The next day the cricket match goes like a Boy's Own Paper fantasy. Mahela wins the toss and makes the right call, to bat. Tharanga repays Mahela's confidence by scoring an aggressive fifty that gives the innings momentum despite early wickets. When he falls, MJ's in first gear, but by the time Wrykyn's innings ends, he's smacking Sedleigh's fast men to all parts. Just think of it: Mahela calls right, backs the right man and scores an unbeaten century at faster than a run a ball to set up a massive win.

The reason Wodehouse didn't write this novel is because he specialized in plausible school stories centred on cricket and this one's plot line was too good to be true. There's no conflict, no tension, and Mahela walks on water. But you know what? Fans are coarse spectators: they'll take all the good news they can get.

And listen, I've been thinking about the final. Ponting wins the toss and puts Sri Lanka in on a fast Barbadian track. Big mistake. Jayasuriya and Sanagakkara failed at the right time, the match before. So they're due big scores and they get them. Then Tharanga and Mahela fool everyone by beating the odds and doing it all over again. Lightning strikes twice, Atlantis surfaces and McGrath goes for 60 in eight overs. 289 for 2 this time. By the time the innings ends, it's past my bedtime and I sleep through Murali and Malinga's Punch and Judy show. When I wake up in the morning, they've won.

ohh that would be the kind of dream every srilankan fan would love to have.. lets hope for the best..ALL THE BEST LANKA!!!

Mahela was great , the best innings i have seen in the world cup. Sanath , Sri lanka needs you on Saturday . You can do this one more time. It has been done by you before . Just focus on De Silva in the 1996 world cup. You will surely get there . Good Luck . Sri Lanka.

all the best SRI LANKA!!!!!!!!

Mukul, are you for real? Do you really make money by writing these blogs?

I think the best and most deserving two teams of the tournament have reached the top. Its going to be a very exciting contest. Sri Lanka has the best bowling attack of the tournament while the Australia has an alround team. On their day Sri Lanka can trample not only the minnows but can crush the biggest. The Finals at last!!!!

Lets see what dreams are made of :-)

Thats my dream too. Yeeees SL can and they will do it. Good luck to them. Of course I wouldn't go to sleep but would watch SL win the World Cup.

fall asleep through the WC final?! hehe. but im putting my money on sanga firing on saturday. sanga with the bat and murali will enjoy the bounce. good luck boys.

As a West Indian fan .. I fully support Sri Lanka and hope they soundly beat the Aussies. It will take some doing though and it surely will be a good match. One thing though, you would actually go to sleep????!!!

Mukul, you can become a playwriter for movies. i remember 2003 WC FInal. I was attending a party with my Indian Colleagues. All were damn sure Sehwag will mastermind India's Victory. Are you somekind of clown here??

Mukul, didnt you watch yesterday's game AUS vs SA. A belter slow pitch full of runs, and what happened. Write blogs with information and facts, not with your passions and asian traits.

oops since it is a dream, but come back reality picture will be jaya won't shine, sanga will try, taranga will shine along with Vaas & malinga but Hayden, ponting & co will make history of hattrick in world cup by claming their third consequtive wc win. Enjoy the game as ponting told earler cheers

An lovely pen picture, inspired by the truly great PGW. Unfortunately, Wodehouse never had truly terrible villains. Perhaps someone pinching a policeman's helmet, or a cow creamer even...no room for big Hayden, even bigger Symonds!!!

Actually, I think it is more "Chaplinesque"; and, one can't be sure whether the Tramps from the sub-continent will emerge victorious, or will walk away into the background, leaving us all to wipe a tear for what might have been!

oops since it is a dream, but come back reality picture will be jaya won't shine, sanga will try, taranga will shine along with Vaas & malinga but Hayden, ponting & co will make history of hattrick in world cup by claming their third consequtive wc win. Enjoy the game as ponting told earler cheers

ahh kinda confusin article.. but who cares as long he support SL thts fine hehe:)

I too want Srilanka to win and Aussies out as they have created hegemony & dominace.
But this is a wishful thinking just as we Indians expected India to win World Cup.
Just look at Australia. They are playing a different level of cricket if you are willing to observe the game as an unbiased lover of cricket.
Atleast as of now; they are invincible and that is a reality of today's cricket world. The only solace is that cricket is a game of glorious uncertainities and maybe just maybe maybe Australia falters in that day of final. Srilanka could be lucky winner. LET"S HOPE SO.
BEST OF LUCK TO SRILANKA

Well written , this is what exactly every millions of Sri Lankans have in their mind.Wait for two more days you will know it for sure.Judgement day on 28th.My Wishes with the Sri Lankans.

lol. I've been thinking the same thing man. I'm actually very happy that Jayasuriya didn't make a century against england or nz. He's due for a big one soon and I pray to god that it will be at Barbados. Same for Sanga. fingers crossed.

Yes, give me the island flavour anyday - be it the Caribbean or the Lankan, and I will prefer it to the beef and steak of the Aussies - who are no doubt awesome, but there is a greater magic and joy in beating the best - and Sri Lanka can, and WILL.

What a dream !!! Nightmare for Aussies ??? Twenty million islanders will have a party time. How about Aussies ? All Aussies would become instant experts in bowling action analysis. Malinga the slinger would become an instant chucker. Tait the slinger would become a saint as he couldn’t take many wickets. They would sing “Our Tommo the slinger did it....but with a passion.... blood on the pitch” Ricky would say “ if we had Tommo... we would have won”

I wish your dream (and mine too) may come true!
Good luck Sri Lanka..you can do it!

And then you wake up and watch the television - darn you wished you had continued the dream - Aussies win by 9 wickets with 150 balls to spare!!

Dang it!!

Two things wrong with this picture: 1) If Ponting wins the toss, he will bat. I'll leave you to guess what the other one is...

A wonderful dream I'm sure, but I feel that the reality will be the polar opposite. Nothing except for a horrible day for the Aussies and a out-of-skin performance from the lankans will result a hint of an upset. The fact is, the Aussies have demonstrated exactly how far ahead of everyone else in the world they are and it would be a great injustice for them to lose, and if they do it will be no-one's fault but their own.

I can onle hope that the rest of the world has caught up by 2011 and we have a hard-fought, edge of your seat world cup. See you in 4 years!

Australia is the toughest team in the world to beat. But Mahela knows that it could be done and that the one team that Australia fear is Srilanka because of the fantastic talent and unorthodoxy of some of it's players.Sanath is the greatest one day allrounder of all time (nearly 12000 runs and 300 wickets) and can destroy any bowling attack on his day.Murali is the bowlers Bradman and only needs one opportunity to weave his magic. Malinga's menace is still to be experienced by Australia in a oneday match. Vaas's other bunny is Gilchrist . Australia once had five runouts in Srilanka's hands and this is a very different fielding side to other Asian teams with Dilshan lurking around.Mahela is finally fulfilling his potential for the great batsman he is. Sanga has been the best gloveman in the tournament and can also sledge with the best.These are exotic talents who are playing with a burning desire to win.Against them stand the great team headed by Ponting. In 1996 Australia underestimated Srilanka who had the best batting side in the world . Even after the 1996 world cup Australia was regularly beaten by Srilanaka. In 2007 Srilanka has the best bowling attack in the world. Also as with Bradman , numbers don't lie. Srilankans hold the highest oneday and test partnerships , highest test and oneday scores and a bowler who has the world record of 8 wickets in a match. This is the one team that can beat Australia and Australia knows it. Without doubt Australia is the best team in the world on their record but if Srilanka can expose their middle order to Murali and co it is going to be an interesting match. The one thing that Australia realises is that Srilanka will not be intimidated like South Africa and will bring their own unique brand of cricket and boldness to the game. Also as in 1996 they are coached by a brilliant coach.

oooh it's not a dream .. on 29th there will be a lion on top of each kangaroo......

Well thats going to be every cricketing nation's dream (except for aus.. whatever). All of us are tired of thier so called strong hold on Cricket. Its time for the tide to change and its time Sri Lanka thumps Australia again. No De Silva, No Ranathunga, but history will repeat itself regardless of the missing names cos Sri Lanka are better and core confident...

Why we like indians they have great heart of supporting islanders

I long for someone, anyone, to beat Australia, to pull them back, show that they are human. Every time they get knocked back, they become stronger.

Sri Lanka have genius in their ranks and are worthy finalists; I think they were right to hold back Vaas, Malinga, and Murali from the super 8 match as it prevented the Aussie batsmen from seeing them. Get Hayden out, get Ponting out, and SL have a chance. I am going to be Sri Lankan for a day!

oH THE DREAM OF EVERY SRILANKAN WILL COME TRUE ON APRIL 28TH. ALL THE BEST SRILANKA!!!!! SANATH WE WANT A CENTURY FROM YOU. WE LOVE THE WAY YOU PLAY ALL THE BEST.

Good article Mukul and a terrific performance by Sri Lanka, tainted only by Judy(Chuckmaster)Murali's blatant and brilliant display of chucking.I am not an Aussie supporter, though for the final, I will be rooting for the team with legitimate players.Whatever happened to the ban on the King of Chuck's doosra? Was Chuck cleared to chuck it "as well" in the World Cup. The sooner cricket puts the ICC and the chuckers to pasture, the better for the game. Pleasant dreams Mukul.

i hope you are right

You shouldn't underestimate the Australia team and this is from a person that's supporting a Sri Lanka team in the final.

Well, heres to wishful thinking.

Thats the kind of dream i would like to have. Jayasuriya, Sanga, Mahela and Upul firing at the same time. That hasn't happened before, but that doesn't mean its impossible. If all our batting guns fire, MacGrath and co. will go for big runs. Hoping for the best. GOOD LUCK LIONS!!

All I want see, someone to beat arrogant Aussies.
Sri lanka will do it all over again and bring the cup to Asia

i have been one of the die-heart srilankan cricket fan since 1996.with god blessing,they will definately win this worls cup.i wish them best of luck

cricket is a funny game. Had mahela been caught by shane bond on 70 (91 balls), had dilshan been smashed when murali was replaced after just one over by styris?? Mahela is a conservative captain not an attacking one.. hope luck stays with him one last time as I would love srilanka to win too..

what a dream! I am supporting Sri Lanka and dare not think what kind of match it will turn out to be. All I can say is some miracle happens and Australia is stopped. I really can't in all my imagination envisage that situation =/

Mukul, you fool. You had to jinx the Lankans, hadnt you? Please , please shut your mouth - if and when it happens,we can gloat. Please. Shut up until it happens.

It is not dream my dear. It is a predict 100% correct.Let's wait for the moment.Mahela and co knows how to raise for the big occasion.

This time Lions gonna have Kangaros for dinner on 28th.

Sri Lanka , please win it----win it for Asia, win it for cricket and most importantly---win it for Pakistan & India--- We want to forget the final of 1999 and 2003. We want to remind Australia 1996, and to the world 1983 and the real one 1992.
SriLanka we are supporting you since the "darkestday" when IreLand and Bangladesh crushed the dreams of billions---- but you have revived some sense of satisfaction, soe dreams, some motivation and some pride--- Srilankan tigers win it for me, for us. It will be fitting to have a complete circle of 2-2 in Asia vs Australia finals----and then beating srilanka 3-0 in Abu Dhabi in may------ Ahh Shafiq from Pakistan.

I was telling everyone in my cricketing circle that Sri-Lanka will be in the WC finals long before they contest started. It is one of my favorite teams ( I am from Pakistan ) and I have been a fan for a long time. I wish them all the best for the finals. Australia looks very impressive and Sri-Lanka will have to play out of their skins to win the final and they certainly are capable of doing that. If any team ever had a chance of matching up against Australia..Sril-Lanka is it. Let's hope that in the finals they play well and pull a victory.

Its great to see the humble Lankans get to the final. Winning it would be on par with the great '83 upset. Personally I can't see that happening as the Aussies are too professional and the quick wicket with Tatey aiming for ribs and base of middle stump alternatively may prove one bridge too many for the gallant Lankans. As an Indian supporter, I still feel that my boys did not do justice to their talent, but even if they had managed to reach the finals, its hard to see anyone beating this awsome Aussie outfit today. As the great Barry Richards said a while ago, Oz are by far the best team by a country mile and a half and their results show that. Their thrashing of the pretenders SA should demonstrate why they are where they are. Go Lanka...at least give them a fight second time around which is more than what anyone so far has managed in this tournament!
Incidentally Mukul, go easy on the pseudo sophisticated metaphors! Much as I like PGW, I hardly think he would have cricket on his mind when he had Bertie's several aunts and girlfriends to think about!! Keep up the good work though bruv..

Thanks for the fantasy, Mukul. No, Wodehouse could never have done it. He was way too bland.

But yeah... you were spot on... I'd give anything for a little good news today.

'Cos if this Sri Lankan team can really get the better of this Aussie team... it will in cricketing terms be a seismic event across a certain continent.

This World Cup has already seen its share of seismic events (across other continents). It may very well be that the biggest on Rickter's own scale of cricket things is yet to be.

It could happen if Rickter is somehow outsmarted by Mahela and the Aussies all fall in a heap like Ring Around My Roses ("We all fall down"), OR... Sri Lanka turns in a sub-par performance and are blown out for less than Mahela's not out score against the Kiwis.

