Misbah-Ul-Haq

The only T20 was played at Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi, on November 25, 2011.

The Lankan Lions set a target of 142 runs for victory to Pakistan on a placid wicket.

They started their innings with their regular openers Mohammad Hafeez and Imran Farhat as Tillakaratne Dilshan tossed up the ball to Lasith Malinga.

Farhat was severe on the bowlers from the word go and smashed three fours to Malinga in his first over.

The duo produced 31 runs for the first wicket when Hafeez was adjudged leg before wicket off Thisara Perera on the last ball of the fourth over.

Hafeez lost his wicket after scoring 13 runs and Farhat followed him with the addition of just five runs in the total.

The young gun Umar Akmal added the worries forPakistanas he was dismissed without opening his account.

The third wicket was lost at 44 runs in 6.3 overs when Misbah-Ul-Haq came to the crease and joined Asad Shafiq.

They put their heads down, consolidated the innings with occasional boundaries every now and added 46 runs for the fourth wicket.

Asad lost his wicket after scoring 33 runs of even balls when Shahid Afridi entered on the field.

They shared a valuable partnership of 43 runs and Afridi contributed 22 runs off 15 balls which included two sixes in the 19^th over.

Pakistanachieved the target on the third ball of the 19^th over, thanks to an overthrow on the first ball of the 20^th over.

Earlier Sri Lanka won the toss, elected to bat on a perfect batting wicket while the innings was opened by Upul Tharanga and Captain Tillakaratne Dilshan.

Pakistan started attack with the seasoned Umar Gul who bowled two consecutive wide balls but recovered well by ending up the over while conceding just four runs.

Sohail Tanvir started off the over in the identical fashion following Gul by delivering two wides and was punished by Dilshan for 16 runs including two fours.

Tharanga took charge from the other end by rolling the ball twice over boundry and scored 10 runs off Gul.

Aizaz Cheema was given the charge of bowling in the fourth over and he bowled Tharanga on the second ball after he had scored 12 runs.

Young Dinesh Chandimal came in next, joined Dilshan and the tempo of scoring was lifted by the duo.

Sohail was punished again in the fifth over for 15 runs and fifty of the innings was achieved as well.

Misbah-Ul-Haq brought in magical off spinner Saeed Ajmal to control the game and he got the important wicket of Dilshan who was caught smartly at short midwicket by the skipper for 28 runs off 15 balls which included 4 fours.

The second wicket fell at 61 runs in 5.3 overs which was a good going for Sri Lanka when Kumar Sangakkara appeared on scene.

Sangakkara could not perform well and went back to the pavilion after scoring nine runs and Pakistan never looked back from there.

Chandimal showed some resistance to the lethal bowling attack of Pakistan by smashing 56 runs off 44 balls with 6 fours as the middle order and tail vanished, the whole Sri Lankan team was bowled out at 141 runs off 19.3 overs.

Cheema was the star performer for Pakistan by grabbing four wickets, Gul claimed two while Ajmal and Mohammad Hafeez shared one wicket each.

Pakistan won the nail biter by five wickets with three balls to spare and Cheema was declared ‘Player of the match’.

Team India with the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 Trophy

It was a contest befitting of a World Cup finale, and a victory that a billion countrymen would cherish and relive for the rest of their lives. Sri Lanka played hard and tough – they were sublime at times (read Mahela Jayawardene) and at times deadly (read Lasith Malinga). Still, India managed to garner enough courage to recover from adversity even on the day that mattered the most en route to ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 glory. It will be a day that will be etched in the memory of cricket loving Indian public till time immemorial. Here’s a relook at the big moments that made the final.

Toss confusion

This had to make an appearance for it was the first instance in the World Cup final wherein the toss had to be held twice. Apparently, there was so much noise and buzz around the Wankhede Stadium that Sri Lankan skipper Kumar Sangakkara’s call just couldn’t be heard. The second time around it almost needed a roar from Sangakkara to ensure that he was heard loud and clear. Lanka won it and, with it, augmented their chances of victory.

