this is a 175 run wicket and it also could be chased”.
For Sri Lanka, there is one homing truth. In 1996 as minnows or to be more precise as rank outsiders, they brought home the title and turned the country’s cricketing fate forever. Since then, in spite of growing in stature in the world cricket arena, and showing that they have the inbuilt class within them to reach finals, they have failed to convert that extra mile that they travelled into real gold.
Today is their turn to reverse the status quo and bring home that accolade that has eluded them for more than a decade. Besides the prayers of the people, the SLC hierarchy also has promised the cricketers a bag full of goodies, if they manage to bring home the harvest.
They have beaten this opposition at this same venue before, but it was in the longer format of the limited overs – Asia Cup. So now it is a matter of condensing that same winning package to its full effect.
On Thursday, the environs of the Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur had a gory evening with hailstorms, lashing winds, torrential rain and deafening thunder taking the centre stage over cricket. But, on Friday it stayed away. Today, though rains are expected to a lesser degree, it is expected to be kind towards the game at hand.
The Lankan strategy of ‘the game is bigger than the individual has to be commended. For the second time in a few weeks Dinesh Chandimal is paying the price for his indifferent form and is sitting out at a final at the same venue. However, he too should be saluted for going with the majority decision and living to fight another day.
On Thursday the main architect of Lanka’s win against the West Indies Angelo Mathews said, “It was a collective decision – the selectors, management, Chandimal. You got to do what’s best for the team all the time, regardless of who you are. He opted out, and he was brilliant in that. He wanted the best XI on the park. So I think it was a great and brave decision.”
Angelo talking of the final said, “It is all the hard work that the boys do. I think they have been managed pretty well. When you play intense games every other day, it takes a lot out of your body. You need to manage yourself and still work really hard with fitness, fielding and skills. We were consistent in the last couple of months in these areas. It will be ideal to lift the trophy and go back home.”
For today’s game the Lankan will have to learn from the Proteas mistakes in their semi-final against India. The African pacies tried to intimidate the Indian batsmen, rather than contain them. They also forgot on this slow low wicket that ploy does not work.
In the first semi-final when Lasith Malinga won the toss and elected to bat, it worked for the Lankans. But, for the South Africans in spite runs on the board, the task was too hard. So, the Lankans will have to find a way to contain the Indian batting machine that runs deep into the tail. If they find a mantra to that affliction, the game and the cup is theirs. However they showed it in the Asia Cup this year, and a repeat performance in this version would win them the match.
Especially today Sangakkara, who is due to face his final curtain in T-20 cricket, must get on stage and come up with the best performance of his life. His indifferent form has been no problem to the Lankan camp, but, if he fires the Lankans will get an extra dose of mental tonic.
Once again the Indian camp will put their money on Ashwin and company to stall the Lankans and put their money on the skills of Kohli and co to deliver the goods. Yet, in a high octane final of this nature the law of averages might tick differently. They also will be mindful that at the other end are a set of cricketers who also play the same brand of cricket that they play and hail from the backdrop as same as theirs.
So the stage is set, the lights are on, now it is up to you Malinga and his ten mean soldiers to set the stage on fire.