I think I'll enjoy the happy phantasy for now. Can't go wrong with that, can I? Either I will have the REAL THING in the end OR... I can keep Mukul's perfect happy ending.

(But tell me Mukul... why did the schoolboy all of a sudden stop dreaming before the end? Was the Wodehouse influence a bit much?)

Bingo... the entire cricket loving community, barring Australia, would love to see that happen, and some would pray too.
You said it all, to beat the best team in the world, with a decade of dominance backing them, the Sri Lankans have to do the unthinkable... keep wickets upfront, and score 300 by the end.

I am Pakistani, but I am rooting for Sri Linka. They can make Asia proud. COME ON YOU LANKANS!

I agree 100%. Aussies are in for a rude shock, Sanath and Kumar are going to make matters worse for the kangaroos. Mcrgrath will go for some runs but it will be the other bowlers who will suffer specially Tait.
SriLanka will win the world cup 2007.

Dear Mukkul,

From the Begining we (including you ) trust our team & their ability. Somebody says we can't.
Now there nothing to lose. WE MUST WIN THIS WORLDCUP. We accept AUS is the powerful team.
But Our(TEAM) Trust is more powerful....!

So Great Mahela & Our Team....! Thank you Very Much..,

If either of these 2 teams win the toss & bowl first, I will never watch cricket again!

www.manojtiwary.com is coming

this coming final reminds me a lot of the 1983 finals - between the Windies and India.

Lets put things into perspective. The Windies in 83 were everything and more than what the aussies are today.

It was their 3rd consecutive finals. they had won the previous 2. (sounds very similar eh?) everyone expected them to thrash their opponent but what happened in the end?

so just lets keep that in mind.

but nevertheless, i am expecting an all-out Ozzie victory.

hmm.. based on historical records and some crystal-balling, if sri lanka lose the toss, they will win the world cup.
:D

What a great realisation it would be IF THAT DREAM comes true ! I have been backing up SL ever since the WC started and they have not let me down so far i the intial two stages , I do hope they do it just one more time and give me pleasure of celeberating their win like I did back in 1996 , you must be surprised to know how come a PAKI doing that ? Folks I am always for a better team sport display than a bad country sport fiasco . I call Pak team a bunch of YOYos and I call Indians bunch a flat track igoestic bully gathering , I admired SL always . Statistics tells me AUSS are on it 4th time but I prefer a team of artists than a physical bullying group and I do hope ARTISTS WILL HAVE IT

Between the two finalists Australia is the better team just like in 1996.And just like in 1996 will their inflated ego burst into smithereens ?

ALL THE BEST LANKA

In your dreams, bud....

IT WILL BE A GOOD KANGAROO BBQ FOR LIONS

Terry G,

The trend in this blog is generally positive. Please get off this blog, if you cannot stomach/ accpet the genius of MURALI THE GREAT!! ICC and lot of others have cleared him. Only you and a couple of biased Australian umpires are harping about Murali's action.

For the first time I saw Murali bowl in the semis and I did not see anyhting wrong.

PLEASE DO NOT KILL THE POSITIVE AND HAPPY TREND IN THIS BLOG WITH YOUR ABSURD COMMENTS!!

Yes, All the best Sri Lanka.
Mukul, please drink lots of coffee and dont ever miss the second half of the match.

Sri Lanka definitely has enough fire power to beat Australians, and all all of us sincerely hope Sri Lankans will do that.
By the way Terry Gonsalves, If i remeber correct Brett Lee also had an issue with his action, wasn't it? and where is Brett Lee from?

Dear Cricky
Hey don’t be so narrow-minded. Sri Lanka is very different from South Africa. You know how Sri Lanka beat India.
Just ready for a big surprise from Sri Lankans.
Bttt Please don’t sleep bcoz Jayasuriya is much much better than Shevag and Sachin.
KEEP IT UP GUYS. MAKE SOUTH ASIA PROUD……..

we cn do this man!!!get pontin ,hayden out...thn thr all screwd up !!

Mukul , you forgot to add "I hate Australia" to your drivel. Good luck with your dream , reality is that Australia will win by 150 + runs or with 7 wickets and 80 balls to spare.

Aussies haven't seen the real power of MALINGA. Vaas as usual will be taking a wicket in his first over and Murali too can do wonders.. NO ONE CAN CONTROL LIONS, LIONS ARE LIONS FOREVER!! East or West Lankans are the Best!!! 28th April will be Lankan's Day!!

Wishing our Sri Lanka team all the every best. The level of self confidence and guidance of Moody had inspired them. Sunday 29th is set aside for celebrations. Its gonna be Sanath's Big Game!!!

GOD has to come down and bat for srilanka, if they are to beat Australia. Well, maybe he will come in the Form of Jayasuria, but mites.. happy fantacing..

Wishing our Sri Lanka team all the every best. The level of self confidence and guidance of Moody had inspired them. Sunday 29th is set aside for celebrations. Its gonna be Sanath's Big Game!!!

yeh, well played lanka..im Australian, but i have a soft spot for sri lanka.u guys seem to enjoy the cricket you play and bring excitement to the field.i dont think many of the australians wouldnt mind you guys winning if the unthinkable happens..hope its a good contest though

GOD has to come down and bat for srilanka, if they are to beat Australia. Well, maybe he will come in the form of Jayasuria, but mites.. happy fantacising..

For the good of the game, Lanka will be world cup champions!

www.manojtiwary.com is coming..

the nature of supporting sri lanka is made quite precarious by the fact that within 10 overs, they are either set for a 300+ score, or apparently struggling depending on the fate of Jayasuriya. of course their middle order is filled with reliability, yet there is something insatiable in desperately hoping Jayasuriya will just hurry up with the violence and finish the match off so that we can sit back and bask in the glory of being (quasi) sri lankan for the next 90 overs. however when the latter happens, the morning after brings a superior satisfaction, that of a team victory rather than a freak of nature doing what he does (though i don't have any qualms about the 2 freaks of nature doing what they do with the ball)...

and before stepping off the soapbox, let me just say that, as someone who lives in Sydney, the depth of Australian cricket is bordering on tyrannical. Brad Haddin has been a better player than Gilchrist for 18 months now. Phil Jacques could feel reasonably grieved for not having been picked ahead of Hayden for the last 2 years. Brad Hogg often doesn't make his state team. Shaun Tait wouldn't have made the squad if Brett Lee didn't go Bollywood on the world.

ps love the wickedly unintentional irony in Muhammad Shafiq's comment: "Srilankan tigers win it for me, for us"...

blah!

Aah! The uninformed. "Pseudo sophisticated metaphors" - too many syllables, bruv!

@Mr. Pandit(!) is not aware about the passion that Wodehouse had for cricket.

May I recommend "Wodehouse at the wicket", written by none other than PGW himself.
Here's the synopsis:

Wodehouse was a devoted cricketer, and cricket dominates his early writings. This is an anthology of the best of Wodehouse's cricket writings, in the form of extracts from stories, humorous pieces and poems. The introduction provides information on the author's own cricket career.

All I dream is for the game to go till the last over of the day.. no matter who wins I would be happy. It will be such a treat.
Aldo from DownUnder.
ps: I think the two professionalism of both teams
is pretty comparable
psps: I want to dream for the next world cup games that go the distance..

Don't be such a sadist. I want SL to win too... but McGrath going 60 in 8. Please, its his last game. Spare a thought for the old guy will ya. Lets say, SL batsmen respect him for what he is, and he bowls 10 for 35 runs and takes those 2 wickets. Everyone else makes the fielders fetch.

Malinga and Murali show? Come on I think you might be underestimating the best batting lineup in this World Cup - How about the Ponting/Clarke/Symonds/Hayden show?
Talk about big score due...how about Hussey? or Gilchrist?

I am a diehard supporter of India but after India, its the most talented team that deserves to win it all. While many think it is SL, I feel their batting is weak and Aus is better allround...

Though my brain tells me it is going to be the Ozies, my heart wants the Lankans to win; and by a big margin too!

The Lankan lads can do it once again. They have the talent and they have the hunger and I am sure they will bring something innovative to the finals. Good Luck Sri Lankans. You can do it.

Sri Lanka will win - they have a 100% record in world cup finals ;)

I'm a Sri Lankan & I would love to see us win.However,it is a task which is humanly impossible even for the magnificent Cricketers from Sri Lanka ...The Aussies are too powerful for them...

.....but wait !...

"For what is impossible with Men is possible with God"(Luke 18;27)

"God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble"(1Peter 5:5)

"Many are the plans in a man's heart,but it is THE LORD'S PURPOUS that WILL prevail"(Proverbs 19:21)

There is HOPE !

srilankans winning against aussies will be like luke skywalker (mahela) and the rebels defeating the emperor (ponting), harry potter(murali) outwitting voldemort(gilchrist) with magic, eragon(sangakarra) outscoring galbotrix(hayden), naruto(malinga) throwing rasengan on orachimaru(symonds) manga style. The oppressed nations of the past decade will celebrate (ind, pak eng, sa, etc..).this will be a new dawn. froddo(dilshan) will throw the ring(fear of facing aussie) into the lava, much to the angst of mordon the moron(mcgrath). come on sri lanka! P.S in case u win dont rest too much, wait for the indian tigers after the world cup...we are hungry for your blood. you will have to pay for what you did to us!

First of all BEST OF LUCK SRI LANKA!!!
Secondly, I would like to as "Cricky" to get a reality check. Cricket is a game, and in a game, predictions can't be true. Don't get your hopes up about Australia. I remember in 1992 worldcup, Pakistan team was all out for 74 against England in the first round. Lucky for them, it rained through England's innings and the match was a draw. Turns out, later in the tournament, Pakistan went ahead and won the Worldcup. So, I won't be surprised if Sri Lankan team played the game of their lives in the final and won the Worldcup. Aussies' winning streak will come to an end sooner or later

I read many comments from Indians and they really hate SL to win. You think any south asian team will support one another as they are always subjected to white dominance. But I guess with Indians it is a different story. I think what India cricket fans and in general need to understand is give due credit and pass off the hatred. SL beat India since it was a competition when it comes to humanity I am positive the same 11 men will stand side by side with the 11 that reprsent India where ever it is necessary. This is where the Lankans will not betray our South Asians.
Seems like British Raj gave more than Cricket to the Indians. LOL!
Win or loose, we still proved to the Cricket world there will be tough competition all the time from the brown power! How cool is that?

Mukul back to his lankan love. Thank god, no reference to Indian boys. Hey hold on, what did i read ? SL winning the cup....Cudnt help laughing. Thats a biggest joke i have ever seen from a so called matured journo. The kind of form aussies are in, it wud take GODS to descend to earth to beat them, and this 11 men from lanka are mere mortals.. Looking at the way the Aussies have bulldoozoed to final it wud be a foolhardy to dream of a lankan win, but my dear friend Mukul you hv been a perfect Indian here, selling dreams to poor Lankan fans, who got in your trap and started posting crap again on this space...SL win on McGrath s day ? ahahahaha...Did you see what haappened to Kallis and Smith when they tried to take Aussies to task, they were tasked....Ditto for Jayasuriya, Tharanga, King Mahela, Sledger Sangakaara (smone pls gift him a comb to make his hairdo before final), Chamara Silva and Russell Arnold. Malinga wud best be left to pick balls from coconut trees dispatched by Symmo, Haydo, Gilli, Clarkey, Watso and Ponting..Good luck Mukul and all you SL fans out there....And did i forget the King Chuckli ? He s going to repeat his sydeny figures of 0/97 (10)? did u forget that ? Good luck Mukul, unfortunately ur dream wont come true....

please Lanka.. don't let the Aussies win..

The only way Australia can be defeated is by putting them under pressure, which will be possible only by putting up huge score for them to chase or if they are batting by claiming their top order batsmen quickly.Srilanka is very nice team and with a fighter spirit... let see..
i'm with Sirilanka.....

I AM A SRI LANKAN. I WOULD BE PLEASED TO SEE THE BETTER TEAM OF THE DAY WIN.

THE TEAM THAT HANDLES THE PRESSURE WELL WILL WIN THE CUP!

THANK YOU PAKISTANIS AND INDIANS FOR YOUR SUPPORT TO SRI LANKA!

MUKUL, THANK YOU FOR PROVIDING MEDICINE FOR OUR DRY BONES!!!!

Sri Lankan have played like champions throughout this tournament and they deserve to win. Sri Lankan side is full of talented and enthusiastic players with a thirst to win matches and that is the key of their success. I wish them good luck on 28 th and love to see them winning the cup.

I am a Pakistan fan but right now i want to see Sri Lanka win just like they did in 1996 at Lahore and i was cheering for Sri Lanka.
What a fantasy you have written, although i wish Sri Lanka wins but to reach the ultimate glory they have to play out of their skins to beat the professionals like Australia.

I am hopeful we have a contest on our hands unlike both the semi finals, and i hope we do have a 100 overs match.

Best of Luck Sri Lanka.....i wish you guys had at least one or two big hitters for penultimate overs.

dont worry about support, indians are supporting lankans until 28th of this month. thats for sure. but after the 28th we want to defeat the champs! but till then come on sanath what about snatching your fastest century record back from afridi?

Win or loose, the Sri Lankan team are heroes to this battered nation. They've come this far by diligence, hard work, commitment and a bigger picture - the team instead of the individual - in mind.

They'll be give a heroes welcome regardless of the result.

