Team ready to handle pressure in final - Sanga
Chris DHAMBARAGE reporting from India
Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara believe that his team is ready and
well prepared to play the biggest match of their lives when they take on
arch rivals India in the ICC 2011 Cricket World Cup final at the
Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai today.
Sangakkara said that the entire team is brimming with confidence and
is determined to bring an end to another successful World Cup campaign
following their 1996 success and having emerged runners up in 2007.
The Sri Lankan captain stated that the side is capable of handling
the pressure as they look to overcome the Indians who will be playing in
front of their home crowd.
However Sangakkara noted that the team has defeated India on a couple
of earlier occasions in India and is looking forward towards carrying on
with the good work after their morale boosting victories in the quarter
final and semi final respectively.
The final of course will turn out to be a contest between World
record holder Muttiah Muralitharan and Sachin Tendulkar two of the
greatest players to emerge from the modern game of cricket.
In fact off spinner Muttiah Muralitharan will be playing in his last
One Day International and will be chasing another word record where he
is just three wickets away from drawing level with former Australian
fast bowler Glen McGrath�s all time ICC Cricket World Cup record of 71
wickets.
The final will also be a significant one for opener Sachin Tendulkar
who will be playing on his home ground and hoping to notch up his 100th
century in international cricket.
India of course have a clear edge in the batting department with
Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina all
displaying good form. However Sri Lanka, with their strong bowling
line-up boasting of names like Muralitharan, Lasith Malinga and Ajantha
Mendis, are capable of bringing down even the best in the business.
Sri Lanka also has the edge over India having won 4 matches and lost
2 with one no result in ICC Cricket World Cup tournaments. Overall India
and Sri Lanka have met 128 times in One Day Internationals with India
winning 67 matches, Sri Lanka 50 matches, with 11 no-results.
In addition the teams have met twice at the Wankhede Stadium, with
one win apiece.
The teams:
India: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir,
Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Yusuf Pathan,
Harbhajan Singh, Piyush Chawla, Ravichandran Ashwin, Zaheer Khan,
Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, Munaf Patel
Sri Lanka: Kumar Sangakkara (capt), Mahela Jayawardene, Upul Tharanga,
Tillakaratne Dilshan, Thilan Samaraweera, Chamara Silva, Chamara
Kapugedera, Suraj Randiv, Thisara Perera, Nuwan Kulasekara, Lasith
Malinga, Dilhara Fernando, Muttiah Muralitharan, Ajantha Mendis, Rangana
Herath.
Umpires: Simon Taufel (AUS) and Aleem Dar (PAK)
TV umpire: Ian Gould (ENG)
Match referee: Jeff Crowe (NZL) |