Ind vs SL: Time proves healer for Jayawardene

Mahela Jayawardene celebrates after reaching his century during Sri Lanka's World Cup final against India at Wankhede stadium in Mumbai. (AFP Photo)

MUMBAI: A World Cup final many India fans hoped would witness Sachin Tendulkar score his hundredth international hundred saw Sri Lanka's Mahela Jayawardene beat him to the punch with a brilliant century.

Jayawardene top-scored with 103 not out in Sri Lanka's total of 274/6 at the Wankhede Stadium on Saturday.

It was a far cry from the World Cup final of four years ago where Jayawardene was dismissed for just 19 as Australia triumphed in Barbados.

Jayawardene, 33, reached his century in superb style with two successive boundaries off Zaheer Khan.

First he cut the left-arm quick behind high behind square on the offside before next ball striking a brilliant boundary over mid-off to go to the landmark in 84 balls with 13 fours.

Jayawardene, who came in at 60/2, has long had the enviable ability to make runs quickly without seeming to make a great effort.

He is also capable of great feats of batting concentration as he showed while making 374 against South Africa at Colombo in 2006 where he shared a Test record stand for any wicket of 624 with current skipper Kumar Sangakkara.

It had looked as if Zaheer, who finished with 2/60, would also erase memories of previous World Cup final heartache.

When India last played in a World Cup final, he conceded 67 runs in just seven overs during a 125-run thrashing by Australia in Johannesburg in 2003 that saw his opening 10-ball over cost 15 runs.

But it was a different story to start with on his home ground where he began with three successive maidens on Saturday.

Zaheer, maintaining an excellent line and length, tormented left-handed opener Upul Tharanga and kept Tillakaratne Dilshan in check.

Zaheer's pressure was rewarded with the first ball of his fourth over when he produced an excellent delivery on off-stump that cut away and had Tharanga, who struggled to two off 20 balls, edging to diving slip Virender Sehwag.

And it was only next ball, when Sangakkara dabbed to mid-on and set off for a hasty single, that Zaheer, whose first spell was a highly impressive 5-3-6-1, had finally given up a run.

When he returned, Zaheer had Chamara Kapugedera caught at cover off a deceptive slower ball to take his 21st wicket of this World Cup and so equal the tournament-best mark set by Pakistan captain and leg-spinner Shahid Afridi.

But the 32-year-old Zaheer, a boyhood fan of legendary Pakistan left-arm quick Wasim Akram, was unable to contain Jayawardene in the closing stages. 

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/cricket-world-cup-2011/news/Ind-vs-SL-Time-proves-healer-for-Jayawardene/articleshow/7852124.cms

Proud Ranchi booms with crackers after WC win

Proud father: Dhoni's father Pan Singh celebrates India's emphatic win over Sri Lanka to lift the World Cup.

RANCHI: Thousands of sports lovers took to the streets in Team India Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni's home town Ranchi to celebrate the World Cup victory over Sri Lanka.

Crackers boomed after Dhoni hit the winning six, as over 2000 people gathered at a ground near Captain M S Dhoni's residence at Harmu to watch the tense battle between bat and ball on a giant screen.

Fans danced to the tune of drums and cheered with the fall of each rival wicket and with each boundary hit by Team India's batsmen.

Cheers became louder after Dhoni completed 6000 runs in one day cricket and then reaching to his half century; enlivening the fans who initially fell silent after openers Virendra Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar returned pavillion quickly.

"For the first time the two Asian countries have fought for the World Cup with India winning. This night will never to be forgotten," said Raj Kumar, who stays in the neighbourhood of Dhoni.

"It is a proud moment for Dhoni, who had won both the T20 World Cup and the 50 overs quadrennial event toda...I was not born when India won World Cup in 1983," said Rajesh Sen.

"Now Ranchi is a proud city boasting winners -- starting from late hockey legend Jaipal Singh who captained India to Olympic gold medal in the 1930s and Dhoni leading India to T20 and 50 overs World Cup victories," said Vinod Kumar, a keen sports lover. 

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ranchi/Proud-Ranchi-booms-with-crackers-after-WC-win/articleshow/7853621.cms

World Cup final: A nation holds its breath

MUMBAI: India - indeed, the world - is waiting, with baited breath, for Sachin Tendulkar to craft the ultimate fairytale: his 100th international ton, in the World Cup final, before his adoring home crowd. But for the last three days at least, the master's mind might well have been racing down memory lane - to 1996.

That momentous year too, India had crushed Pakistan in an emotionally-charged encounter in the World Cup; then too, they had the little matter of strolling past Sri Lanka to 'pick up' the coveted trophy.