Good to Mahela and the lads.

We love Sri Lanka Cricket team, whether they win or lose. As much we hate Ranjith Fernando

http://ranjitfernandosucks.blogspot.com

Jayasuriya didnt make the semi's and the final count last time around, 10 yrs on and with more maturity, he will want to make his mark.

Come-on Sri Lanka, knock them over

Sri Lanka all the way

Sri Lanka definitely have a point to prove to Australia, specially since they left three of their best bowlers out for the super 8 match up against Australia. With Malinga, Vaas and Muali back it wont be easy for the Ozzys. Sri Lanka would have to bat first and get a decent score. Anything around 250 would be hard for the Ozzys to chase even though they have good batsmsn. If Sri Lanka can get 2 or 3 early wickets specially Hayden and Ponting that would be nice. Sri Lanka's batting still worries me though, Sanga and Sanath need a big score. They are really due for a big one. Sanga needs to bat through the innings. SRI LANKA all the way...

Does anyone remember in 1996, in the crowd at lahore there was a painting of a kangaroo on its knees worshipping a lion????
Well i do.....keep that image in mind everyone....cause that is what will happen on saturday!!!!!

Our Hero Mahela?????????? Since when did he become OUR hero....Mukul you are such a loser....SL may be able to beat the Ozzies in the final...but we all know who is by far the best team...and please dont adopt unneccessary heroes on behalf of all Indians. I accept Mahela is a great player but he is not OUR hero!!!!

Indians have now become synonymous with day dreaming. Before the world cupe there was lot of talk about how Aussies are now dipping in performance etc. The Aussies have responded the best way like they always do. In 1999, there was talk about how a talented Pakistan team can send Australia packing. In 2003, there were people talking about Arithmetic progressions, alternate left and right handed captains winning world cups and historical facts about Australia winning 16 tests before losing to India in Kolkata and then entering world cup final on the back of 16 wins in ODIs and facing India again and all that rot. End of the day, the truth was there for everyone to see. Now it is the third Asian team they are up against in the last 3 world cups. Again there is lot of dream that SL would lift the cup. I too would like to see SL win, but let us face the reality, the chances are very very small. The difference though is that the SL team is not made up of emotional cricketers like the '99 Pakis or the selfish personal record and sposnsorship conscious 2003 Indian team. The SL team seems to be made of honest, humble and commited cricketers who value team above self. They are also lot more professional and have it in them to give Aussies a run for their money. Even if they are walloped in the final, I am sure they will look to improve and not just sit on the legacy of being world cup runners up like what India did. Hats of to u SL for ur attitude and commitment and best wishes for a competitive game in the final

Cricket is a game with full of commitment and little bit with luck.No matter what happens past, it's the better team with luck and performed well within that pertiquler day, through 100 overs will get the ultimate goal.we will see that aussies power to backfire on that day

Mahela has just acquired a steel brain from the NZ match. When the boss has a steel brain, he will get the best out of his company. Professional Aussies will be wired up in a steel mesh. Everyone can enjoy the final based on Mahela's brain power. This is about when Aussies are batting. Score is 219 for Aussies batting 1st. In 6 wickets and 41 overs SL will pass that mark with Sanath on 46 in first 8 overs. Mahela on 69, Tharanga on 29, Sanga on 86, Arnold on 9, Dilshan not out at 6 everyone contributes. Murali the man of the match with 4 wickets. Maharoof 2nd best player of the match with field and ball, with Malinga to break the Aussie top order with 3 wickets and Vass gets 1 wicket only. let's see. N.B.: the pitch favors SL. so the 90% of spectators. SL and rebels stop the internal war and settle for a negotiated settlement after SL winning the World Cup. Good for all and SL will build a new nation with Cricket in the North, South, East and West all beautiful beaches for all. I look for a holiday in SL in December. Join me in one of those beaches.

A few facts to be corrected. The only time Mike Jackson took part in a Wrykyn-Sedleigh match, he represented Sedleigh ('Enter Psmith') as he was taken out of Wrykyn by his father in the previous term for poor academic reports.
Wrykyn's big game was usually the one against Ripton, but thanks to an outbreak of mumps (or possibly measles) at Ripton, that fixture was scratched and Wrykyn were able to give Sedleigh a game.
For those interested: Wodehouse was a reasonably good fast bowler, but his poor eye did not allow him to shine with the bat, so one assumes he would have been a bit of a tail-end bunny. The name of one of his immortal creations, Jeeves, is taken from that of a Warwickshire professional fast bowler Percy Jeeves who was tipped as a strong possibility for England by none other than 'Plum' Warner (he of the Bodyline series fame), but was unfortunately killed in WW1 while still only 27 years old. Wodehouse was also an active member of the Hollywood Cricket Club during his days in Hollywood (though rather too old to play much) and turned out once for the Authors team led by Sir Arthur Canon Doyle in an Authors vs Actors game.
Wodehouse did write of cricket matches that were not set in school. In 'Psmith in the City' Mike Jackson, fed up with being cooped up at a bank when there is such fine (cricket playing) weather outside, finally chucks the job and goes out to Lords to represent his county when his brother calls asking for help as they are a batsman short. He scratches around, but survives initially, but finds some decent form after lunch to score a century (The passage also contains description of how lunch can do or undo a batsman and why it is mandatory to chew each mouthful at least twenty-three times while meditating on cricket). Wodehouse also wrote some droll poems on cricket including 'The Cricketer in Winter' and 'The Umpire'.

Based on historical evidence,

my fortune-telling tell me that if Sri Lanka lose the toss, they will win the world cup

1975 - windies won the toss - won the world cup
1979 - windies won the toss - won the world up
1983 - windies loss the toss - loss the world cup

1999 - aus lost the toss - won the world cup
2003 - aus lost the toss - won the world cup
2007 - aus win the toss - lose the world cup

Aus is no doubt the better team, but that's what makes this a great final. The fan favorite versus the powerhouse. The good guys versus the bullies. Lagaan anyone?? Yes, lanka will have to play an extraordinary game to even make it a contest, but like Mukul says, this is what dreams are made of. Go Sanath! (One last time for a billion fans outside Australia :)

Mukul:

Make no mistakes about it. LANKA seldom reach a final and come home without winning it.

If you think you have seen the best of LANKANS thus far: BEHOLD I sent 11 roos amidst a lion pack and must I say they are hungry.

Its not LANKA VS AUS

Its MURALI VS bunch of school bullies.

One last roar for lankan pride that will echo in etertiny.

Do you hear it?

DO you?

Luxman Gurusamy

I think you really want Srilanka to win and beat the hell out of the Aussie but you are afraid that this wont be the case (which we will see on Saturday anyway) so you have put this as a dream so to place your self in a Win Win situation. If lanka does what you predict them to do you will jumping up and down and saying to this world that "LOOK I AM A SAINT TO WHOM TRUE DREAMS COMES WHICH IS AGAINST THE NORMS :)" but as expected if its another stroll in the park for the aussie then you will tamely right "WELL WE CAN ONLY DREAM AND THE AUSSIE ARE TOO GOOD FOR ANYBODY"

You are a clever guy but not a brave one to put your neck on the line and predicts the thrashing of Aussie.

And by the way I would love to see Srilanka hammering Aussie in the final.

First of all a big thank you to all the great people of the Carribean who have made the Lankans feel at home. Thanks for your support.

Australia are a great and professional team, they have done a great service to the game with their brand of cricket setting high standards for the whole world.
On Saturday Sri Lanka will show that we are ready for the challenge. Power Cricket versus Spice Cricket. Oz be careful what you bite, it may be too hot to handle.

Lions whoop the kangaroos!... end of story!

Records are meant to be broken. An unbeaten team will get beaten as well. Fans will remember the ICC Champions trophy in 2002 I believe, when Aravinda changed the complex of the game with his
magical bowling completely foxing Gilchrist and the Aussies in full cry. If a performance(miracle)of this kind can be recreated, then of course SL does have a chance ! I wish good luck to both teams. One thing for sure - this game will be the most entertaining of all. A true final of champion class, a breathtaking one. FANS DO NOT MISS IT !!!

Come on Sri Lanka! win it for all your beloved fans!

All the Best Sri Lanka

Well Mukul, I am an Indian. You know what a disastrous WC it was for the Men in Blue.... :-(

In 2003, we dreamt so much....and what happened was a nightmare....The way the Aussies struck in the Super 8 match against the Lankans (in what I, and hopefully many of us, thought should have been a close call - a-nail-biting-match - a seat-edge-thriller but ALAS! it was a one-sided match again), I think the Lankan Lions should put an absolute perfect all-round performance. If so, even then, they have half-the-chance of winning the WC. So, let dreamers dream. What must happen will happen. But I expect Lankans to play not just well but alarmingly well....

I don't have anything against Australia. Infact, they are making me spell-bound. But 3-in-a-row cups........ Come on, Joeys, someone would/should/could put up a good fight with you, atleast, for the sake of the GOLDEN GLORY.

ALL THE BEST, TEAM LANKA......... :-)

Srilanka will have Kangaroo curry on 28th.we are are praying for srilankan victory.

It was expected by Pakistanis in 1999,They said Indians will do in 2003, Now you are dreaming about srilankans.... and the story continues... But the winner will be Australia for next ten years dude.., They are far ahead of all the teams...

Dreams apart, Sri Lanka has done well up to now and they don't have to worry. On 28th, just play a normal game and enjoy the cricket. If they do that, everything else will fall in to place.

Good luck!

I understood one thing SB and MK, they are circus clowns. Aussie is the just the top team, not the invincible, but they are the true proffesional to be top team in the world. Yesterday's match is clear example. Since Pak and Ind became minnows, these guys try to prove their extremity and jealousy, they hate aussies. How many times India boasted to show off in front of Aussie after winning coca cola trophy in 1998? did they manage to get through. Between 2003 and 2007, how many matches Sl lost to Aussie.

Lux Gurusamy,
Did u start watching cricket since 2007 World cup. Aussies are not racist, you guys are racist, jealous, insane about aussies. I dont think Murali factor is a matter of issue for Aussies. They have to overcome it to win the match. Asians are good in playing cricket by mouth. and all you are expert in that.

Do you guys know when aussies got hammered by SL. It was one occasion in the past 5years. at 2003 VB series in SCG. where really Marvan and Sanath ruled the SCG. Why the hell you need a racist coach. Say me you flock of Asians. Not a single Aussie player abused SL till now.

I know onething, you dont enjoy cricket, u just make scenes for nothing. Passion to support your team is ok, but that passion is to support your team, not to sledge other teams. I have one personal question. SOUMYA BATTACHARYA - Are you a bengali or a Punjabi? I know Punjabi and Bengali enjoys the anger and emothions of people. I think you people deserve to be scolded by the worst terms in english language.

In this blog, there seems have many Indians supporting SL team. Can we have some of Indian best sortware engineers with cricket knowledge analyse each Aussie player for weaknesses and strengths, i.e. where to ball Pointing to get him out, 1st best place to put the ball, required speed and pace, height, frequency levels of the ball to be fired, pitch conditions per bouncing spefications, etc, so that we can enjoy the game more with such technical knowledge as SL ball at Ausssies. I am confident that any player can get out at in a ball that is purely measured for that specific players mind set at that time exposing his eyes, angles, on a specifc ball landing at specific technicalities. SL has Murali, Malinga and Vass to work out near close executions if such an accurate analysis can be done by a billion people country with enoumouse technical resources and brain power, the Great India.

Surely Lanka beat the Ausies

Australia is without doubt the best team in the world, Sri lanka with the new leadership and a changed mental approach is a team that could possibily be where australia is in another 2 years time, however they have got all the talent and ability to beat australia, Sri lanka are better players on bouncy wickets than they were a year ago, however not masters as it yet. But if jayasuria gets a good start and the rest make good contributions and the team remain mositive and mentally tough they have the ability to challenge australia and beat them, they are without doubt the seccont team in the world now but not the number one even if they beat the aussies, but if they continue the way they play then cricket wont be dominated just by the aussies and will be more interesting

I have prayed for sri lanka even in 1996,and all along we will wish them,and bless them to come up!To the top.They have the might to win and a decent lot unlike Aussies!, being so bullish!!!Play the game! and Let the better side win and will be Sri Lankans!

Full strength Sri Lankan team has a fine balance. I am not talking about the team that played Australia in super eights. Even the Australian’s doesn’t have such a balance and Ricky ponting’s men know very well, that they’ll face their toughest challenge in the tournament in Saturday. No matter who wins, it will be a fitting end to a long but fascinating tournament. But my mind says, Sri Lanka will return home with the trophy, like they did in 1996. I may be wrong, but, if I am right…..

