Team confident and in good spirits:

Lankans out to avenge World Cup defeat

High riding Indians can be beaten:

Elmo Rodrigopulle reporting from England

A repeat of the 2011 World Cup final in India will take place when Sri Lanka fronts up to India in the second semi-final of the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy game at the Sophia Gardens in Cardiff, today.

When these teams previously met in that final, the cricket world could not believe that Sri Lanka made a score of over 270 powered by magnificent century from master class batsman Mahela Jayawardene and yet surprisingly lost that final.

Even today questions are being asked on that loss, considering that Lasith Malinga bamboozled and dismissed Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendukar very early in their chase.

That is history now

But now that is history. The Lankans can now prove to the cricket world that, that, that loss to the Indians should not have been and slap a defeat on the Indians and enter the final.

At the time of writing, the weather in Cardiff which spoilt the South Africa/ West Indies and England and New Zealand games has shown improvement and would allow the game to be played and not force that dreaded pair of Duckworth and Lewis to bat. The wickets in Cardiff are also questionable. Te wicket for the first Sri Lanka/New Zealand game looked nightmare of a wicket to bat on considering that it was very slow with the ball not coming on to the bat.

Lankans have a point to prove

With this being a revenge game for the Sri Lankans who have a point to prove, it is hoped that the curators, will not make excuses citing the bad weather but endevour to give both teams a sporty wicket to showcase their talents.

According to Manager Michael de Zoysa, the Lankan team is having that over the moon feeling and quit rightly so after bashing England and Australia and can’t wait to spit their venom on the Indians. ‘Every member is in good spirits. We have been at the nets working hard, licking into shape the little shortcomings and when match time comes around the lads will take the field with that second to none feeling and bring down the high riding Indians’, said Zoysa who as manager seems to have brought luck to the team.

Sri Lanka after their close loss to New Zealand has raised their game and come back hand as their success against England and Australia has shown. They are confident and believe that they can keep that momentum going, win the semi final and also the final.

The only failure in the Lankan team is young Kusal Perera. That is what this game is all about. One day it can be marvelous and cruel the next day. The young lad is highly talented and it is encouraging to note that the Lankans will persist with him.

What he needs is to get back his confidence. The experienced Tilakaratne Dilshan will do well to take strike and allow the young man to have a look at the bowling and the pace of the wicket by being at the non striker’s end.

Frontliners in batting

The frontliners in batting Tilakaratne Dilshan, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Lahiru Thirimanna, Dinesh Chandimal are all batting with great confidence and must repeat that form.

Skipper Angelo Mathews starts well and tends to lose concentration at vital moments and sacrifices his wicket. Probably his switching of batting positions must be telling on him. As for the bowlers, they are hunting in a pack like hyenas and devouring batsmen. Lasith Malinga has made the initial break through and others such as Nuwan Kulasekara, Shaminda Eranga, and Angelo Mathews have rocked the opponents for spinners Rangana Herath and Dilshan to have them in a flat spin.

No dropped catches

The Lankans must field like they did against the Australians. There should be no dropped chances, even the half chances must be grabbed and the catch that Dilshan plucked off Clint McKay to break the last Australian resistance was from out of this word.

As for the Indians who are on a roll and going on the law of averages they must lose a game and this could well be the game. Their openers Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawn who has two centuries to his credit are the most threatening.

Batsmen such as Virat Kohli, Dinesh Karthik and Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni can be contained. If the Lankans can knock off the early Indian resistance, then Indian batting will crumble like a pack of cards. Of the Indian bowlers, pace bowler Ishant Sharma has used the new ball with success. But the man likely to cause problems is left arm spinner Ravi Jadeja. The Lankan batsmen are good players of spin and he can be blunted.

Sophia Gardens, Cardiff, Wednesday.