Fifteen years down the line, circa now, the first chapter has already unfolded: unlike feared, India outsmarted Pakistan and Sri Lanka are already in wait. This is, of course, one step up - the final, rather than the semifinal as it was in 1996.

Tendulkar was the man in prime form then too; Muttiah Muralitharan is the only other player still in the picture from that bygone era. The Lankan off-spinner was just a vital cog then; now, he is the one man who can destroy India's fairytale again.

India won't be losing too much sleep over him though; their bigger concern is the mood raging across the country. Just like last time, everybody is behaving like the team has already won the Cup; just like then, and very ominously at that, everyone is already in celebration mode.

Tendulkar would be aware of the dangers of premature euphoria; 13 years prior to that Lankan blow at Eden Gardens, West Indies had made the same mistake. They thought they had already won the World Cup and ended up losing it, despite an awesome collection of match-winners.

India can't afford to be caught off guard again. There is a hint of fragility in their batting and more than a touch of unpredictability in the bowling, you never know when the fielding will come apart either.

The good news is that Tendulkar will be showing that page from history to anybody who dares to race ahead of time; equally reassuring is the presence of Mahendra Singh Dhoni at the helm. The captain comes into his own when pressure peaks, when nothing else matters, when destiny is in his hands.

He may not be foolhardy enough to take a mighty gamble, or blindly follow his instincts in this big game; but expect him to take a few chances, to stun you with one or two 'strange' moves. Nobody knows if he will be lucky this time too, or if a backfire is round the corner.

Out here in the fortress called Mumbai, there are no such fears. Excitement has already hit the roof while the scramble for tickets has only become more frenetic. The who's who of India have promised to be there, cheering every shot and every wicket and 'inevitable' victory.

Will even fate have the courage to intervene? If it does, it will have to first stop Virender Sehwag from exploding, prevent Tendulkar and Gautam Gambhir from dropping anchor, Yuvraj Singh and Virat Kohli from gathering momentum and Dhoni and Suresh Raina from going for the kill.

It won't be easy. Sri Lanka though might think fate answers to the names of Lasith Malinga, Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis; if there is any assistance in the track, they will exploit it sooner than you can say Warnakulasuriya Patabendige Ushantha Joseph Chaminda Vaas (the last-minute replacement for Angelo Mathews and the only other player on either side who featured in the 1996 semifinal).

Ironically, India's bowling suddenly looks dodgy after Ashish Nehra's injury. Dhoni might be forced to bring back R Ashwin. Knowing the skipper's luck, don't be surprised if the spinner turns out to be the ace in the pack. It will be even more chilling if he returns to S Sreesanth and the volatile pacer produces a match-winning show.

If the three Ms don't weave their magic, Sri Lanka won't despair, they can still count on their batting. Dilshan, Mahela and Sangakkara are game-changers and they know this is the time to displace Ranatunga and Aravinda de Silva in legend. Unfortunately, they don't have enough depth in the order or solidity lower down.

Tendulkar understands the stakes attached; he has the little matter of completing his destiny too. The 100th ton is beckoning: he couldn't have hoped for a better place, or a better setting, to reach the magical milestone.

It will be the perfect homecoming for India after 28 long years; it is definitely the right time to bury the ghosts of 1996.

 Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/cricket-world-cup-2011/news/World-Cup-final-A-nation-holds-its-breath/articleshow/7847102.cms

Ind vs SL: Sachin, Murali lock horns in battle of bests

Master blaster Sachin Tendulkar gestures during Team India's practice session, a day before the ICC World Cup final against Sri Lanka, in Mumbai on Friday. (PTI Photo)

MUMBAI: In a match-up between Sri Lanka's commendable bowling attack and India's intimidating batting order, it is India's bowling and Sri Lanka's batting that will matter.

The team that tick marks all its positives and works well on the negatives will eventually have the best chance to win cricket's most coveted title.

The Wankhede Stadium, in all its new splendour, is looking beautiful alongside the Arabian Sea, decked to host the final of the 2011 World Cup. In a tournament that has sent the sub-continent into frenzy, it is perhaps most fitting that two of Asia's best teams are fighting the mother of all battles.

Statistics can take a walk and so can reputations. There's no case for home or away advantage either. All the talk and glib of favourites and underdogs, matches and mismatches exist no more. It's time for the two teams to play good cricket and the one that emerges better will be crowned champions.

For that to happen, quality control will be the essence.

In India's case, it has to be their bowling which will sum up how far they go into the game and how they will come out of it. Left-arm seamer Ashish Nehra, who has fractured his finger, is ruled out. Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni hinted on Friday that the team might go ahead with three seamers, which means the maverick S Sreesanth would be in contention.