Mukul - I am confident that your dream will come true. I am not even a Sri Lankan (pakistani to be exact), but that (lankan) team has truly inspired me - and a million others i am sure - to a point where i have a Sri Lankan flag in my apartment with the Lion raring to go for the Saturday battle. I guess I am awed by that team because of the 'simplicity' and the 'pride' with which they play the sport (something that is disappearing rapidly). 1 billion indians and 170 million pakistanis follow teams and shower wealth and fame on players who play for themselves and only themselves and the concept of playing for the team and pride of the country is foreign to them. It is such a sad sight to see the people being fooled so easily by the players. For every tournament, there is a pre-tournament hype, millions of dollars of advertisement contratcs, smiles, floweres, airports full of people waiting to see a 'star' and then the reality strikes - pathetic perofrmances, broken dreams, heads down, teams come home, airports crowded (this team for different reasons ofcourse), players escorted from the back doors, etc. The sad thing is it happens over and over again. Who is the winner in all this? Indian and Paki players. Why? Because they are the ones who still made money despite the fact that they lost. They are ones who are least bothered about the defeats because for them it is just another million they earned without having to work hard.
Coming back to Lankans, they may not have won every tournament, but boy they know how to fight and even if they go down, they go down like real men do - fighting. There may not be a Sachin Tendulkar in their team, but i hope everyone here knows that Sanath Jayasuriya has won more matches for his country than Sachin and that is what that matters at the end of the day. Sanath is 37 but he is more fit and works harder than the 20 year olds in other teams. He could have become like Inzi and focus just on eating and praying and think of himself like the 'fatherly' figure that Inzi is, but since for him it is about the team and about winning, he knows he has to work hard to achieve that.
As far as the Sat final goes, I have no doubt that they will pull it off. They are not like South Africans (big mouths and no talent) - they may not talk it up like Ricky Ponting would, but they will be ruthless with the killing instinct of the lion come Saturday. THEY WILL HUNT THE KANGAROO DOWN!!!

THank you for many Indian's assuarance for my above post of they will support SL but will defeat them later. I think we are more un-southasian when it comes to taking a win or a loose. Win or loose we still love our team. It is the same team that got defeated 6 times by India last year and 2 times very recently. We have faith in them what ever path time takes them. We don't subject our assets in the nation by burning their pictures, hitting stones at their property etc and dragging them under a massive pressure. Many SLs like me have seen many times SL loose and SL win but we are the same believers each time they walk up to the field.

What a knock!!!!! well I always thought Mahela's talent (the one he doesn't keep doing justice to according to the commentators) was always overestimated (and I'm Sri Lankan! lol!), but what a classic innings! it could have only been better if it was acheived against the Australians! but on another note, heres the plan for Australia! lol! Bat first ( because batting second against a score of 300 is gonna be too tuff even for this SL side), Jayasuriya has to score atleast a blazing half century( after all this is gonna be he's last world cup final! haha!), opening stand of atleast 70, Sangakkara will pay his dues, Mahela hold it together till the 45th over, Chamara and Dilshan blast a few into the stands (well yeah I know they might not reach the stands but atleast hit a few of those "just over the fence" Sri Lankan Sixes! haha! ) take the score over 275 and come off at the end of the 50 with a fighting chance! Have the last lunch before eternal glory, Vass come out swinging and seaming, and get Gilchrist trapped LBW and start the Lankan Warrior Chants (well atleast those frenzied howls they let out!), Malinga has to send in a thundering yorker down at Haydens toes (or atleast a low full toss), its worthwhile on the 1st ball I feel! Autralia 45 for 2 at 10! ( This is when everyone starts praying Dilhara or Maharoof - whoever it may be, doesn't screw up TOO bad! lol) hopefully at the end of 20 Australia 100 for 4 and on comes Murali and spins his Magic (and mark my words get Australia at 100 (or atleast 120) for 4 and Murali will take us home!) Jayasuriya uses all his experience and plugs the other end up and Dilshan takes an absolute beauty at point! and Dejavu (if thats how you spell it!), 96 all over again! Mcgrath bowled off a lightning bolt speared at middle stump by Malinga and out rushes everyone on to the pitch scrambling for those priceless stumps! LOL! well dont get me wrong I know it's a long shot (maybe we have a 20% chance against these Australians) but hey its a chance thats gonna definitely be taken! Sri Lanka to go all the Way baby!!! All the Way!!

Exactly as you've penned it, so it shall be. Come Saturday, Sri Lanka will have regained their former glory as world champions and see off the Aussies without a fuss. Ponting is a smart captain and will continue with his mind games, but for us Sri Lankans, instinct and ability alone will ensure victory. In Jayawardene, we have a captain who can curtail any of Pontings ridiculous claims. Go Sri Lanka! Victory shall be ours! =)

Interesting article.
Reminds me of the stuff I read in Boys Annuals in the early 60's as a schoolboy.
Otherwise sounds like delusions of grandeur......although I want Sri Lanka to win.

ANGEL :
I find it hard to comprehend what the point of your argument is.
Moreover, you seem to be speaking with little knowledge. How can you forget Daren Lehman's racist remarks on Sri Lankans?? Thats just one instance and the most recent probably.
Sooo i think you're better off knowing the facts.

mukul you love sri lanka dont you, also im sure mahela and co. will do us all pround and bring the cup back home:) TO THE SUBCONTINENT!!!

A dream which is going to come true. Aussis will be struggling in front of SL this time for real!!!. Coz Aus are fearsome to face SL in finals and they know that SLs are stunners especially in the finals. The only team who can beat Aus with confidence is SL. Sana or Sanga is going to rewrite the De Silva's record a century in a WC final. Gilchrist and Haden will be dancing with the slingy Malinga’s bowling. Murali will dance the rest. So Aussis will bend down in front of SL and their consistency of wining consecutive matches in the WC will be over. The tears in the faces of poor Aussis.

Well written Mukul. Wish you all the best SL. Sanath, Murali, Vass, Mali and captain Mahela and rest of the team you all have courage and strength to make this dream real.

That's the only way i can see SL win.Toss is vital.IF Aus are forced to chase ~250 or so in the dust bowl of barbados , SL will lift the cup.here are the reasons why
1)SL have many diddly doddlers like murali(yes , murali),dilshan,jayasurya,arnold et al who barely bounce the ball above ankle height.Aus are no great players of spin
2)Aus lower order has never batted. Clarke(to an extent),symonds,hussey,hodge haven't been in the middle for long. If 3 wickets are down in a jiffy, we have a game on our hands!
3) Real chance that Aus might be suckered into believe the early morning conditions to bowl first and lick their wounds later.
4)if SL win the cup, the biggest loss would be for cricket where a professional & disciplined team of 8 years standing was upstaged by a pretender who played consistently for 2 months under favourable conditions!.

Australia aren't going to insert the opposition in in a World Cup final. Mr Kesavan should come back to reality. The only way Sri Lanka can win this game is if they bat first and score at least 250.

after darren apologised persopnally to every srilankan player, if u dont remember mr.sujith, he made racist abuse in english, so everyone caught up, i know indians abuse in hindi or their state language, pak abuse in urdu, SL too abuse in native language and dont refuse that u dont do it,on field acts should be left onfield, i remember mcgra and sarwan exchanged heat in antigua, but WI board or media didnt make an issue as Asians does

Go LANKA dont listen to A SH :) and that is exactly was said for pak in 92 wat A SH is saying and that was exactly said for India in 87 but the still proved the pandits wrong... so here comes the LIONS over every Kangroo out in barbados...GO LANKA bring the gold beauty back to ASIA,,..,.,

this is my dream and all these years i was waiting for this momeb=nt ant i hope sl will win their second worl cup
good luck boys

To get serious here I think Australia are hot favourites. The odds are very strong towards them.
But if you remember Australia was hot favorites in 96 too.
I feel SL is ready for the final. They way they played, they have planned to this day months ahead.
It would be a SL win :)

I can't understand how in the world Malinga's action is legal!? If I were a cricket coach at the school level, I would have either corrected his action or would never have allowed him to bowl. The same thing goes for Murali too. If you take these two guys out, SriLanka is a mediocre team at best. Go Aussies!

well done mokul im so glad most of the indian fans supporting srilanka.if i tell you honestly aussis got the best team in all department and sometimes we all need little bit of luck to do any thing.good luck sl you boys will hold the cup for the second time.

Hey we can do this... get Hayden and Ponting and leave the rest to Murali, WE REALLY CAN DO THIS! common everyone who beleives this say it people "We can bloody well do this!!!" Man all you haters out there, your in for a shock! Sri Lanka to go all the Way! and thats no dream, that's a Promise!!!

Right boys,
Its time.

Sri Lanka Vs Australia

Im going to be realistic here.
I see this game either in a blaze of glory, or extremely one sided (Benefit: Australia)
Unfortunately for my fellow sri lankans, I just don't see Sanath Jayasuriya firing, with the bat at least. I have no doubt that he will keep things tight with the ball, and keep the team spirit up in the field.
The two top pace bowlers in the country, Chaminda Vaas and Lasith Malinga... they're more than the Sri Lankans could ever hope for. For our sake, i hope this isnt just a temporary early peak for Malinga, and i also hope he doesnt break down and become yet another 'what if' in this game we all hate to love.
The support may be a bit under more pressure more than they would like, but thats what you get for being good enough to get to the final.
I'm not even going to mention that man Murali, his own actions speak volumes more than what any of us could write.
The batting, i dont see anyone really getting a high score, though i do expect almost everyone to contribute a halfway decent score.
I sincerely hope to see Tharanga hit the way everyone expects Sanath to do, that would shut everyone up about how the end of Sanath would be the end of Sri Lanka ever winning a match.
Oh, and our fielding, that speaks for itself, though i do expect a few nerves which may cause some sloppyness... but its to be expected, so dont let your spirits drop with that.

As for the mighty Australians
The batting is pure genius.
Hayden, Ponting, Clarke, Symonds...
and then you have the batsman who even if are performing at a fraction of their full potential, would still be included in any country's first 11, such as Gilchrist and Hussey.
The bowlers, they may just leave us all speechless.
Mcgrath may be quite the aged fellow, but his abilities with the ball surpass the boundaries of space and time (meaning he could might as well be playing at home in Australia in his best physical years)
Then you have that Tait... Apparently in the same mould as Lasith Malinga, but i believe our batsman, if we van get through the first few overs unharmed, can see him through without too much drama
Bracken, how could i forget Bracken... Not only has he had an amzing world cup so far, has also played Sri Lanka amazingly throughout his entire career. No matter what others say about the other Australian strikers, i believe this is the man to watch out for.
Oh, then theres Hogg. Brilliant world cup, but i believe our batsman may be targeting him. That may result with him getting more than a few wickets, or an equally large amount of runs.

In the end, i believe that if Sri Lanka win, they're gonna have to pull it out the bag, surprising Australia. They won't be able to go full on and demolish them, as daylight murder just doesnt cut it against brutal batsman and severe bowlers.

all in all, no matter the result, im proud of what we've achieved.
Im proud of my boys.
Im proud to be Sri Lankan.
And thats all there is to it.

Good luck my friends, and Godspeed.

Fear the MURALI! And the Australians DO....Anything more to be said?

I hope it will happen. Because of they are "SRI LANKANS". All the best to our "LIONS".

Artists vs the Machines
David vs the Goliath
Underdogs vs the Champions
Humble vs the bully
The popular vs the tyrants
The romantics vs the realists
The imperfect vs the perfect

Call it whatever you want...but the WC final couldn't have been more poetic a contest than this one. Hope it doesn't turn out to be a walk-in the park for the defending champion but a tough contest and one that will last as a legendary contest in the annals of cricket history.

Thank you Tyche, there is still hope for cricket.
"Slinger Malinga" in my opinion is legitimate.Yes,
the Lankans are a mediocre team without the "greatest chucker the cricket world has seen and you know who I mean ". May the legitimate team win.

It seems that lot of people are rooting for sri lanka..and boy oh boy..why not???
they have been outstanding game after game..!!!!!
true,unlike australia who has won every game,they were outplayed couple of times..
its the nature of the game..but the fact is that this team really is a champion side..!!

man..i really like to see sanath,tharanga ,sangha,mahela and the rest take on the aussie attack and
murali,vaas and maliga fire salvo's.. whats more theese guys are extremely talented,humble,enthustiastic
and really enjoy their game and gives each game an exciting face which am sure they are famous for...!!
with loads of talent the aussies do have a good side..and i think that it will be a good game where the best team wins...
(hopefully that being sri lanka ;).....)

and whoa...the heaps of firecrackers that were lit up in melbourne when the lankans were taking
on nz really took me to a dreamy carnival atmosphere that must have surely been happening back home...
wish i was there..n it will be the same with blaring papara bands and ever so lively fans let that be here
in australia,sri lanka or right in kensington oval...
and my dear mate's ..u guys r sure gonna loose the bets..;)

thanks MK..the dream surely will be a reality this saturday!!!
rally behind the lions folks!!!!!!!
GO LANKA GO!!!!

guys be ralistic im a srilanka but aussies are at their peak .they gonna win sl will be the loosers

A few reasons SL can win:
1. Their bowling is not one which Hayden and Co can bully (come down the track and WHACK!) They will surely target Vaas with his slow pace but Mali at the other end can break the rhythm
2. Murali and Jayasuriya are not easy to play against in the middle overs
3. SL wont give them the extra 20-25 runs through extras, bad fielding
4. Though SL do not play a power game they have the ability to score better than run a ball - if they can do so against Aus is another matter.

I do not think SL can win if Aus bat - because if they do, they will definetely get 270+ and the game is gone from SL

So, BAT FIRST, SCORE 250+ - the pitch might not be that flat and 300 may not be required - AND, it is a FINAL!! So, set a smart target, get it

Bowling: Get Hayden and Ponting before 10 overs are up, and then just choke the rest.

Easier said than done...