Zaheer Khan stands tall again

It was arguably the best spell in a Cricket World Cup final and erased the bad memories of an overenthusiastic Zaheer Khan’s atrocious opening burst in the 2003 final against Australia. The left-arm seamer, who ended up as the joint leading wicket-taker in the tournament alongside Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi, was magnificent in his opening spell, bowling a perfect line and length and was duly rewarded with the wicket of Upul Tharanga. The pressure of the occasion clearly got to the in-form Lankan opener. But, to be fair to him, Zaheer was unplayable in his opening spell, and his figures of five overs for six runs with three maidens aptly reflected it. The ball was doing enough for Zaheer and, using all his experience, he kept the Lankans on a tight leash throughout. Thanks to Zaheer, round one clearly went to India.

Sangakkara-Jayawardene join forces

For the umpteenth time, it was Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara who rebuilt the innings amidst a mini crisis. Following Tharanga’s dismissal they seemed to have recovered well enough courtesy a good partnership between Tillakaratne Dilshan and Sangakkara and some wayward bowling by surprise choice S. Sreesanth. However, just when they seemed to be on the up, Harbhajan Singh struck. He was lucky to get Dilshan bowled round the wicket. From there onwards, Sri Lanka’s two most experienced batsmen took it upon themselves to do the repair job. And they did a wonderful job, rotating the strike at ease and managing to find the boundary whenever the opportunity presented itself. It wasn’t anything new for them as they had done it time and time again in the past. But, this was the World Cup final and they were rising to the occasion.

Yuvraj’s strikes bring India back

Yet again, it was Yuvraj Singh’s left arm spin that brought India back in the game when Lanka seemed to be getting the upper hand. He bowled an innocuous delivery outside the off stump, which managed to find the edge of Sangakkara’s bat, two short of the latter’s half-century. And when another partnership between Jayawardene and Thilan Samaraweera began to threaten, it was again Yuvraj who broke the threatening partnership, trapping Samaraweera in front of the wickets, URDS coming to India’s rescue again.

Jayawardene’s sublime counter attack

At the fall of Samaraweera’s wicket Lanka were back in a spot of bother. However, Jayawardene responded with a splendid counter attacking innings, finding the boundaries at will and striking two awesome partnerships, first with Nuwan Kulasekara and then Thisara Perera. Both the batsmen played their part too striking some crucial big blows even as Jayawardene was caressing the ball all around the park. The power play overs really saw Lanka take their game to a different level. Ironically, Zaheer who was exceptional in his opening spell, was the one who was taken to the cleaners as Lanka ended their innings on a marvelous high.

Malinga silences Wankhede

In spite of the Lankan counter attack, the large gathering of Indian fans at Wankhede Stadium were hopeful of some fireworks from the explosive Virender Sehwag and of course the master Sachin Tendulkar. However, all it took was two deliveries to silence the noisy crowd. Lasith Malinga trapped Sehwag plumb in front as the latter failed to get bat on a fast, inswinging delivery and was accompanied back to the dressing room by a second ball-duck. Sachin Tendulkar looked untroubled during his stay at the crease, but it was only a brief relief. The pressure seemed to get the better of the big man too as he flirted with an away going delivery from Malinga and nicked it behind the stumps. The ball only just carried to Sangakkara, but it was enough to spark off wild celebrations in the Lankan camp.

Delhi boys rebuild

Lanka were firm favourites once the two Ss departed. However, as Naseer Hussain had commented after the finale of the Natwest Trophy in 2002, “This Indian batting just keeps coming at you.” Nothing much has changed nearly a decade later as Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli went about their job brick by brick. It was partnership that has defined Indian cricket in recent years. The ‘never give up’ attitude of the Delhi boys kept India in the hunt. A striking feature of their partnership was the ease with which they rotated the strike under pressure and always ensured that the run rate stayed under control. However, just when they seemed to be getting on top, Kohli fell to a brilliant return catch by Dilshan to even out the game.

The captain takes it away

How often have we heard… ‘Cometh the hour, cometh the man.’ On Saturday, with the pressure reaching fever pitch, M S Dhoni walked into bat ahead of the in-form Yuvraj Singh to the surprise of many. But how well he played! In the company of a defiant Gambhir, Dhoni ran like a hare between wickets until both grabbed their backs and decided to take it a little easy. And once he got his eye in, Dhoni clubbed the bowlers like only the man from Ranchi can do. The ease with which Gambhir and Dhoni chased down the target saw the Lankan heads fall steadily, and the formalities were completed pretty soon. It was a fitting end to the game as Dhoni smacked Kulasekara out of the ground to clinch the trophy for India.

