The Game That Matters
The World Cup in the subcontinent has been a great success, much to the delight of those who heed the shorter format of the game. It all boils down to this game to choose a winner. It is India vs Sri Lanka in the Wankhede Stadium, as Ravi Shastri would call it. Thankfully all the attempts made to subterfuge the importance of today’s game are gone! There are a lot of reasons unearthed just to explain the unfledged fans of the game that this encounter must be considered as revenge.
Winning the World Cup for Sachin Tendulkar and Muttiah Muralitharan seem to be the ultimate reason for doing it. For the former, it is dream come true to play the final of the World Cup in front of his home crowd, while the latter is going to have his last outing with the Sri Lankan team and is set to wear the (dark) blue jersey for one last time. So the game is not short of emotions, neither it is short of pressure.
Both the sides have been lead by able leaders, who could keep their calm and composure when it is needed. This may seem too trivial a reason to be a good leader, but they are conducive. A nervous and a sloth body language could impart a sense of panic and lethargy respectively, amongst the other players in the side which would stymie their performance straightaway.
Interestingly, this is the first time that both the captains in a World Cup final are wicket keepers.
The sides are now clouded by injury woes with Angelo Mathews and Ashish Nehra are ruled out of the game. Mathews missing today’s game means a loss of balance in the side as he has been more than handy with both the bat and the ball. Given the way Thilan Samaraweera and Chamara Silva are batting, this would reduce the depth of their batting order leaving them vulnerable in case the middle order is exposed very early in the innings. The last game against the Kiwis showcased the vulnerability of the Sri Lankan middle if exposed. This coats an additional layer of pressure over Sangakkara and Jayawardane.
India is left with lesser options to choose from, which is sometimes good. In case the curator removes the grass and leaves the pitch dry, Ashwin will prove very handy. He has operated with a greater control early in the innings, a commodity that the spinners often lack especially with the field restrictions on.
There is a lot of depth in the side with Suresh Raina batting at No. 7. The maturity he has nurtured as a finisher in the last couple of years has been commendable. He has also lifted up the spirits by joining hands with Virat Kohli and proving impervious in the offside field.
Both the teams have played a lot of bilateral series in the recent past which make them wary about each other’s strengths and deficiencies. Given the acquaintances, this game would get even more interesting!
Tags: Cricket, India, Mumbai, Muttiah Muralitharan, Sachin Tendulkar, Sri Lanka, Wankhede Stadium, World Cup
