A FINAL TOSS-UP BETWEEN FAMILIER FOES

A FINAL TOSS-UP BETWEEN FAMILIAR FOES

FINAL: INDIA vs. SRI LANKA

Having played so often in the recent past, these two teams know each other at the back of their hands. But this time, glory is at stake and the World T-20 title is waiting to be crowned to its rightful owners. On one hand, there is a team which fared better against Sri Lanka, when it came to the finals of 50-over format in 2011, but it does not guarantee success and by no means can Indian team be complacent about historical facts. To brief up about the much dreaded opposition, SL possess the most lethal players, packaged into one unit, having a mix of stalwarts and the rookies, who are gearing up to pounce onto any opportunity available.  The team would want to bid a pleasant farewell to their legends, M. Jayawardene and K. Sangakkara, for both of whom this would be the last match before retirement in the shortest format of the game at the international stage. A tense battle is on the cards, holding onto the high-riding emotions at this juncture of the tournament is the need of the hour.

Here are certain dynamics that would help you choose your pick for the much awaited finale:-

INDIA

Strengths:

The biggest positive coming out of this World Cup T20 has been the form of the spinners in R. Ashwin and A. Mishra, while the former rattles the top order of the opposition during the powerplay overs, the latter does the clean-up job in middle-overs. Two man-of-the-match awards to each of them have been indicative of their success. Also, one can never undermine the contribution of the Mr. consistent V. Kohli, who has solely carried the weight of the top order on his trust-worthy shoulders. Needless to say, India has the advantage of winning the big finals in the last decade or so.

Weaknesses:

The openers have proved to be a real concern for MS. Dhoni’s team thus far, where the set opening order has been obstructed in the form of S. Dhawan, who has been excluded on account of poor form, and the replacement from the two matches being A. Rahane. Although, none of the two have stamped their authority on this crucial position, the way R. Sharma has done.

SRI LANKA

Strengths:

L. Thirimanne has grabbed the opportunity with both hands, which was presented to him on the absence of the squad captain (earlier), D.Chandimal. He has provided the much need stability in the middle-order, in a position which may have been uneasy for him, as his preferred slot is the opening one. The bowlers as always hold the spine of the team and come to the rescue whenever their batsmen’s shortcomings are on display.

Weaknesses:

The team has a resounding record of reaching the finals of the ICC events, which is a phenomenal feat on its own. But unfortunately, the happy go lucky journey stops on the final hurdle for them. This fact is not capable of being termed as a mere coincidence, rather there’s more to it. The root of it is the pressure that gets to them and they let go of their nerves, even from the winning positions. On record, they’ve made it to 4 finals in the last 7 years, without any fortune. So, the jinx of the final remains their primary rival. Plus, the classy left-hander, K. Sangakarra’s form or one could say lack of it with the bat, weakens the foundation of SL’s batting.

Anmol Juneja

  FEEDS: Anmol Juneja  

  Visit: Campus Hub

* for more updates Stay Tuned to Campus Hub Blog *