There were a couple of major disappointments on both sides. Jayawardene did everything right during his innings and yet ended up on the losing side. On the other hand, Gambhir fell tantalising short of a century. But, as Dhoni said post match, he had only himself to blame. Keeping personal glory aside though, it was a team that deserved to win the World Cup for the manner in which they overcame once challenge after the other.

India

Strengths: It goes without a saying that their batting in the top four is their biggest strength. If Virender Sehwag can fire like he did against Umar Gul, but for a longer duration, India’s chances get enhanced greatly. It will be a much more difficult task for Sehwag since this time he would have Lasith Malinga marching in from the opposite end. But to win the World Cup, you have to unsettle the best.

And then there is, of course, Sachin Tendulkar. While everyone is rooting for a ‘Ton’dulkar moment, it is more important for India to win the crown. A hundred in a winning campaign would, however, settle in as the perfect jewel in the crown.

Yuvraj Singh has been in the form of his life and, in hindsight, it was a blessing in disguise that he could not perform with the bat against Pakistan. Hopefully, he has reserved his best for the last. A cracker of an innings from Yuvraj would set up the match perfectly for a fitting finale. And considering his effort with the ball in the tournament so far, it is but natural that India would expect him to chip in on the big day too. Having said that, he shouldn’t be overtly burdened with expectations since the Sri Lankans are after all better players of spin that most other nations. In spite of having registered three fifties in the tournament, Gautam Gambhir has been below par. But, everyone knows he is a big match player. Expect him to rise to the occasion. Remember, he was the man who led India’s charge in the T20 final in 2007 against Pakistan.

Weaknesses: While fielding is India’s biggest hurdle in capturing the cup, the bowling is not top notch despite the marked improvements. Zaheer Khan has been at his supreme best, but Munaf Patel hasn’t always inspired confidence neither with his bowling nor with his body language. Harbhajan Singh has been below par for sure though he chipped in on two big occasions against South Africa and Pakistan. He will have to be at his very best against Sri Lanka at least with his line and length even if he is not picking up wickets. The injury to Ashish Nehra who was beginning to find his rhythm against Pakistan has added to India’s woes. In case they decide to go in with three seamers again ahead of the ever impressive Ravichandran Ashwin, they will have to pick S. Sreesanth, which would be the biggest game of M S Dhoni’s career, after all it’s a World Cup final. But, don’t be surprised if he does so. After all, he is the same man who gave Joginder Sharma the last over in the 2007 World Cup final.

India’s batting in the lower order remains a concern although Suresh Raina’s inclusion has indeed shored it up a bit. They cannot afford to falter in the batting power play overs this time else it could be all over. The likes of Harbhajan and Zaheer need to show the kind of application they did against Pakistan, for it is that additional 20-30 runs that could make all the difference at the end of the day.

Opposition: Unlike Pakistan, who hadn’t played India for over four years, it is exactly the reverse with Sri Lanka, who have been India’s most frequent opponent in the last couple of years and know their game inside out. India will have to come up with something novel to outsmart the Lankans on the big day.

Threat: The crowd would be a massive factor in encouraging Indians, but they could be pressurised as well. The Mumbai crowd has in the past shown a tendency to get volatile when the things aren’t going the way they want it to. And this could well turn out to be a demotivating factor. Team India better watch out!

Sri Lanka

Strengths: Sri Lanka have the most well-balanced outfit among all teams. While the top order batting is among the best in the world today, in Lasith Malinga, Muttiah Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis they have three genuine wicket taking bowlers, who can destroy the opposition if it is their day. The Indians will have to be particularly wary of Malinga since they have been undone by extreme pace in the past. Also, they haven’t played the bowler with a slinging action as often as the since he was injured for a majority of the games during the India-Lanka marathon.

Further, they have three of the top scorers in the tournament in openers Tillakaratne Dilshan, Upul Tharanga and skipper Kumar Sangakkara. If all three fire in the final, India would be doomed for sure. Dilshan has an excellent record against India, and can chip his arm over as well. India have to try and get him early and they would bank heavily on Zaheer for it. Even Mahela Jayawardene, though not among the top scorers, has still looked fluid and, like Gambhir of India, can be expected to rise to the occasion on the big day.