Hey Tyche
If Malings action is illegal so is ur precious Jeff Tommpson's actions as well.

SRI LANKANS ARE THE 2007 WORLD CHAMPIONS.SANATH,MURALI,MALINGA,VAAS,MAHELA are Match winners.

repeat of 1996

mukul, keep smoking what you are smoking. SL can win if they bowl first and get early wickets. the first 4 early wickets.. and then rely on their spinners.
289/2 no way.

Hey our heros, Just concentrate on gettin 240 batting through out the inning, That's it for the CUP!

Dear Winning Team,
You have come a long way up to this point, there is nothing on earth that can stop you from achieving the dream that are so dear to your and our hearts. It brings tears to my eyes when I think of this, think of you. Each one of you is so special, brilliant, unique, and talented. Our mother nation is so proud of you and everybody’s (especially Sri Lankans) heart and soul is at one thing right now all over the world. You are the cream of the crop; you have everything what it takes to be champions. May you all be blessed with supernatural strength, courage, ability, self control, perfect health, faith, favor, fulfillment, success and divine protection. Our love and blessings are with you. We believe in you! You are the best of the best! You can do it! Go Sri Lanka! We are proud of you.

History is going to repeat itself after 1996 Sri Lanka will win the world cup. Same teams different players. Goodluck lankans.

well, a nice article and as a SL fan I love to see this happen again. Again meant that I think more or less this was the exact situation which was in 96. No one believed SL could make it and Ausies were the favourites. But it was our day and SL played great cricket and made the cup.

I don't believe that any team is invincible. Heck, then what's the meaning of a world cup? We can just give the cup to Ausies and save the money. Ausies can miss easy catches(happened in SA match, even though only one catch), they can collapse under the pressure(have seen that happen, when we got 350 and they were all out for 180 about 2 years ago)...any thing can happen, that's the nature of cricket. They have played last couple of matches superbly, but can fail in another day. So I've really enjoyed SL coming to the finals and wish they ALL the Best.

Sri Lanka is going to win. And this win is not only for Sri Lanka but for all of our South Asian neighbours, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and others! - South Asian & other SL cricket fans, thanks for supporting us! We need it.

Did not David slay Goliath.. Did not Sri Lanka slay Australia in 1996 .. History will repeat itself in 2007 ... Go Sri Lanka Go ... Go Canucks Go ( That's my Ice Hockey team also vying for a Championship Cup )..

Why does folks have a problem with Murali and his DOOSRA? why is it that players gets called for chucking ONLY against Australia...the moment they get defeated by a bowler they cry FOWL...can anyone answer that? If oen looks closely at Brett Lee, every time he bowls a bouncer, he is throwing, but no one sees that.

Now on to the BLOG...if anyone one of you is old enough to remember back to 1983, The Mighty West Indies were going for a 3peat, and they don't play mind games now SLEDGE...were defeated by India...it goes to show that Heart wins over ego...and the team that believe in them selves will WIN...All they need to do it Play 100 overs of hard, this is my last game of cricket ever and THEY will win...I must say that I didn;t give SL a chance to get here BUT they are the most versatile Sub-Continent team, they have learned to adapt to all conditions and they will Prevail...its' it rather odd that the same teams from 10-11 years ago are back at it...

The Aussies fear finger spinners, hence they label Murali a Chucker, they simply can;t PLAY HIM...

Sri Lanka will prevail on April 28, 2007...

Guys, i think a lot of you are missing the point here.

Any team can beat Aussie on their Day!! but there are not that many days to beat. On paper and perormance AUssie will will , but the only way SRilanka can Win is Aussie running ni to bad luck and having a really bad day!! it happens some times.

Look at aussie bowling .. Braken, Tait, McGrath, Hogg, watson , symonds and clark bowl a bit.. its a persistant bowling attack. you hit braken out, there will be other bowler. in order to score good agains aussie you have to have 50 good overs not half of em!!

Look at batting now .. Hayden,Gilli,Ponting,Clark,symonds,Hussy,watson, hogg, well you cant relax even if you get out Gilli Hayden and ponting in first 5 overs Cuz symonds and Hussey are real agressive players and mind you there is clark too..they are due for runs as well..

Aussie will win... Only one person can win match for SL is murali get 5 for 5 :). If its a belter then SL have a problem.Murali needs to have a bouncy rough pitch..but Aussie wants a bouncy as well:) so you draw conclusions.

Tyche, are you for real? Do you even know anything about cricket? Thank the lord you are not a cricket coach. The cardinal rule in coaching is "don't change a naturally gifted player. Don't change a rare talent" And that's what Malinga is. No one can teach someone to bowl like Malinga.

Just stop cribing and enjoy the natural talent on display as opposed to academy trained, mass produced cricketers of Australia.

Go Aussies Go. Nobody can stop the awesome aussies. You can only dream on. I hope Murali&co wont get a "gastric attack" on Saturday morning and miss the finals. Hey but they can always claim if they played with full strength they could have won. It doesn't matter anyway its all the way for awesome aussies

Not just every Sri Lankan, every Pakistani will be supporting and cheering for the Lankans! Really hope and pray that Sri Lanka wins!

Australia is definitely a strong team and as statistics suggest, the best team in the World Cup so far. But they are not invicible. The Srilankans are an amazing team with a unique blend of players and I think with the right mindset, they might be able to win the World Cup. Let's not talk too much and just watch what happens on the 28th. It will be the match to decide which of the two teams is the strongest.

come on the west indies

All the best Sri Lanka. Its been a long time coming. Sri Lanka will soundly beat the Australians. Sorry Glenn. The mighty Australian winning machine comes to a stop on Saturday.

What i am worried is that if SL go on and win the WC2007, the chicken hearted and sly decision to rest vaas and murali in the earlier encounter will be hailed as a smart move ,extolling moody and mahela akin to einstein after relativity.

if they lose,it would be termed as an eventuality anyway and they would walk away scot free.

I just pray that barbados is not a dust bowl like the other pitches where the ball sneaks under the shoes. it will rob off a good tussle

Australia will be put in to bat and cruise to 360 with Hayden 120, Ponting 90, Clarke 66 n.o etc. The Lovely Lankans will be sunken for 190, read the news.

This is no dhal man! 11 Curried islanders for dinner followed by a dozen beers atleast.

No style, no class.

But man, we will kick that ass.

Peace to the also rans. Hare out.

This is all very funny. I think they call it tall-poppy syndrome, something Australians are traditionally very good at. Never mind.

Sri Lankan (I am speaking of a particularly named contributor to the comments of this blog), as incoherent as your post was, there was enough there to suggest you are a twit. I don't know of anyone who has suggested that Malinga throws the ball, as it is quite impossible to throw with such a side-arm action. The only bowler in world cricket with a serious question-mark over his action, since Brett Lee took 18 months to fix himself up, is Murali. Brilliant bowler, amazing skill, sensational temperament - but he bends his elbow when he delivers the bowl, particularly his venomous doosra. He can't do anything about it, and nor can I - it's just the way things are. Similar to how Hayden, Ponting and Clarke are the top three batsmen in the world cup final.

I don't understand your reference to "Tommo" (do you mean Jeff Thompson?). Please enlighten me.

If Sri Lanka win on Saturday, they will do so because they are a fantastic team who played very well on the day. If Australia trip up, it will be because of Sri Lanka's superior cricket. I don't really think the result will say anything about the temperament, character or general good-or-bad-ness of anyone except the 22 players chosen for the game, and a few support staff around them. But what if the hokey-pokey really is what it is all about?

Sri Lanka will win if Rudy Kurtzon is not Umpiring, I hope it will be Bucknor and Bowden...
Australia played with 12 players in 1999 and 2003.
Good old Bucknor was neutral in both occations.

I newer thought Toffel was blind until the semi-final

GO LANKA, you can play against 12 player's, even 13

Good luck Sri lanka. I believe in the sri lankans and i am 99% that they will rise to the occasion and MJ will lift the world cup in front of millions of fans.
The sri lankans have a balanced team. with jayasuriya opening having the ability to get most one day bowlers on their knees and tharanga who proved that he loves the faster wickets with a quick 70 against new zealand. if all goes back with the openeers, there is always one of the most intelligent cricketers in the world to come in at number 3, Kumar Sangakkara. You may argue that he hasnt played well since the first round but this man will rise to the occasion and use his interlect and experience. Mahela normally follows sangakkara at number 4. I need not talk about his after that amazing 100 against arguably the second best bowling attack in the world cup. I'll leave the rest of the long batting order for you to work out.
Coming on to bowling, one of the most accurate and best swing bowlers in the world will open the attack. Chaminda vaas is able to trouble the best of batsman. On the other end is the menacing malinga with his round arm action. adding to this, there is always the magician, Muttiah muralitharan (the best of spinner in the world).

Australia are a great team and im not taking anything away from that fact. theres hayden who has been playing brilliantly in the tournament.However australia havent been in a situation where they have lost some early wickets and are in trouble. In such a situation i believe that australia will fall and fall badly.

Sri lanka will beat Australia on Saturday. For all you australian fans out there, do what Mukul did and go to sleep before Mahela Jayawardena lifts the world cup!!!

What a terrible game this cricket is, and what a disservice it's fans do for the game, sub-continent fans probably worst of all.
Yes, a single team has been dominant for more years than should be their right. Yes, they have and have had champions power them to regular and clinical victories. Yet even as these champions age and move on, they remain strong as a team, and barely pause along their winning path to take a breath.
Yet all we can do is hope they get beaten. All we can do is act with disdain at their success and wish their downfall. Tsk Tsk.
Rather than lift our game to their level, we hope they will perform at ours, to give us a chance.
Kudos Sri-Lanka. Deserved finalists, and the single team in the sub-continent to embrace a work ethic and structure similar to the Aussies (no surprise where their coach hails from).
Bangladesh too, they have surprised many this cup, yet they have also embraced the Aussie approach it seems, and they too are starting to see the rewards.
Why do others not change and aspire to emulate and improve.
Sri-Lanka are not a Cinderella story in this World Cup. They are where they are through hard work, and determination. Again, they are deserved finalists. But Australia deserves it more, and it would be a mistake should they suffer a blip and lose.
I too am tired of a single dominant team, but it is hardly their fault. Too few teams are rising to their level, and that is where the game is failing, and it is the fault of the administrators in these countries.
Let us just hope that this final game of World Cup 2007 is a great game, worthy of the two teams playing.
But, unfortunately or not, if the Aussies win, be glad for them, and maybe be glad for the game. For without the type of example they are setting, advances in the game may never happen.

Fear the M&M (Murali and Malinga) and Fear the J&J (jayasuriya and Jayawardene) - Aussies would get a spanking they would remember for the rest of their lives :-). Go LIONS!

Heh as much as I would like an asian team to win the Cup. Its looking increasingly impossible, sure Srilanka batted well against the Kiwis. But the kiwis lost due to their own mistakes, Srilankas bowling was nothing special in the semi. Styris seemed to have swung the momentum in New Zelands favor but once he got out, the rest of the team behaved like a bunch of school kids by swinging the bat around and throwing away their wickets..

Good luck srilanka, you will need it...

As an Aussie, I want Aussies to win but may the best team win. Its also clear that only SL, as they are no. 2 in this tournament, can if at all Push the Aussies. However it won't be easy, that's for sure. Anyways the reason I am writing is, its shameful to be an Aussie when people call Murali a Chucker, and to name a few; Terry Gonsalves and Maverick. Is it Ignorance or Stupidity, Racism, Jealousy? or is it some combination of the above, that bends your reasoning to make such comments?

After all If one wants to know if what an authority in Cricket has to say, then in that case lets take the best of them all, Sir Don Bradman who suppsedly claimed Murali doesn't chuck. I use the word supposedly as some people claim he didn't make such a comment, however there is more evdence to the contrary, i.e that he was convinced Murali was NOT a Chucker. However if one is not satisfied with that comment as one is not 100% sure, in that case take into account what the Waugh brothers had to say quite recently in the Sydney Morning Herald, April 15, 2007, and I quote a section from the article " My brother Steve once called the Sri Lankan wizard the Don Bradman of spin bowling. The best accolade I can offer is to say I found him even more difficult to face than the great Shane Warne." I only mentioned what a few cricket authorities in Australia had to say since, this is the only country he was called for chucking and at that by Aussie umpires. One must wander why? Nevertheless lets give a few the benefit of the doubt, as to this been a mere case of Ignorance.Also to those of you, who doesn't value what any authority had/have to say, might want to consider the following again.

One might plead Ignorance in calling Murai a chucker, as a Full Scientific evalution was yet to be carried out on Murali. However on doing so, ICC had to look at the whole issue of chukcing on a whole new perspective with what Science came to offer. It came to shed light on the situation, that Murali was an unfair victim. The word Chucking took a whole new meaning as it was found that every bowler does bend ones arm to some degree, that was the Scientific opinion of Bio mechanic experts. Why? Such is the the Human anatomy and etc. Take a few classes, it might help. As a result the ICC had to allow a 15 degree angle of bending, and mind you there are bowlers who bends ones elbow at the point of delivery more than Murali. Then one might wander why is it that Murali was spotted as bending his elbow at the point of delivery and not other bowlers? This is because his bent elbow (by birth) and his double jointed wrist, in his bowling action at normal speed, creates an Optical Illusion. By the way for your information these Scientific studies were obviously repeated and also furthermore carried out in different geographical locations such as Australia and Hongkong, in other words by different experts at that too.

