I'm looking forward to tomorrow's World Cup Final. Who wouldn't be? The first all-Asian contest at this stage of the tournament, with all the Tendulkar-Muralitharan hype and expectations. On paper, India have the best batsmen and Sri Lanka the bowlers. Both sides have injuries but, let's face it, as I wrote yesterday, Murali will surely play despite all his groin, knee, hamstring and whatever other injuries his 38 year-old body has sustained over the past few weeks. That must surely weaken Sangakkara's fielding ability but the great man will still be a dangerous bowler, even on one leg.
It's so difficult to predict the outcome. Of course the two nations are very familiar with each other. As neighbours they have met on the cricket pitch no fewer than 30 times in the past three years. Indeed they played seven ODIs against each other in 2010 alone, mostly in Sri Lanka, it must be said, along with a Triangular tournament in Zimbabwe. The score was 4-3 in Sri Lanka's favour but in the finals of the Asia Cup and the Dambulla Triangular competition, the record stands 1-1.
You can't read too much into last year's clashes, In Zimbabwe, both sides played young sides, especially India. In the Asia Cup Final, India played a stronger team and beat the home side Sri Lanka comprehensively by 81 runs despite the absence of Sehwag, Tendulkar and Yuvraj Singh, India's most successful players of the World Cup campaign. Sri Lanka's batting tail was even longer than it is now and once Dilshan was out for a second-ball duck, they hadn't a hope of winning.
Two months later, also at the Dambulla stadium, the result was reversed, with Sri Lanka batting first and winning by 74. Still no Tendulkar, nor Zaheer Khan, but then Murali was also missing but this time Dilshan was in sparkling form, striking 110 in 115 balls, ably supported by his captain Sangakkara who thumped 71 in 66.
So the World Cup, the Big One, will really decide who is the fairest of them all. What a fabulous occasion! Let's hope for a classic. I just hope Murali doesn't get Tendulkar out for 99 on a referral.....