Fielding is one aspect where the Lankans have a clear cut edge over the home side. And without doubt, they would go all out to maximize the advantage.

Weaknesses: The only perceptible weak point in the Lankan side is their middle and lower order batting, which incidentally hasn’t been tested much owing to the superlative performance of the top order. While Chamara Silva is a talented batsman, he hasn’t quite fired in the tournament so far. Lankans would be hoping that he comes good if needed. Thilan Samaraweera too hasn’t had much to do apart from chipping in with a side act games against Australia and New Zealand. Their problems have been accentuated by the fact that all-rounder Angelo Mathews, a key cog in their well-oiled unit, has been ruled out. There would be a lot of pressure on his replacement Suraj Randiv. It remains to be seen whether he rises to the occasion. Except the batting, there is nothing much wrong with the Lankan team.

Opposition: Indians would have the home advantage for sure as they are playing at home. And if they stay on top, the Lankans would find it difficult to recover as the 33,000-capacity would be behind the Indians.

Threat: The biggest threat to Sri Lanka’s World Cup campaign would come in the form of a top-order batting collapse. If India could get a couple of early breakthroughs, the pressure on Lankans would be enormous thereafter.

Mouth-watering prospect!

In contrast, Sri Lanka have lot going for them. Firstly, they will be playing at home, which anyways will give them an added advantage. Secondly, most of their players are in great form and will be looking to put up another imperious showing against the Kiwis. Their recent World Cup record also has been excellent. They made it to the finals back in the Caribbean with some superlative performances before running to a man named Adam Gilchrist in the finals. The only factor which might go against them in the semis will be the fact that they came through untested in the quarter final clash against England. The latter, which had be the most erratic side in the tournament reserved the worst for the game against Sri Lanka and as a result Sri Lanka came through unchallenged. While the manner of victory must have thrilled them no end, deep down even they would have wanted a closer game considering the stage of the tournament.

Key clashes

Malinga vs. McCullum

Both Lasith Malinga and Brendon McCullum are mavericks – one with the ball and the other with the willow. But, while the Sri Lankan has been at the top of his game again, the same cannot be said of McCullum. His big knocks have been thus far reserved for minnows. But, on the big day against Sri Lanka, he would be expected to come good considering his vast experience. Cometh the hour, cometh the man they say. Against South Africa, McCullum couldn’t prove the adage right, but the Proteas have given him another chance to do so against the Lankans. It would be an incredibly tough task though as Malinga is in the greatest form of his like akin to 2007. Like that year, he has taken a hat trick this time too and has been getting wickets at will. His slinging action and unplayable yorkers have found pride of place in soft drink commercials too. If New Zealand want to kill the Malinga threat, McCullum is one man who is capable of the same. Will he be able to do it or whether he, at present possesses the confidence to do so is another matter altogether.

Taylor vs. Murali

The Ross Taylor versus Muttiah Muralitharan battle will be another great contest within the contest that could go a long way in deciding the fate of the match. Taylor is without doubt a great player of spin, but he will be able to quell the Murali challenge remains to be seen. The good thing for New Zealand is that Taylor has been in excellent form post his Pakistan bashing. Having said that, Murali will offer a totally different challenge. Pakistan’s attack wasn’t as strong as Sri Lanka’s and it will not be an easy task for the Kiwis to take on Murali and co. They will thus look forward to a Taylor-made solution.

Ryder vs. Mendis

Like Taylor versus Murali, Jesse Ryder taking on Ajantha Mendis will be another key battle. Till the quarters, Ryder was not in great form at all, but he played a mature knock against the South Africans which should stand him in good stead for the semis. He probably doesn’t have the technique but does possess the temperament to come good in big matches. On the other hand, Mendis has not been deadly by any stretch of the imagination, but has still been a good foil for Murali. If the legend gets his act right, it will be difficult to get him away and the likes of Ryder will then be forced to attack. That will be his best chance to get among the wickets.

Southee vs. Dilshan

For New Zealand to do well, they will need to get the in-form Lankan openers cheaply. And Tim Southee will be the key here. He has done exceptionally in patches, but will have to be in his elements against the Lankans on Tuesday. That is because he will be up against Tillakaratne Dilshan. The latter has been in exquisite form in the recent games and that does not augur well for the New Zealanders. It has helped that he has got good support from fellow opener Upul Tharanga. New Zealand’s biggest hopes to upset the Lankan opening combo lie with Southee. It will be battle worth watching.