But don't just trust Dhoni as yet. When India arrived for practice, the bowler who started rolling his arm before anyone else was R Ashwin.

The Wankhede wicket will be a typical sub-continent one, except that the bounce will be better - a factor that sets it apart from most tracks.

Having Sreesanth in the eleven will mean having a rare India bowler who has the ability to land the ball well on seam and maintain a teasing line outside the off-stump. It would be a gamble but if India bowl first and Sreesanth doesn't spray, most things will fall in place for Dhoni.

Likewise, if India bowl second, having Ashwin - even to open the attack - when Sri Lanka chase under lights, will help. The spinner has gelled well with the tracks and conditions in his two matches so far.

A tight line with the new ball, a bit of flight and a little of the carom-ball trick, Ashwin can unleash all that on the batsmen.

At most times, Dhoni has refrained from speaking about elevens on the eve of a match. Friday was no different. What is certain for now is that the only change in the squad that played Pakistan will be either Ashwin or Sreesanth.

The skipper knows he's got Zaheer and Harbhajan to rely on, Yuvraj in excellent form and Munaf doing his bit in crunch situations. It's just about the fifth bowler.

How about Yusuf Pathan? Unlikely because India face a quality spin attack and Yusuf's belligerent cross-bat hitting may not work as much as his part-time off spin.

Sri Lanka flew in Chaminda Vaas and it appeared like the bowler had been summoned for his left-arm swingers so that batsmen could find their feet moving when Zaheer comes running in.

He has been in tremendous form for India, Dhoni's biggest weapon, both with the new and the old. If he can pitch it right again, Dhoni's job will be half done.

Dilshan, Sangakkara and Jayawardene, all took turns playing old mate Vaas, hoping to find some help in countering Zaheer and the genuine possibility of the ball reversing.

Dhoni, the captain, and his team must have certainly worked this out. Those praying for his tactics to work will keep their fingers crossed. The World Cup is for the taking. 

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/cricket-world-cup-2011/news/Ind-vs-SL-Sachin-Murali-lock-horns-in-battle-of-bests/articleshow/7847588.cms

ICC lifts ban on news channels' coverage of World Cup final

NEW DELHI: International Cricket Council (ICC) has lifted the ban on the electronic media's coverage of Saturday's World Cup final with a rider: Any infringement will lead to initiation of legal proceedings.

"Despite a lengthy meeting at the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in New Delhi, the National Broadcasters Association (NBA) and the Broadcast Editors Association (BEA) refused to give assurances that they would desist from breaching the broadcast guidelines in their news programming," ICC said in a statement.

Accordingly, the ICC has decided to commence legal action against the companies involved and will also seek to recover damages through the courts in India rather than bar the channels from the ICC Cricket World Cup final.

ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat said that ICC will "take all steps necessary to protect our commercial rights."

"I am very disappointed that it has come to this, however, we need to do everything to protect our exclusive commercial rights and those of our partners. If that means we have to resort to legal action, that is regrettable but necessary," he said.

The ICC said Indian news channels have repeatedly breached the news access guidelines for broadcasters in the World Cup.

"At the Ministry's request, we travelled to New Delhi to meet with the NBA and BEA in an attempt to resolve the issue but they were unfortunately not willing to conform to the guidelines agreed with the ICC prior to the event." 

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/cricket-world-cup-2011/news/ICC-lifts-ban-on-news-channels-coverage-of-World-Cup-final/articleshow/7845136.cms

Ind vs SL: India are favourites, but we are not underdogs: Sangakkara

India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (left) and Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara hold the ICC Cricket World Cup trophy at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. (Reuters Photo)

MUMBAI: While conceding that India were the favourites to lift the World Cup on Saturday, Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara refused to term his own band of men as the underdogs in the mega event's summit clash at the Wankhede Stadium.

"They (India) are a very good side and they have always been the favourites to win this tournament. They've got to the finals and everyone will be looking for them to keep going," he told a media conference on the eve of the match.

"We are very confident of the fact that we have been one of the best sides in the tournament. At the same time India are playing great cricket. As I said before, they have always been favourites. They have the best batting side in the world and everyone in the world expects them to turn up tomorrow and win the game.

"I don't think we are underdogs as such. We are a pretty good unit. We have to understand the fact that India for the last two years have been the favourites to win the World Cup. I am sure they will be looking at themselves as favourites too. We have just come here to play as well as we can tomorrow," said Sangakkara.

Admitting his team is battling injuries to key players - Muttiah Muralitharan and Angelo Mathews - Sangakkara, without mentioning their names, said a final decision on their availability for the winners-take-all clash would be taken on Friday night.