Also supposedly umpires naturally cannot spot a bowler bending ones elbow at the point of delivery even if he does so. As if its bowled within the 15 degree angle the human eye is incapable capturing that detail.

So in other words what has truly changed is our perception of what chucking is (Our Conscious Understanding of it). Chucking is not mere bending as we thought of it once upon a time but bending ones elbow more than 15 degrees, beyond which it becomes visibly apparent or may be even obvious.

Maverick have reminded all of us those terrible figures Murali got in Australia of 0/97 (10). They are definitely bad figures, but one must take into account the situation he was put under in our country. The media treatment and maybe even worse, each time he came into bowl, spectators shout No-Ball. This Affects any Normal Human being. Therefore in considering such a statistic, I believe one should also consider the situation he was put under, otherwise I believe it tantamounts to the misuse of stastics.

In the end Murali out of is own desire and will, went for more testing, especially on his Doosra (Not asked by the ICC or anyone for that matter), and once again cleared. Such is the Character of the Man. Its a pitty that such a Great bowler will not visit Australia again, due to the shameful, dusgusting treatment handed down to him. I suppose he shouldn't as well. It seems you were put 10 years behind your game due to a controversy that is now on reason,baseless as well. Sorry Murali, however regardless of what one thinks or believes ain't reality but that which is in accordance with nature.

Well to the world out there, please try not to judge our beautiful country and all its many wonderful people due to a few or some misguided people such as you have encountered

Thank you
Take Care all

Lets hope regardless of who wins, that it will be a cracker of a game. This Worldcup Needs that.

Why SL should loose it s pointed out here :

http://cricketsummer.blogspot.com/

This SL team more than a just cricket team - it is a multi-cultural team and mirrors the SLn society:
Murali: Tamil-Hindu
Maharoof: Muslim
Mahela: Sinhala - Buddhist
Dilhara: Sinhala - Christian
Arnold: Tamil - Christian
---.---.---.---
Sangakkara - English speaking Sinhala elite (who unlike the forefathers is not arrogant against non English speaking Sinhala rural youth), could may even be a protector of the weak

Chamara - courageous Sinhala village boy, who does not feel inferior to give an interview in Sinhala.

Murali again: the worlds greatest cricketer is a Tamil. Born and bread in Sinhala Buddhist Kandy.

Mukul wants SL to win. But Mukul doesnt want Mahela and the Gang visit Buddhist Temple after that (refers to one of his earlier articles). Sounded like a colonial ruler.

In the Sri Lankan village, it is a ritual to visit the Temple before and after any auspious event. Marriage, Going to a new School etc. Before: to get blessings, After:to pay gratitude -in English to say simply "Hello".
This time, Mukul can ask the SL team Management to ask Maharoof to take his team mates to a Mosque, Murali to take them to a Hindu Temple and Arnold to take them to a church - if such ritual prevail in these religeons as well. I am sure Mahela will oblige.
Now, to go the temple with the cup, we have to win. If we lose, Mahela will visit the temple any way, as it is his ritual.

Now to Australia: Man! This is a great team. Their cricketing skills are a joy to watch. This is a nation, that is hitting world headlines in many different sport arts; Swimming, diving, Rugby and even Soccer. As SLns we can only be happy that we are at least in one sport on par with them.

Whether we win or lose this world cup, I simply hope SL government will take some steps to make some sport grounds around the country: in the underpriviledged rural south as well as in the north, for the common people to play some sport.

Joke is that in a town like the Colombo suburb Nugegoda, where even Arjuna Ranatunga lives, there is no sport ground. What to speak about rural areas in the south and also the north!

Sri Lankans are world champions in Alcohol consumption - an activity that can easily be replaced by sport. The world cup hype can get people taking to sport, if the nearest ground is not forty minutes travel in a jam packed bus. No one seem to talk about that in SL.

Back to the Aussies: that man Shane Warne - he came and helped us when Tsunami happened. Ponting! I wish you good luck! But I can assure you, our guys will take you head on.

I think what every one is forgetting is the contrubution of other players. Dilshan and Chamara Silva have done well for the team and are the back bone of their middle order. And that magician Murali, who would be in the mind of each Australian batsman.
Sanath and Taranga would be confident enough after that emphatic win against Kiwis. I guess, this Sri Lankan team has in them to repeat the 1996. I wish them good luck. But don't forget the mercyless Australians. They would be definitely having some thing up their sleeve to mesmerize the Sri Lankans. Looks like a good contest.
India and Pakistan: learn from Sri Lankans

It was pretty obvious after Sri Lanka just bulldozed through the group stages that they would make it to the final. Let's go Sri Lanka win it for Asia and the brown people!!

We all know who the only chucker in Modern Cricket. BRETT LEE.

I take issue with "Sri_lanka has the best bowling attack". Do They? In this tournament Australia has bowled out every other side apart from Bangladesh ( in a game limited to 20 odd overs), they have 2 of the top three wicket-takers, and four of the top seven, and while Symonds, Watson and Clarke haven't been as effective as Sri-Lanka's part-time bowlers, the main four have taken 83 wickets between them (averaging 2.1 per match), the best four sri-lamkan wicket takers have taken 51 wickets between them (averaging 1.6 wickets per match). When you add the batting dominance of Australia, two out of three highest run scorers (500+) - 4 four out of top nine to Sri-Lanks's three(400+) with four averaging over fifty, not including Hodge (76av) who probably won't make the team, to Sri-Lanks's one. Additioanlly, Watson has scored 142 runs in five innings without being dismissed, while batsmen 9,10 and 11 haven't had a bat yet in the whole tournament. There have been those that have referred to Sri-lanka as champions, which if they win the tournament they will be, but at this point, there is only one unbeaten team - Australia, who thrashed Sri-lankan only a week ago, admittedly, Sri_lanka had a weakened bowling attack, but their batting was at full strength and that wilted badly against australia, they also lost to South Africa, a team that Australia thrashed twice in the tournament. Sri-Lanka can definitely win the final, but they would have to play their best cricket, and probaly Australia would need to have an off day for that to happen, to categorically state that they will win, smacks more of blind optimism, than objective analysis.

All the best to SL, but let's not lull ourselves into a false sense of security here: Aussies are a ruthless pack of wolves and have destroyed, torn apart every team they came across this tournament. SL managed to give good fights in every game. Aussies never lost more than 6 wickets in their innings when they were batting, and bowled out all other teams except for Bangladesh which was a 20 over match. Aussies are sheer classy and brutal. It will never be a cakewalk for Mahela and the boys, they will have to fight relentlessly and my wishes are with them.

go..srilanka..go

for me srilanka has already won the world cup, being semifinalist in 2007 wc and i am very much sure for aussys this saturday wouldnt be just another match. Since srilanka got nothing to loose but for aussy point of view this saturday will change their more than decade of cricket suppremacy if they couldnt perfome well enough.
since srilanka got rest of the world back up, they will be extremly compatative and i reckon this saturday battle for supremacy will be eye popping wc final

best wishes srilanka!!!!!

I just dont understand wahy this writer is so obsessed with the Sri Lankan cricket team. Worldcups are seldom decided by dreams to realise their dream Sri Lanka will have to beat Australia on the playing field. And by the way I think Australia is going to thrash Sri Lanka.

Dear All,

Hope the umpire will stand-up to the event and have a fair say for both sides. My dream goes beyond that, batting 1st and scoring over 300+ runs and Ponting get a panic attack and Australia looses the clam and get bowled out for less than 150 and Sri Lanka secures 2nd WC victory against Aussies.

Go the Sri Lankans you can do it and we are right behind you.

-Kanchana (New Zealand)

australians unbeatable thats it.dont even think about beating australians...

go home safe srilankans

saturday morning brekfast table:

bath baria> mummy what are we going to have for dinner?
mammy> wait son i am gonna cook something nice tonight
bath baria> mhh what it would be?

mammy> i amm gonna make a kangaroo curry
bath baria> its been 20 years i never tried kangaroo curry.
mammy> its because they are hard to chase and hard to bring down.
bath baria> if its true how you gonna make kangaroo curry tonight.
mummy> its because srilanka going to bring down those wild kangaroos tonight
bath baria> thank you mamaa
mummy> you are well come son

it is not a dream, I call it clairvoyance!!
SL will win, Aussies going to choke!!

Yes QM, lots more to be said. Ban the chucker.

This is the third ODI series Australia has played in this year. They were soundly beaten by England in the first and thrashed by New Zealand in the second. There is NO doubt they can be beaten. The two best teams are in the World Cup final. Let it be a great match, and may the best team ON THE DAY win.

Congratulations Sri Lanka on making the final!

Let's hope we have a nail biting, cracker of a game.

May the best team win.

WOW SHEHAN VITHANAGE of apparent sri lankan origins!!!
now thats a pretty gosh darned accurate analysis!
i couldnt agree with you more, even if i was an agree-er machine, which could agree with everything to any amount...
but this time, my ingenius friend, you are mistaken on one thing
Sri Lanka will physicaly and mentally molest the australian team, so badly they'll wanna go home crying to their kangaroos and koalas... (to all you people who think i dont have any decency or self respect, im not talking about their mothers when i said that)
SHEHAN, MY MAN!!!
YOU ROCK MY SOCKS!!
will you be my god?

Crickety Cricket, signing off

OVER AND OUT!

Angel,

Oh Dear, what an ignorant soul? Who plays cricket by mouth?
Not Sri-lankans and not Asians; its the Australians and it is called sledging in the cricket circles.
Sledging=cricket played by mouth.

There is surely no doubt that the 2 best one day teams are in the final, I still can't work out how SA ever got to be number 1?

The two teams in the final play the best one day cricket and deserve to be there.

Who will win?

Australia of course!!!

Simply the best!

Is this guy an Indian? He writes too well to be one!

What a shame Warney isn't playing. the 2 greatest bowlers the world has ever seen in a WC final. awesome. anyways, Sri Lanka Will have to play very well, and could do it. but Australias range is better, they could play average and still win. My heart says SL, but my head says the odds favour Oz. (if you play the odds). Kinda feels like the Jedi vs the Empire.

I am sure australia will win it. No one is a match to them especially sri lanka

Why is Mukul jinxing the SLs so much. Please keep your fingers crossed, articles unpublished and bat your dreams after it is done! PLEASE!

Sri Lanka can win. But it will take a disasterous performance from the Australians and the Sri Lankans will have to play out of their skins. The likelihood of that happening is low, especially in such a big match that the Australians usually play so well.
The Australians really deserve to win. Especially given the misguided abuse that they have to take from supporters around the world who confuse arrogance for excellence. Until the rest of the world really learns how to lose with dignity and learn and apply those lessons, hopefuly Australian will continue to dominate the world of cricket.

I agree wholeheartedly with you Mukul! SL must send the Cocky Aussies with a "L", and Ponting and CO will hush forever. GO Sanath!

I agree with M, australia has been playing so well it would be an injustice for them to lose the finals. Our batting has not been consistent. But hey we showed in England that we can play as well as the aussies. So we dream ... Go Sri Lanka! Go! Win it for us again.

I've always wanted this lankan team to win once India was out. And I am sure they will. They deserve it.

Good post!

Australia win Federer Open

Wow! Looks like I'm not the only one who's been dreaming.
No doubt Australia is a great team, but it's their hypocracy that drives me mad.
When SL rested Vaas & Murali for the super8 match against them, they called it disgraceful and even asked ICC to inquire into what is perfectly acceptable, but when they pulled the same trick in 1999 WC, that seemed to be perfectly fine!
Next Aussies (and only Aussies) still call Murali a chucker even when he has been well cleared by the authorities (We all know the credibility of Darryl Hair who first made the accusation!!)
And now there's rumor going around here (in Aus) that Malinga is a chucker as well.
How narrow minded! Sri Lanka must shatter this mistreatment for all the other cricket playing nations!

Go Sri Lanka!!

sweethearts, it will definitely be SRI LANKA!!!!

THATS WHERE MY MONEY IS!!!!

wow!! what response mukulu... wow! anyway we hope for best for SL and i would reckon if any team to beat australia..it only sri lanka.i have always said and think! this is evenly match teams.. and if SL can get rid of mcgrath that's all, but not even that everything will be over for australia if sanath stays and played hundered. and murali factor will be always there. they just scared to attack murali, they tactic is get 30 runs of him without giveing him wicket. so no wonder this time not only murali, malinga is there and vass always threat. i always think Vaas and McGrath is the most successful bowler in the world but Vaas is more underrated coz of murali.

and we all hope sl gonna win! but keep eye on umpire as the australians gonna threaten them and take the wickets. and i would like to mentioned about rudi corsten, what he did was dilhara! he seems like was gonna upset sri lankans what they gonna achive... oh yeah anyway all the best for both teams! and of course sri lanka gonna win.

Unlike the Aussies who are TOO BUSY WITH FOOTY, the truly passionate, positive energies of the 20M odd islanders are 100% with the SRI LANKAN team .... SO THE SRI LANKAN TEAM IS BOUND TO WIN WITH THE BLESSINGS OF THEIR COUNTRYMEN....

I hope srilanka can upstage the Aussies like they did against them in Pakistan and win the world cup. Plus the aussies look like a bunch of robbo's [just kidding], let us root for the humans.