Vettori vs. Sangakkara

It’s the battle of the captains, one with the bat and the other with the ball. Kumar Sangakkara has a distinct advantage here as Lankans are among the best players of spin. Even so, Vettori is undoubtedly the best left arm spinner in world cricket today. Even if he cannot come up with something sensational, he would be expected to rise to the occasion and lead from the front in all aspects not least of all with the ball.

Group A has panned out as expected, the International teams have decimated the Associates. Canada, Zimbabwe and Kenya have only ratified the ICC’s decision of streaming down the number of teams for the next world cup down under. Kenya have been the most impressive of the Associate teams as far as Group A is concerned, improving considerably with every game.

Here is a look at how the top 4 teams have gone (Group A) and what lies ahead:

Australia

- The defending champions came into the tournament on the back of a drubbing that they offered the Poms after an embarrassing defeat in the Ashes. Australia have a lot of things going for them this tournament, decent batting order, potent attack and fabulous fielders.

- However, a few obvious gaping holes do lie in between. Their batting has been suspect this tournament, despite the 320 odd that they scored against the Kenyans. Both the openers have looked sublime but the middle order has not been able to keep the score board ticking. Michael Clarke was an exception today, but, Ricky Ponting and Cameron White have been in woeful touch with the bat. Ponting has still snuck through but White’s form has been real cause for concern.

- On the positive note, Michael Hussey has returned to the Australian side giving the batting much needed potency in the middle order. Hussey always seems to have a calming influence about himself that invariably rubs of on his peers.

- All the talk about the Australian bowling being the best in the tournament, the three pronged pace attack looked ordinary against Kenya and could be exposed against better oppositions in the quarter finals if they fail to hit their lengths. Having said this, I personally do believe that if the bowlers hit their straps soon, the oppositions may be in for some contest. Add to this, their bowling has the best strike rate across all teams this world cup. Australia’s bowling should improve over the next week.

Sri Lanka

- The last time the World cup was staged in the sub continent, it was the Lankan tigers who walked away with the trophy. Arjuna Ranatunga inspired the Rest of the World as he enabled Sri Lanka announce themselves on the World stage.

- 15 years later, the World cup is back in the sub continent and you would not bet against the Lankans, they are wily at home and looked determined like never before. Muttiah Muralidaran is sure to hang his boots up with the closure of this tournament and would look to bring home the cup after 15 elusive years.

- The Lankan top order looks solid, with Tillakaratne Dilshan taking them of to blazing starts on a regular basis. Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene provide the perfect foil in the middle order. It is their lower order batting that is a little questionable, Angelo Mathews does not look good enough to provide the impetus at the fag end of the innings on a consistent basis. They rely on other bits and pieces cricketers in Thisara Perera and co to do the job.

- Nevertheless, you cannot discount them. Just a reminder, Sanath Jayasuriya was an unknown commodity too in 1996, so you never know with the Lankans.

- Their bowling seems very steady with Lasith Malinga and Muralidaran leading the pack. Sri Lanka should make the semi finals and stand a very good chance this tournament if they can sort out their late order batting.

Pakistan

- The only consistent thing with Pakistan is inconsistency. On paper they look a very balanced unit, one that opposition teams must really take seriously. But which Pakistan you get on the day, can never be told. It is a well documented fact, Pakistan on their day can beat the chickens out of their opponents.

- They have looked impressive this tournament barring the outing against New Zealand where they threw away their position of strength and ended up being battered like one of the minnows.

- A steady top order lead by Younis Khan and Misbah ul Haq is followed by a flamboyant middle order in Umar Akmal and Shahid Afridi with Abdul Razzaq providing the finishing touch. Perhaps the most efficient lower middle order across all teams, Pakistan is sure a team to watch out for.

- The bowling complements their batting perfectly, 2 front line seamers backed by a steady Razzaq and useful spinners in Afridi and Rehman to do the job. However, Pakistan’s biggest issue for many years now, has been their fielding. The fielding fails to give teeth to the bowling and they tend to put down a couple of catches, least, every match.