"We have got few injury worries. We have flown in people for those who are injured as cover. We will make assessments as the day goes along and then make a final decision this evening as to who is fit enough to play and what's our combination is going to be," he said.

The visitors have added Chaminda Vaas and Suraj Randiv as cover for the two injured players.

Murali, for whom the game is his Swan Song in international cricket, is struggling with a knee injury while Mathews has a quadriceps injury.

Sangakkara was happy with the track prepared for the match by curator Sudhir Naik.

"The wicket looks fantastic. It looks a great wicket. Conditions here are lot more different to conditions at home. Sri Lankan wickets are a bit tougher. Here the wickets are even throughout the game. We are going to try and adapt to the conditions. It looks a very decent wicket and it looks pretty flat and we need to adapt accordingly," he said.

Sangakkara hoped there would not be a repeat of the sort of assault that their bowling got from Australian swashbuckler Adam Gilchrist four years ago in the final at Bridgetown, Barbados.

"Well four years ago we were outdone by a fantastic innings by Adam Gilchrist. Hopefully we won't allow a repeat of that. Even if that does happen we've got to have the mental attitude to adjust and get back into the game."

According to Sangakkara it was important to produce controlled aggression.

"The World Cup brings the best out of players and sometimes the worst. For us tomorrow is going to be about controlled aggression. Not to be too emotional about anything. Being clinical and stay grounded. Take things as they come. You can plan as much as possible, but things can change out there in the middle.

"Everyone's excited. But it's nice to see that it's a controlled excitement. Everyone's relaxed and having a laugh. But also you can see that steely determination behind all that, knowing what a big job is at our hands tomorrow. World Cup finals are huge occasions, so it's pretty tough," he said.

The skipper said not playing at home had both advantage and disadvantage.

"It cuts both ways, I think. Playing in front of your home crowd adds to the excitement and passion and the pride that you feel. But it also adds to the weight of expectations when you feel that the entire crowd is looking at you to do everything right. That's also tough.

"We would have loved to play at home. But that's not the way it is. We have accepted that and we will take whatever the conditions are there for us and I am sure the Indian crowd is always appreciative of a good game of cricket," he remarked.

Sangakkara said winning the World Cup was a huge thing for his nation in the background of the lengthy internal conflict that has ended recently.

"It means everything for us. We have come through a very tough period. A lot of people have laid down their lives for our country. In this new future, hopefully we can take the World Cup home and it will be another occasion for celebrations," he said.

On Sachin Tendulkar's quest to reach the landmark of 100 international centuries, Sangakkara said his team's job was to curtail the Indian score and prevent them from lifting the coveted Cup for the second time in the tournament's history.

"I don't think we are here to spoil anything. I guess everyone knows the importance of scoring runs in a final whether it's Sachin or anyone else. He is going to be the first player to get there (100 international tons). It all adds to the expectations of a World Cup final. Our job is to ensure that the Indian team doesn't score too many runs," he said. 

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/cricket-world-cup-2011/news/Ind-vs-SL-India-are-favourites-but-we-are-not-underdogs-Sangakkara/articleshow/7844268.cms

Team had food just before toss in the semis: Dhoni

MUMBAI: Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Saturday revealed that the players were not served food on time at Mohali and had to rush for it just before the toss prior to the high-voltage India-Pakistan World Cup semifinal clash on Wednesday.

He said the Hotel Taj staff in Chandigarh, where the players had stayed, could not provide food on time. The team had to leave for PCA Stadium at Mohali early and had their lunch after warm-up and just before the toss.

"I did not want to say this. But, before the semifinal, the first meal the team had was at a quarter to two because the food was not served at the hotel. They said it would take over an hour. So we turned up at the ground, there was not 100 percent food, there was nothing actually at the ground," Dhoni told reporters on the eve of the World Cup summit clash against Sri Lanka on Saturday.

"So we had an early warm-up at the ground and said OK, the meal would be after the warm-up. We went into the field and did the warm-up and the meal we had was before the toss," he added.

Dhoni, however, sought to downplay the incident saying that it was not a "distraction".

"These are the things which can distract you to some extent, but what is important is that what you can do about it. Because you may scream but you would not get the food. What is important is to use the time in the best possible manner. I don't think that should be a big concern or a distraction at all," he said.

"The situation was different over there because there are not many big hotels in Mohali. Here you have plenty of big hotels and I have quite a few friends who'd be ready to bring food in half-an-hour's time," Dhoni added. 

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/cricket-world-cup-2011/off-the-field/Team-had-food-just-before-toss-in-the-semis-Dhoni/articleshow/7844923.cms