Confront host nation Zimbabwe in the final:

Sri Lanka out to make amends today

Sri Lanka will strive to make amends for their defeat at the hands of Zimbabwe on Monday by beating the host nation in the final of the triangular tournament at the Harare Sports Club ground on Wednesday.

Sri Lanka will be at full strength with the return of spinner Ajantha Mendis, paceman Nuwan Kulasekera and all-rounder Angelo Mathews for the final.

Mendis who bowled well against India by conceding just six runs in two overs during the batting power play has a tremendous record against Zimbabwe having captured 20 wickets in just seven games and it is left to be seen how the Zimbabwe batsmen will cope with Mendis’ bowling in the final.

Opener Brendon Taylor who scored an unbeaten century will be the ‘danger man’ for Sri Lanka — having scored two 50s in the earlier matches of the tournament. Opener Hamilton Masakadza, Chamu Chibhabha, Craig Ervine, skipper Elton Chigumbura and former skipper Tatenda Taibu have also been in peak form and the Lankan bowlers will have a tough task in containing them and restricting Zimbabwe to a modest total. Skipper Tillekeratne Dilshan and Upul Tharanga were involved in an opening stand of 122 for Sri Lanka in Monday’s game but the middle order batting collapsed against the Zimbabwe spin trio of Raymond Price, Utseya and Cremer which saw the last six wickets fall for 55 runs but today Dinesh Chandimal (who scored a sparkling century against India), Chamara Kapugedera, Tilan Samaraweera, Jeewan Mendis and the two big hitters Thisara Perera and Angelo Mathews should pile up the runs enabling Sri Lanka to put up a mammoth total.

The Zimbabweans have never won a tournament involving Test playing nations but a repeat performance on Wednesday will see them winning their first ever major tournament on home soil.

The teams:

Sri Lanka (from): Tillekeratne Dilshan (Captain), Upul Tharanga, Dinesh Chandimal, Tilan Samaraweera, Chamara Kapugedera, Jeewan Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Thisara Perera, Suraj Randiv, Nuwan Kulasekera, Dilhara Fernando, Thilan Thushara, Ajantha Mendis.

Zimbabwe (from): Elton Chigumbura (Captain), Hamilton Masakadza, Brendon Taylor, Chamu Chibhabha, Tatenda Taibu, Charles Coventry, Craig Ervine, Greg Lamb, Graeme Cremer, Prosper Utseya, Rey Price, Andy Blignaut.