- Contenders this year, if only they can shave of the slack and unprofessionalism, Pakistan may just do what they did in 1992.

New Zealand

- New Zealand, workman like, have been very industrious in the way they have gone about things. Nothing flashy in their cricket, steady and stable.

- One feels for New Zealand, with a population under 50 lacs, it must be hard to find full time professional cricketers.

- It has to be Brendon McCullum and Ross Taylor who have got to do the bulk of the job with the bat, if New Zealand stand any chance this world cup. Daniel Vettori, by far is their most proficient and experienced player.

- A lot of things have to go wrong for other teams and a lot right for NZ if they have to proceed any further than the quarters this World cup.

- The lack of a game changers with both bat and ball is a huge problem for the Kiwis. They will have to make do without them or hope young guns in Martin Guptill and Kane Williamson come to the fort.
- A good side in decent form but may find it difficult to proceed ahead of the quarter finals.

The Sri Lankan skipper scored his first ODI century since June 2008, against New Zealand today in Mumbai. This is certainly a long gap for a player of his calibre. Ever since he has taken over captaincy in June 2009, Sangakkara has scored just nine fifties. Fortunately, Sri Lanka have won more than they have lost but that is due to the likes of the resurgent Tillakratne Dilshan and Sangakkara’s ever-reliable predecessor Mahela Jayawardene in terms of batting. Their form could also dip and with his balanced style of batting at No.3, Sangakkara has to take responsibility of scoring runs consistently like he used to previously.

However, his fortunes are the reverse in Tests. He is no more wicket-keeping and that has worked. Sangakkara has been able to focus on his batting and as a result, he was declared the Worlds No.1 Test batsman for the first time in December 2010. Besides his batting suits Sri Lanka in Tests, since they need someone to stabilize the innings and create big partnerships with middle-order batsmen such as Mahela Jayawardene and Thilan Samaraweera.

He needs to pull up his socks in ODIS and play in the manner that he did today, more often. Sri Lanka needs his runs as well, especially in situations when the team is in trouble while batting and that too chasing in the Indian subcontinent. Now only if Sangakkara can convert his 40s and 50s into big hundreds, then Sri Lanka would not have to rely on their bowlers every time to win them matches.

Sangakkara celebrates after scoring his century

Sri Lanka crushed New Zealand to run home winners with an easy win at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Sri Lanka won by 112 runs after scoring 265 in their 50 overs and ensured that they would end the group in the top two positions. Kumar Sangakkara was named the man of the match for his century.

Sri Lanka won the toss and decided to bat first. The decision was prompted by the high temperatures in Mumbai and the 2.30 pm start, which would have made fielding difficult to begin with. However, the decision seemed to have backfired at one stage when the side lost two wickets before even getting to 20 in the fifth over.

It was then, the partnership between Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene that rescued the side. Jayawardene should have probably been given out when he accorded a catch back to the bowler but the third umpire decided to give the Lankan batsman a benefit of the doubt.

From there, Sangakkara went on to get a century whereas Jayawardene made a 66 to ensure that the side would get to a big total. In fact, at 210/3 in the 42^nd over, one felt that 300 was achievable but there was a collapse that saw the side losing their last six wickets for 55 runs in the last eight overs or so.

However, that proved to be enough as none of the New Zealand batsmen could get to more than what Ross Taylor got – 33. There were a couple of 20s and a 13, 14 and a 19 but the wily bowling from Muthiah Muralitharan meant that the side was left with too much to get once the wickets started falling.

Muralitharan, who was suffering from a hamstring strain, bowled his eight overs for 25 but most importantly, took four wickets. He was difficult to read for the opponents and this was despite the ball not turning due to the dew in the outfield.

The win for Sri Lanka meant that they finish with nine points from their games. New Zealand ended with eight points. Australia and Pakistan play against each other and have nine and eight respectively, which means that if Australia win, the top four will be led by them and followed by Sri Lanka, New Zealand and Pakistan. If Pakistan go on to win the game, the Pakistanis will lead the group, followed by Sri Lanka, Australia and New Zealand.

In the other group, South Africa have eight points from five, India have seven from five, England have seven from six, West Indies have six from five whereas Bangladesh have six from five as well. Bangladesh play South Africa while India play West Indies in the last two games of the group which will decide which four teams go through and at what position.

