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MUMBAI: Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Lahiru Thirimanne, Upul Tharanga, Chamara Kapugedera, Lasith Malinga, Thisara Perera, Dimuth Karunaratne, Kusal Perera, Dasun Shanaka. These are the men that led Sri Lanka for the first time in ODI cricket after their loss to India in the 2011 World Cup final on a heady Saturday on April 2, 2011, at the Wankhede stadium.
Kumar Sangakkara was captain of Sri Lanka in that final.
Add Kusal Mendis to the list and the count is 11. Compare that to India, who, after the triumph, had first-time ODI skippers in the form of Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, and Hardik Pandya. Just six.
As the two sides clash again at the same venue in Match 33 of the 2023 World Cup on Thursday, the contrast in strengths and stability of the two teams could not be starker.
Injury-ravaged Sri Lanka have limped their way to two wins and four points in six games, while India sit pretty at second spot behind South Africa with six wins out of six. A victory on Thursday will guarantee the hosts of a semifinal berth and if they don’t meet Pakistan, they will play their last-four game too at the Wankhede.
India have bossed this ‘rivalry’ lately, having won 10 of their last 11 clashes. Sri Lanka’s last win came in Colombo in 2021 when a Covid-hit side, led by Dhawan, had to field a host of debutants. Sri Lanka’s last win vs India in India came in Dharamshala in December 2017, Rohit Sharma’s first as India captain.
The last time the two teams met was in the Asia Cup final on September 17 at Colombo’s Premadasa Stadium and Mohammed Siraj (6-21) bowled a spell for the ages to skittle Sri Lanka for 50 in just 15.2 overs. India chased down the score in 6.1 overs and won by 10 wickets.
Will the Islanders carry those psychological scars as they make their journey from Pune, where they suffered a heavy loss to Afghanistan, to Mumbai?
Most of India’s big guns are booming. Skipper Rohit Sharma, dropped from the 2011 World Cup squad, and who watched the final from the stands, has led the way with 398 runs from six games. He would like to make his first game as India ODI captain in front of his home crowd, a memorable occasion by carrying on with his powerplay pyrotechnics.
Virat Kohli, with 354 runs from six games, is just one short of equalling Sachin Tendulkar‘s record tally of 49 ODI tons. What better venue to go level with the Master than at the Wankhede, whose Sachin Tendulkar’s stand was adorned with a statue of the Master himself on match eve.
What will delight India is the fact that they have faced several trials and have found personnel and method to come out of them. Be it vs Australia in Chennai where they were reduced to 2 for 3 in a chase of 200, or against New Zealand in Dharamshala, when chasing 274, they slipped to 191 for 5.
The box that was unticked, winning a game batting first, was also checked in Lucknow, where the bowlers, led by Jasprit Bumrah and an inspired Mohammed Shami, helped them emphatically defend a sub-par 229 vs England.
If they can find runs from Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer, who have not clicked consistently so far, on Thursday, India will enter the homestretch with added swagger.
For Sri Lanka, stand-in skipper Kusal Mendis has tried to employ the Rohit Sharma template in the powerplay. The true Wankhede track will suit him. It will also suit Sri Lanka’s most impressive batter, Sadeera Samarawickrama (331 runs from six games) and Pathum Nissanka (four successive fifties), but it’s their bowling that has imploded. They conceded a World Cup record 428 to South Africa in New Delhi and saw 345 being chased down by Pakistan in Hyderabad, also a World Cup record.
Dilshan Madhushanka, with his left-arm seam, showed penetration and promise in the last two games and Dushmantha Chameera also bowled with pace after being recalled in Pune. They will have to be on their A game on Thursday, else it will be another leather hunt on a pitch that has already seen South Africa rattle up scores of 399 and 382 batting first vs England and Bangladesh respectively.
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