It must have been a night to remember for Sri Lanka, who have won a big final after five attempts. Both Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara have been tremendous servants of Sri Lankan cricket and there would have been a huge hole in their careers if they had not won a world tournament.
They say if one works hard in life, there is someone at the top who never lets you go unrewarded and on Sunday night after the finals, they both must have had a time which would remain as golden memories in their career.
My observation on the final is that if you keep trying, there is a guarantee for success at some stage and secondly, this game keeps producing surprises and that there is no hard-and-fast rule to success. The biggest example is Lasith Malinga.
Some of the great names of Sri Lanka cricket, who have been true champions, tried their heart out to win the cup but here was one man who was given the captaincy by default and went on to win three of Sri Lanka’s biggest games and will remain in the history books forever. It also strengthens my belief in cricket, that good captains come out of nowhere and the succession plan is not the only way to make good ones.
It also emphasises a side of this sport: you live in the present and play for that particular moment and looking too far ahead will not necessarily yield you the results. There were two captains in the park on Sunday who are prime examples of this belief.
The fans in India must have been disappointed with the loss. While it’s but natural, they must and should be happy with the way India played in the tournament. They were outstanding and never looked to have a weakness in their game till one outstanding day’s cricket by Sri Lanka took the trophy away from them.
I was a little surprised at the toss when Sri Lanka fielded on a big match but I must say that they came out with a plan and executed it to perfection. It was one of the best bowling displays for a long, long time and Malinga and Nuwan Kulasekara in the last four overs were just unbelievable. The consistency with which they bowled yorkers is a masterclass to all bowlers around the world. They were so good that outstanding players like Virat Kohli, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh just couldn’t get the ball to the fence.
It is very sad to see the flak Yuvraj has got for the game. Yes, he got stuck but that was largely due to the exceptional bowling by those two. Here is a man who has won India two World Cups and to get after him for one bad day is a sign of immaturity from all connected with the game. One must understand that like all of us, he is human and can a have poor day at times. To sit in judgement and say that his career is over is not only harsh but betrays a lack of knowledge of the intricacies of the sport.
Chasing 130 was never a big total for Sri Lanka but it did not let the hopes of fans go down, especially after the way India won the Champions trophy in England last time. Here, the Indian spinners were up against players who play spin a lot better than the English and hence controlled the game much better. They required the quality of Sanga and Mahela to take them through under pressure and they responded to the situation tailormade for them.
It was a matter of not losing wickets and that exactly what they did to ensure victory. It was a terrific series for Dhoni as a captain. He looked proactive, stayed ahead of the game and did no wrong till the rampaging Sri Lankans went past them.
— The author is a former Indian captain
