As two subcontinent teams prepare to battle it out for the World Cup trophy for the first time, India captain MS Dhoni warned rivals Sri Lanka to expect a tough contest in today’s final in Mumbai, saying his team had yet to play their best cricket.
While India outclassed archrivals Pakistan, Sri Lanka survived a scare and beat New Zealand to set up the subcontinental clash.
“There is plenty more to come from us,” said Dhoni ahead of the final at the Wankhede stadium. “We gained momentum as the tournament went on and we are now peaking at the right time.”
Dhoni said India’s intensity had picked up in the knock-out rounds, which helped to defeat defending champions Australia in the quarter-finals and archrivals Pakistan in the semis. The Indian captain said his team was not under any extra pressure going into the final.
“We are not thinking about tomorrow’s game as a final, for us every match is a challenge and just as important. These matches are called by different names like quarters, semis and final. In the end you have to play the same way and do the right things to succeed.”
Nehra, Mathews out
However, a selection dilemma does face Dhoni and the India team management as they look for a replacement for left-arm fast-bowler Ashish Nehra, out due to a fractured finger. Nehra, selected ahead of Ravichandran Ashwin for the semi-final, might make way for the spinner or be replaced by Sreesanth as India make a decision today.
If India are avoiding pressure, Sri Lanka have their own set of worries as all-rounder Angelo Mathews was replaced by off-spinner Suraj Randiv, flown in as cover along with veteran fast-bowler Chaminda Vass. Mathews, 23, suffered a right-side strain while fielding during Tuesday’s semi-final win against New Zealand.
Tendulkar and Murali
face-off
The bigger picture, however, still remains Indian legend Sachin Tendulkar and Sri Lanka icon Muttiah Muralitharan’s last World Cup game. India opener Tendulkar, playing in his sixth and probably last tournament, is desperate to capture the only piece of silverware missing from his record-breaking collection.
Added spice is provided by the final being played at his home ground where a century will make him the first batsman to score a hundred international centuries.
Muralitharan, the only member of Sri Lanka’s 1996 World Cup winning squad still with the team, will retire after the match, bringing down the curtain on a 19-year career which has yielded 534 One-Day International wickets.
The off-spinner, who will celebrate his 39th birthday on April 17, is an injury doubt after suffering a series of injuries throughout the tournament. But with 15 wickets already to his name in this event, he is crucial to his team’s chances and is just three wickets short of equalling Australian seamer Glenn McGrath’s record of 71 World Cup victims.
‘Pressure on India’
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara ramped up the pressure on India by claiming the whole world expected them to win the showpiece match.
“They’ve always been the favourites, they’ve got the best batting line-up in the world and some fantastic bowlers,” said Sangakkara, one of cricket’s shrewdest captains. “So I think everyone in the world expects them to turn up and win this game.”
This will be Sri Lanka’s second consecutive final and third in all — they lost in 2007 to Australia, who
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