World Cup Final
It will be the decider on the 2nd of April 2011; the world will get a new cricket champion team after a period of 12 years. The match will be a modern cricket Ramayana between India and Sri Lanka. The only difference in this Ramayana is that the battle will take place on the home turf of the cricket god Sachin Tendulkar and that’s the advantage the Indian team possess.
Both the team have entered the finals by facing a single defeat in their group stages, after the loss both the teams pulled up their socks and showed their capability to the cricket world. By winning easily against England and silent killers New Zealand in the semi-finals, the Lankan Lions has shown their character and temperament while chasing. Whereas the Indians has shown that they are comfortable in chasing & building up the target by the results of their quarters and semi-finals.
The strength of both the teams has been batting. Six out of ten leading runs scores are from India and Sri Lanka collectively.
The Indian batsmen have able to score 1898 runs in the entire tournament, due credit to Sachin Tendulkar, Virendra Sehwag and Yuvraj Singh. Whereas Tikalratne Dilshan, Upul Tharanga and Kumar Sangakkara have played a crucial role to score to 1521 runs for Sri Lanka in the World Cup.
Even in bowling both the teams are extremely talented, especially Sri Lanka, who have restricted their quarters and semi-finalist opponents below 230 runs. They are led by the experienced Muttiah Muralidaran and Lasith Malinga, whereas the Indian bowling attack is led by 19 wickets taker Zaheer Khan and the ‘Turbanator’ Harbhajan Singh.
It will not only be a World Cup decider but also carrier decider of two cricket legends – Sachin Tendulkar and Muttiah Muralidaran. As Muttiah will play his last ODI and World Cup match, he will like to win the World Cup. So will Sachin as this World Cup can be his last one. It will be interesting to see Murali bowling to Sachin.
The Master Blaster gets another opportunity to complete his 100th century. His upcoming innings will be more cherish able, if he achieves the records in the decider and at his home ground at the Wankhede Stadium.
The pitch at the Wankhede Stadium is almost same as other Indian wickets. Even here the ball will stop and there will be slow turn for the spinners, like the other Indian wickets, it will be flat which will allow the batsmen to score. In such conditions it will be important to win the toss and bat first.
The Indian team may again include R. Ashwin in place of injured Ashish Nehra and Yusuf Pathan in place of Gautam Gambhir due to ham strain injury.
On the other side there are fewer chances to see Murali and Angelo Mathews playing the match due to fitness and injury problems respectively?
Tags: Cricket, ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, India, Mumbai, Muttiah Muralidaran, Sachin Tendulkar, Sri Lanka, Wankhede Stadium, World Cup