Lasith Malinga

Circa World Cup 2007… the game — Sri Lanka vs South Africa. The Proteas were cruising to victory, when a freak incident suddenly brought the game back to life.

Lasith Malinga, with his toe-crushing yorkers picked up four wickets in four balls, including the well-set Jacques Kallis, who looked set to take his team home but fell just short of a well-deserved ton. In the end, the South Africans still managed to pull off a win thanks to an edged boundary under extreme pressure and Sri Lanka were denied a miraculous victory.

Fast forward to 2011… it is World Cup time again. And that freak named Malinga returns after a two-game break due to injury. And what does he do… repeats history. Well, the opposition wasn’t quite as deadly. Still, Malinga’s same toe-crushing yorkers were once again a treat to watch and the Kenyans were totally hapless again the slinging genius.

Sri Lanka has always been rated as one of the top favourites to clinch this tournament. And now, with Malinga back in Sri Lanka’s scheme of things it only makes them doubly dangerous. The pacer was the missing link in the Lankan attack so far. With his return, Sri Lanka have been strengthened no end. The Lankans will now be extremely confident when they next take on Australia. That game will be a battle of pacers now. If the Aussies have Brett Lee and Shaun Tait then the Lankans too have their own Malinga. The game might well be decided by which side performs better in the pace aspect.

Returning to the game against Kenya, it was an extremely crucial one for the Lankans following their close loss to rivals Pakistan. Also, the Kenyans had defeated their much-fancied opponents in the 2003 edition of the World Cup. So the Lankans would have been somewhat cautious in their approach. Unfortunately for the cricket-loving public, Kenya are not the same force they used to be four years ago. Back then, Collins Obuya spun a web around the Lankans with a wonderful performance of leg-spin bowling. However, his bowling has fell completely by the wayside, so much so that he hardly bowls these days. The experienced Steve Tikolo and Thomas Odoyo too are on the last legs of their careers and struggling to keep pace with stronger teams. And so, it wasn’t surprising that another game fell by the wayside in the one-sided World Cup.

The only time the Kenyans put up a semblance of a fight was when the Obuya brothers – Collins and David – were at the crease rebuilding the innings after the expected early loss of the openers. However, they were so slow during their stint that by the time they registered their respective half-centuries more than half the overs were gone. Still, it was a credible fighting effort, which gave the Kenyans hope of putting up a respectable total and then putting up a fight with the ball in hand. Unfortunately for Kenya, that wasn’t to be the case. As soon as the partnership was broken, the innings crumbled. All the hard work done by Collins and David came to naught as the innings completely lost momentum in the midst of Malinga’s destroying act. Such was the extent of the damage done by Malinga that the services of Ajantha Mendis and Muttiah Muralitharan were hardly needed towards the end. And, from a decent 102 for 2, the Kenyan side crumbled to 142 all out. Malinga ended the innings with majestic figures of 6 for 38.

Even though this deadly effort came against a poor side, stronger teams need to be wary of the slinger as, on his day, he could destroy the best of batting line-ups. Australia are up next, and Malinga would be all pumped up to do a repeat act. It would be a tough one but not incomprehensible against a somewhat suspect Aussie batting line-up. That match would clearly be one to watch out for more reasons than one.

Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan top order batsmen too had a good opportunity to get some batting practice. And, they did not waste the opportunity. Upul Tharanga, Tillakaratne Dilshan and Kumar Sangakkara all got among the runs and ensured that there was no hiccup as the Lankans chased down the meagre Kenyan total with a lot of ease. A Sri Lankan win against Kenya was not an unimaginable result by any stretch of the imagination, the 2007 aberration notwithstanding. Even so, it was important for Sri Lanka to march to victory against the African nation in a comprehensive manner. They have done exactly that. Time to prepare for bigger battles ahead.

Shahid Afridi claimed 4 for 34 against SL

It was the re-laid pitch at Premedasa Stadium in Colombo with cracks suggesting the pitch will go slower and lower in the second innings. The highest successful chase was 271/2 by India way back in the last decade. Pakistan won the important toss and elected to pile a total for the Sri Lankans to chase. Captain Afridi mentioned 280 to be a winning total and his boys managed to score three less and closed the innings for 277 for 7 in their 50 overs. Sri Lanka in reply could only manage 266 for 9 as Pakistan edged victory by 11 runs.  Afridi got man of the match for his 4 for 34 of 10 overs.