It is possible.
You know, in the 1996 World Cup final, when these two teams met, 90 % of the people said that Sri Lanka would win. And win they did.
This time also, most people predict the same, and this could be possible.

Yess...By all means.....
Ausie dream is only a day dream
where as Sri lanka is not dreamin

Ausie is supported by media
where as Lankans are supported by-
-their own skill

Ausies are bluffing & boasting
Whereas Lankans R bursting with Energy

Ausies R depend on heavily 3 batters
Lankans Have as many as 8 batters

Ausie have one genuine Bowler ..Mcg..
whereas Lankans possese 3 genuine Bowlers.

Ausie had Umpire support & Luck
Lankans had their "Bad Luck" until Semis

Ausies pushes their "Luck"
Lankans push their strength

"go Lions go
get them by their necks
stop their mere luck

There is only one team.. who can stop unbeatable Australia.. it's Sri Lanka. Australia is right now overconfidence as it was West Indies in 1983 when India thrashed them eve scoring 183.
Sril Lanka would win and this will be not high scoring game.
Man of the match either Malinga ,Murli or Jaysuria or Jayvardhane(Captain SL).

I think of the final as a boxing match. If it goes the full length, Australia will most certainly win on points. The only hope Sri lanka has is to deliver a knock-out punch early in the game and put Australia out of the game. Murali and Malinga can do that kind of thing. Hope it happens.

Heart says SL. Mind says Aus. Haven't seen a single chink in their armor yet. They have controlled every single game from start to finish. Don't see them losing in a final too often, barring the recent VB series of course.

What is all this talk about sub continent spirit anyway? Baloney...How many Indians would cheer for Pakistan if it were a Pak v/s Aus final?

Well sending Tharanga onto the teamsheet was a gamble paid off, but if you were to compare Atapattu and him, this is no Test match to hold fort for long periods. I admire his courage and the Sri Lankan Team Management for this, if it was the situation for India it would have leaned towards Atapattu with all the experience and clout he would have if it was an Indian team being picked. So being an Indian I believe it was ballsy even if he had missed, as you are grooming a youngster than contemplate how Atapattu(35+?) had lost his wicket to a good ball. Well I wish Sri Lanka brings back the WC to Asia, now my patriotism has crossed the land and seeped into the continent !!

I'm Australian, and will be looking for our boys to win. BUT, I've always said that the only team I don't mind losing to is Sri Lanka - they play cricket the way it is meant to be played, and they are wonderful to watch AND a win means so much for the country, battered by civil war, natural disaster, and poverty that Aussies aren't used to. So GOOD LUCK Sri Lanka, from an Aussie supporter who loves the way you play the game!

I am Australian and naturally want our team to win the World Cup but right from the start of this WC competition Sri Lanka has been my 2nd favourite team, so I am really happy that they have made it to the final against Australia, I believe that if any team can beat us it could be Sri Lanka. But......

I read on here and other blogs all the Aussie bashing, how no-one wants Aus to win and everyone is sick of Australia winning. Is that Australia's fault? If you are all sick of them winning do something about it. In this World Cup the Australian cricket team is playing at an entirely different level to all other teams and you all criticise them for it, what do you want them to do, play badly so that they can come down to everyone else's level or should all the other teams step up a notch and start matching or even surpassing the Aussies. If it was the Indian or Pakastani team that had been dominant over the last 3 World Cups you would all be shouting what a fantastic team they were and how well deserved their effort and hard work had been. All the talk of how the Australians are bullies is rubbish, we are not talking school boy cricket here, these are 1st class, professional sportsmen, who are playing for their country just like SL, SA, Eng, NZ, Pak, Ind etc.

Anyway, good luck Sri Lanka and may the best team on the day win. If SL do win, it won't be so bad, after all, they do have an Australian coach!!

In this article, your imagination is running very, very wild. Dreaming of a Sri Lanka win in this final? You must be kidding.

I admit that in Australia and Sri Lanka, we have the best two teams competing in the finals, but there ends the comparisons.

Australis packs too much punch for any team in the World for quite some time and they are getting stronger and stronger as the tournament wears on!

I predict a drubbing for Sri Lanka although I think they will fare a little better than any of the other teams, thus justifying the No. 2 tag that I am giving.

Hey U Sri Lankan Fans..Its Ricky here. we are the greatest, the best, most attractive, the best ever, coolest,the deadliest,we are exquisite, finest, grooviest,meanest, neatest, we are rare and smashing, super-duperest, wickdest, the proudest, unstoppable and unbeatable,we are the gratest,the best.. did I repeat??..(yawn)..(more yawn)....Zzzzzzzzz...

We knew we’ve had the backing of Pakistani cricket fans for a long time. It was evident judging from the passionate support shown to our team by those who gathered at the Gaddafi stadium in Lahore that memorable night in 1996. Now, thanks to the internet, we find out that we have well wishes from India as well! It’s no secret the hardships our South Asian sportsmen have to overcome inorder to get that coveted prize. This is perhaps the reason a victory on Saturday would taste sweeter for all of us.

So here’s to our Sri Lankan Lions, may their roars be heard all round the world when the World Cup returns to Asia!

I really have to agree with the Aussie fan. There is no need to bash the Aussies. They are where they are becuase of hard work and talent. Naturally I want Sri Lanka to win, but let us stop this bashing!! They are the best team. There is no question about it. But I am hoping that it will be our day Saturday.

Wrong - If Ricky wins the toss he will bat. For the dream to come true, Mahela has to win the toss.

Someone commented that the Australian team doesn't have any weaknesses... well being over confident is one..!

Go Sri Lanka!! You've given a positive light to our nation!

Well here is the day ive been waiting for ever since i was a seven year in 96 old watching the lankans defeat the aussies in my grandparents place in colombo. Winning this world cup is our destiny, no doubt. Imagine Mcgraths sour face after the final, wouldnt that be sweet revenge for the abuse and sledging he has dished out to us for the last decade or so. I am not making any tips, but ill just say this. Good things happen to good people andd 'its called karma baby and it goes around'. GO THE MIGHTY LIONS

Let's hope the umpires 'behave'!(unlike in the New Zealand/Sri Lanka match. Strenght to their fingers!

Aus VS SL. Dream final. Two best teams. Either way we would have a deserving winner.
Terry Gonsalves dude, you must be an expert in bio-mechanics correct? OH! Sorry you are just ignorant arent you...Thats fine.
Anyways it should be an awesome match. Suckz that I have to wake up Saturday morning(in the US) with a hangover and watch the match. OH! Well...A world cup final does not come around often.

well well well....This final looks the best game by far in the competition..will it turn out that way who knows..lets see..i remember a sri lankan team with that big fello duleep mendis who would never run more than one off the bat!!! (lol)I remember that game just and i think it was labrooy who hit the winning runs off the last ball.Im from down under and it sent shivers down my spine the lions had beaten australia first time ever.I was rooting for sri lanka the minnows lol (aussies love underdogs)......my how things have changed since then..australia bar west indies in the eighties has been dominant and the sri lankans have come of age..as an aussie i truly believe that sri lankan team of 2007 have the ability to put destiny in there own hands..they have to play 110 percent..out of there skins to win i get a feeling of dejavu 20 yrs ago...but an undefeated world cup monolith awaits the roaring lions who will to the death not give an inch...i reckon the greek god zeus might be nodding his head in appreciation of the rip snorter final just around the corner....lol ps its true about the racism ive seen it many times ie just recently in the game against nz the aussie supporters were making sheep noises to the nz outfielders..but ive grown up in this country down under and they are ultra ultra competitive they absolutely detest losing and they will go to any length to undermine any side..Just watch taits lips when he gets smacked for four in the final....i just hope that murali and especially maligna have stone skin when they tour here cause there gonna go through hell with the supporters...so i end this comment hoping i get the same feeling as i did 20 yrs ago..may the best side win..

BEST OF LUCK TO SRILANKA !!!

SriLanka will win the world cup 2007.

Muks, Have I got a problem? I'm half-aussie half-lankan. I don't mind who wins or loses. Both have come out with lovely cricket in the Windies.
But got a feeling the Aussies will wipe out the Lankans. Look at their record in the series. Their closest match they win by 7 wickets. And this black-white talk and coloured cricketing nations to support Sri Lanka must stop. It'll be sad if Sri Lanka were to lose because the entire country is gearing for a win. As for the Aussies, they care less because they got Tennis, Swimming, Rugby, Golf and a whole heap of games in which they are tops.
G'day, mate.

I'm an Aussie, and a fair critic. I have read many of your comments, and agree that Sri Lanka have the best bowling line-up in 1-day cricket. This is more important in this form of the game than having the strongest batting line-up. ODI cricket is about RR, and the only way to reduce RR is to take wickets. Good luck for Saturday, you are a team that has gone from strength-to-strength and play a unique brand of cricket. You also play the game in the right spirit. I for one definitely won't be getting any sleep Sat / Sun.

I really wish that Srilanka would win the cup. I have this feeling that may be they will follow the path that their neibours chose in the last two worldcups. In 1999, it was Pakistan to put a dismal performance. In 2003, India was outplayed again. May be it is the turn of Srilanka this time. all of this agains the same opponent..

Thanks a lot to all you Aussie supporters who have posted positively. Much appreciated. I too love the way that Sri Lanka are playing the game and if NZ can't do it- Go Sri Lanka. Jayasuriya has it in him to play the innings of a lifetime to set up a win. It would be an absolute fairytale if Sri lanka can win it- the stuff that legends are made of. For a country, ravaged by tsunami, civil war and adverse poverty to challenge the Australian juggernaut in the finals is itself a massive achievement. Go Sri Lanka - the whole world is behind you (apart from aus). Best of luck

autralia is the best side in the world, notches ahead of the next team so they hould win easily i might add, murali or no murali, the aussies have thrashed him in his backyard and can do it again no sweat, i am no aussie fan but they have won me over, it would be a tragedy if they lost the finals after destroying everything before them, go oz go

Dear All,

Yes Sri Lanka will definitely win this world cup not only for her but for South Asia, on behalf of our dear friends from India (our big brother) Pakistan and Bangladesh. we have achieved all this glory with the support of our brothers fron South Asia and we will never forget this, we will not forget that both India and Pakistan came heer against all odds in 1996 just to show the world what cowards the Aussies and Windies were and also to show what unity we have among us.
So let not a few comments from stupids sour this unity and brotherhood, let us Sri Lankans realize that we need the blessings of our Sa brothers to win this world cup final against a super strong opponent, I am sure if your were to ask Rahul, Sachin, Inzi ,Bashar or Yousuf they would honestly tell you that they support SL to the fullest because they know how the Aussies play and as Sunil Gavaskar said it does not match our beautiful cultures which is many thousands of years old.

Keep rooting for us, Sanath, Mahela, Murali, Vaas, Malinga and Co will not let you down, please say a little prayes for our team and get ready to enjoy with us on the 28th this victory is not for SL but for all of you my brothers "Unity of South Asia forever"

srilanka need marwan so badly for the final as you know their batting line up is not that stronge compair to ausy.my sugesion is instead of arnold they need a guy like marwan to back up the batting

Keep on dreaming.

It's laughable that so many from the sub continent accuse Australians of racism when you read some of the ignorant, xenophobic, anti-Australian rants here.

That's fine, give the best team no credit and barrack for anyone who doesn't have white skin. Accuse Australia of all sorts of rubbish but say nothing about a guy who is a clear cut cheat (anyone see that catch murali claimed against NZ? CHEAT!).

It doesn't matter. The best team will win, you'll give them no credit, and Australia won't care. We know who is the best.

I thought the blogspaces were allotted by cricinfo for some shrewd,insightful observations with varied perspectives.
sadly neither mukul,soumya bhattacharya(somebody tell him to stop please!)et al are not living up to the standards.
this space is becoming acrimonious!...guys analyse the game ad nauseum but don't let your passions intervene.
I am appalled at some of the comments and how they were approved!

truth regarding the final is SL may lift the cup on that day. but in the days after the cup, Aus will strive to prove themselves that they are the one and only champions and deservedly so.

I bet i'l be having that same dream 2nyt....man it's gonna be such a game tomorrow...obviously i want SL 2 win but I am proud beyond words of them making in2 the finals....It'z been a fabulous world cup...im gonna miss it....No more late nights of cricket in the carriabean :(..lolz but wohooo Sri Lanka...show em wat u got!

For the good of the game, go the Lankans!

www.manojtiwary.com is coming..

May the best team win! Now that its clear that India ain't the one, I hope Lanka to be the best team tomorrow. Go Jayasurya! and GOOOO Mcgrath! (I love bowlig and of course bowlers)

Come on now be nice. Last game of a legend like Mcgrath, 60 in 8? No way. Lets just say Lanka respects him tomorrow and kills good for nohing bracken.

May the best team win! Now that its clear that India ain't the one, I hope Lanka to be the best team tomorrow. Go Jayasurya! and GOOOO Mcgrath! (I love bowlig and of course bowlers)

Come on now be nice. Last game of a legend like Mcgrath, 60 in 8? No way. Lets just say Lanka respects him tomorrow and kills good for nothing bracken.