Pakistan got a decent start and managed 65 of their first 10 overs with only one wicket down. Hafeez and Akmal were going according to the plan before an uncalled mishap resulted in Hafeez getting run out. Akmal soon departed and the old horses, Younus Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq came to the rescue. Both of them managed to pile up a stand of 108 before Yunus was caught by Jayawardene of Herath. Captain Shahid Afridi played away some blistering shots showing his boom boom style of batting while Misbah scored a pleasing 83 even after an injury.  Sri Lankan pacemen were on the expensive side while the spin attack curbed the run flow lead by the wily old fox, Muttiah Murlidaran, who gave away just 35 of his 10 overs and bowled two superb overs during the batting power play.

Sri Lanka in response was slow but steady in the first power play as they did not lose any wickets. Dilshan started showering his charisma in the second power play and played some elegant cuts to match the asking rate. Tharanga played sensibly for his 33 while Dilshan got unlucky and got out to an inside edge for 41 of Afridi. Sangakara resurrected the Sri Lankan innings with Chamara Silva, who was finding it hard to score and was at 6 of 31 balls at one stage. The slow pace of Silva in the middle overs did it for the Lankans as the pressure kept piling up and wickets started to flurry at the other end to up the ante. Jayawardene and Samarveera got out, in single figures, to the duo Akhtar and Afridi. Mathews departed in an effort to clear the boundary. Silva did pick up his strike rate in the later overs but it had become a daunting task by then. Nuwan Kulasekara did give Lankans an outside chance as he played a cameo of 24 of just 14 balls and at one stage it looked like Sri Lanka might snatch the win out of the jaws of defeat. Shoaib Akthar started off his fiery spell and caused some jitters to Sri Lankan openers, Afridi was the hero with the ball and took four crucial wickets, and Samarweera was the best of them all as the ball deviated almost 10 degrees from its original line.

It was the first competitive and nail biting encounter in CWC 2011 and spectators had their money worth. Pakistan have taken a step ahead to book a berth in the Quarter-finals beating Sri Lanka at home. Sri Lanka still has few matches and a well balanced side to make it to the knock out stage.

Final Score:

PAK                277/7 (50)

SL                   266/9 (50)

MOM               Shahid Afridi

Sadly for the visitors, they will be handicapped by the loss of ace spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, who missed the opening one-dayer, and pacer Dilhara Fernando. Both of them have been ruled out of the series which means Sri Lanka will be forced field some rookies in this crucial match. That said they would do well to exhibit some faith in the other spinner in the side, Ajantha Mendis. Agreed, he has been a shadow of the sensation that spun world cricket upside down last year, but the team managed needs to show faith in him and back his ability to deliver. Furthermore, the Lankans would be praying for the eccentric Lasith Malinga to be fit for the game as his return would add some much-needed teeth to the visitors’ bowling line-up even on benign Indian pitches.

Rajkot may have been a batsman’s paradise. Still, one has to accept that there was some sensational display from both sides. Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar set the tone for the ODI series with a blistering opening salvo, while MS Dhoni delivered the backup punch with such alacrity that the Lankan bowlers were made to look absolutely prosaic.

However, if one thought India had done enough to seal the deal, it was a not to be. What Indians did well, Sri Lanka did equally well, even better at the start to be honest. Tillakaratne Dilshan and Upul Tharanga matched Sehwag and Tendulkar stroke for stroke and went on to outdo them. The skipper Kumar Sangakkara then joined in the fun and cleared the fence with such unhurried ease that the target looked well within reach. Bizarre as it may sound, one has got to say that the Lankans should have achieved the target rather easily considering the position they were in at the end of 35 overs. But, the pressure got to them and eventually they let India get out of jail.

While the batters will head into Nagpur high on confidence, the same cannot be said about the bowlers. The pacers from both sides were slammed for plenty and the spinners only did slightly better, Harbhajan Singh being the sole exception. He was the best bowler on display from either side. Additionally, the fielding performance of both sides is also a major worry, with catches being dropped left, right and centre. And with another run feast on the cards, the Nagpur tussle might well be decided on the basis of which side bowls and fields better.