Well, I guess we would like to see some analysis with your feet firmly on the ground Mukul. The best two teams in the World Cup have reached the finals. With the current form they are in, Aussies look unstoppable. There's only one brick wall that can stop them, and that is Sri Lanka. Let's hope they stand strong enough to hold the pressure. We have seen too much of aussies. Bring on something else for a change!!!

Ausies are a great team. They have been playing really well. But for sure they will do mistakes since nobody is perfect. I am prety much sure our boys are waiting for them and they will not miss them. Asies can not do any mistakes with Sri Lankans. For sure Malinga will fool at least two top order batsmans in his first spell which will give the upperhand to Sri Lanka. Do not forget non of them have played this unorthodox Sri Lankan baller. Sri Lanka will dominate from there since we have a clever captain. Cheer to Mahela. (By the way I am from same school as Mahela.) Sanath will not do any mistake here. He will do his duty.

Make your beers ready. Party time is on its way from Carribean.

Hey Mukul,

Good to see that Tim de Lisle and Kamran Abbasi aren't the only two blog posters on cricinfo who hate Australia. You have held the fort well this WC with your racially fuelled support of Sri Lanka. And you have led a band of merry supporters from the subcontinent (who were the "we" in your article "The reasons we root for Sri Lanka"?) who can't look past skin colour when finding a team to support when their's drops out. And how ironic is it that this is on the back of the constant dribble that emanates from some people from the region who claim conspiracy theories ad nausem about the western cricketing world who apparently have it in for asian teams.

Hope the dream goes well Mukul. When you wake up from your sleep and to your senses you will notice that more likely than not, Australia will hammer Sri Lanka again as they have all comers this tournament and will be holding the trophy aloft.

I'll just finish by saying that I am an Indian born Australian and I am glad that if Australia don't win the final that it will be to a team like Sri Lanka. Not because of where they come from or because of dislikes of other teams. They play good cricket and deserve to be there. May the best team win.

Lol this thread is hilarious to read. Now surely the Aussies aren't THAT evil. You guys are portraying the Aussies like he's Satan. But Aussies are arrogant and bullies, we hear you cry. They have a right to be confident. Look at their performances. But but teh rascism! WTF? If anything its you guys being racist to us for accusing us for everything. Maybe you guys need to toughen up a bit.
Back to the main point. I don't really mind who wins. I like both teams a lot. I say Australia are the better team but if anyone is going to beat Aus it would be the Sri Lankans.
But please guys stop with the hatin. At the moment you sound like nine year olds.

I wish your dream comes true. But as a writter's point of view, it is not well written or give clear picture of the contest we are going to see on the final. You only talk the positive about Srilanka and avoid commenting on strength of australia and the answer to that! Just a biased article with good intention..

I feel really sorry about some of the blogs still trying to demoralize Murali by calling a “Chucker”. How sad! Come down to the earth you sledges. Be realistic and trying to be civilized! He is a player worthy of praise. This is not the era of Babarian!Have respect by respecting others.It’s really sad how cricket rules judged an off spinner as a chucker when fast bowlers hit the batsman at a speed of 100km/h.Stop these nonsense he is a great ambassador of cricket who brought many new things to the game.

Australia is great team with cricket professionals and if they wouldn’t be the number one who else. This Final is a fight between Talent Vs Robotic professionalism. The secret of Australians being genius is practice and their professional approach but Sri Lankans like some of other subcontinent players are rich in talent. They are the true Champion. Sri Lankans are popular because they are attractive, unorthodox.That's why they do wonders in Cricket. It’s really hard for Sri Lankans to change their instinct by being robotic following the basics guidelines to beat the robotic precision and accuracy. If Mahela the terminator can choke Ponting’s robots, nothing can stop Sri Lankans winning the world cup.

We (SL Team)got a chance here. B'cause it is only one game. If They are going to play best of 5 or more then aussies have a good chance. That is why they play more games in CB series.

What SL boys have to do is get Mat and Ricky within first 15 overs. Rest is nothing much.

Of course officials must do their job properly without wrecking the game like they did for SL-NZ game.

One or two adhoc decisions by game keepers can ruin the game beyond anybody's dream.

To Jayasooriya - do not play nilly willy keep calm and play your natural game everything else will be ok with others.

Yo.. That would be the only dream in every SriLankan's mind.. GO SL.. Roar like real lions..

There are too many nasties in this blog, if you want to say aussies are going to kick ass, then just go ahead and say it - that's cool, just don't get nasty with the writer and fans who are just sharing their thoughts and feelings.

My heart yearns for SL to win, my mind says it can be done, although it will take a mammoth effort. I'm an optimist with everything in life. During all those early years when SL struggled to turn their talents into results, we've supported them, and look at what they've already delivered in the last 10-12 yrs!!! They can and do beat the best in the business - quite regularly. Good on em!!

oh, and for those goning on about murali's action, well you guys are so ignorant, if you dont mind me saying so. go to the archives and read up all about why murali has been cleared. but then again if you are not interested in facts (and you won't be alone), then that's cool by me.

Destiny baby, only one winner, the might lankans!!!!!!!!!!1

If you can think it, You can do it.
If you can visualize it, You can become it.

Dreams do come true. Go Sri Lanka!

Bullies: Should read aggressive.
Arrogant: Should read confident.
Robots: Plan for the game and stick to the plan.
Sledgers: I think we cop as much as we hand out.
Let's face it. Australia is a well prepared, very fit and talented team. They will lose a game here and there but until every other team adopts the same work ethic, the Aussies will stay out in front. There is not really one stand out champion in the Aussie team. They perform as a unit. If they get beaten on the day, so be it, but they will not be using the tired old excuse of umpire bias or raciscm that has contributed to the loss.
I don't think the accusations of one player having an illegal action that were resolved a long time ago can still be continually raised. There have been Australian bowlers in the past that were called for throwing and never played again, so please don't think that we invented it. From the majority of the comments that I have read on this site, it looks like people have accepted the inevitable and are already looking for excuses.

Charmi - well said. While any international team (or other wise for that matter)has to be professional, there is an obivious view that SL is full of natural talent, and it has its own attraction, and australians are somewhat mechanical, which inturn has brought them many a victory but not necessarily many well wishers out side of australia.

and the humility of the lankans and the arrogance of the aussies are perhaps not mere coincidence.

hey but really, normal aussies are pretty good folks, i should know, i live in austrlia. while i'd normally like australia to win when they are playing anyone other than SL, the team does't exactly make me passionate about them.

Cricky, go to bed early on saturday! Don't be up watching cricket if you don't wanna see SL win!
Kudos to SL!

To the SL team:

its not the destination but the journey...and what an exciting journey it has been for all the SLans and SL fans so far. To that, we are very grateful to you for playing beyond your skills and talent to get here. Now, you should just go out there and enjoy the experience of playing in a world cup final and not worry about any thing else. Don't worry about the final destination yet...but continue to enjoy the journey. Be focused and alert on Saturday but also be happy that you have got here and Let the former champions in the team worry about guiding you to the destination they have once been. You boys: Mahela, Sanga, Malinga, Tharanga, Chamara, everyone...just enjoy it while it lasts. Who knows...you may never even get to a final for the rest of your careers! If you realise that you'll you enjoy the game on Saturday...and we will be happy for you...That's all we ask. Let luck do the rest. If you want inspiration, ask Aravinda De Silva. I don't think he thought of himself as "fighting" in that final. He just went there and enjoyed his batting in the middle - you could tell from the shots that he played on that evening.

If you lose on Saturday, you can come back in 4 years. If Aussies lose, they need to wait for another 12 years to come back. They will losing the opportunity of a hatrick...and they don't come often in World Cups.

Its all about what is at stake that makes you nervous.

The problem Sri Lanka have is their batting lineup. Once you get past Jayasuria, Jayawardene, Sangakkarra and to a lesser extent Thuranga, Sri Lanka are very brittle. If the Australians can grab early wickets, they'll win the game with ease.

Australia, on the other hand have Hayden, Gilchrist, Ponting, Clarke, Symonds, Hussey (who hasn't had a chance to show his wares in this tournament, there is no better player in a run chase in any team in the world - he's the new Michael Bevan) and even Watson has been in sterling form with the bat of late.

That's the difference between the sides.

I feel sorry for Jayavelan, Vijay Pyreddy. SRI LANKA doesn't show off like Aus. but they do it. Wish u all the best SRI LANKA. They will show and remind again Who SRI LANKANS are. All the Best

My fellow Asian brothers and all genuine cricket fans out there, PLEASE do not refer to us as Sri Lankan’s as tigers as we are….a bit touchy on the subject. Lions would do just fine...please. Probably silly of me to point it out but, it’s something us Lankans cannot bare anymore. Let’s also be tolerant of our respective opinions which is a prerogative. May the most deserving nation win.

SL will have to play like LIONS to beat the hard-nosed professionals that Aussies are.
Lions we know that you can win.
Put your best foot forward. Entire country is behind you.

JAYWEWA SRI LANKA!!

Incidentally, while I understand the Sri Lankan sentiment, there's no reason to be disparaging the Australian players. Calling them 'mechanical' or 'mass-produced' is to take away from the incredible giftedness of players like Ponting, Symonds, Hayden and McGrath.

The fact that McGrath can put it in the same place, over and over again, every time, does not mean he is mechanical. It means he is incredibly gifted, and that he's willing to use his wiles and variation to dismiss opposition.

Ricky Ponting is an artist with a blade. While he may not be the most likeable person in world cricket, he is undoubtedly one of, if not the most gifted batsmen in the world. It's not simple mechanical run accumulation - it's painting an elegant picture, where his canvas is the pitch and his paint is the opposition bowling. There is no shot he can't play.

Gilchrist isn't in the best of form, but when he is, he's a master. The difference between Gilchrist and the other sloggers around the world is that Gilchrist has near-flawless batting technique. He simply uses this fantastic technique to enable him to put the opposition to the sword. Quite similar to Jayasuria, in a way.

You can't teach what Hayden has. Hayden has presence. Sometimes when you're bowling at a player, they look small and play meekly. Hayden imposes himself on an innings. He is a big man, and he 'bullies', but not in a vindictive sense. He simply takes whatever people are bowling at him, and is convinced that he can hit it. Hard. This isn't something you can teach - it's who Hayden is.

The Australian players are explosive, yet elegant. The push the scoring, yet they do it in an incredibly technically correct manner. Say what you like about them, but to call them mechanical and mass-produced is just stupid, and shows a lack of appreciation of the natural talent of the Australian players.

I am a dual citizen (AUS+SL), who should I support? As someone said, the head is with AUS but the heart is still with SL. GO SRI LANKA!!

Hey what r u talking about?
Compare two teams at their day as a team as well as individuals.
1. Jayasuriya and Hayden when they play their best inning
2. Murali and Hogg
3. Kumar and Ponting
4. Mahela and Symonds
5. Vass and McGrath
6. Malinga and Tait

But fielding, Aussis bit better than Lankans

Finally Sri Lanka is the most Dangerous team and beat any team in the world in a worst manner when they are playing their best.
but averagely Aussis is the best team in the world.
and they much much uncomfortable while their plaing with Lankans,
how ever still we are reaming 30 hours to watch the best game in the tournement
bye

Dude..289 won' mean jack on that pitch against australia...corection hayden,clarke,ponting,symonds...
as Will Durant once said "The trouble with most people is that they think with their hopes or fears or wishes rather than with their minds"
I'm lankan by birth and spirit but aussie by commonsense and deduction..

Mukul sir, you disapproved yet another post which was in support of Australia and not in favor of Sri Lanka. Are we on a warzone here ? or are you trying to create polarization here ? WHat are you upto mate ? Ok u hate Aussies, so would u ban all the posts supporting them ? Grow up Muks, you aint a kid any more. And neither is this censorship age in India.....you r killing the spirits of discussion and if u really intend to ban the comments, then ban the posts which are bashing Australia as a country and terming them as racists or the terms like "kangaroo curry".

cricketsummer.blogspot.com

More on the Umpires who, in a way, hold one handle on the Cup.
It was rather strange that in the S.L./N.Z. match the umpires were from the two countries in the other semi-final. Or is it strange?
Then were the umpires wearing shirts of a very dark shade of red(never seen before?)to facilitate the batsmen facing Lasith Malinga? If so, that admittedly was prejudicial to Malinga. If that is not bias, I wonder what is!

oooooh....n...thought I’d use this forum to voice my appreciation to technology…I mean…all this time...i thought I was alone in knowing that Bret Lee chucks!!! To be fare to him, I’ve herd many a time that he’s a really nice, down to earth kinda guy…and don’t mind him playing at all…butt… how ever could these few arrogant Aussie’s out there ever afford to complain about…chucking!!!! You folks are a disgrace to all the really nice people in Australia. Butt…again….there's at least one in…...every country..heheh..

Sri Lanka will win the World cup and dethrone the arrogant Aussies and thereby put a lid ( atleast temporarily ) on the big mouths of their so called fans , Ex cricketers - who have opinions on just about everything that doesn't concern them as well as apologists like Michael Holding . Come the early hours of 29th April ( Sri Lankan time ) , we will be popping open the champagne corks in the emerald isle , Sri Lanka cannot be denied by either Ponting , Hayden , Mcgrath or anyone else !!!!!!!!

First things first... I think people have missed the whole point on Mukul's article, especially the Indian Fans who are upset about his favourable stance towards Sri Lanka... my team, cause I am a Sri Lankan (By the way we appreciate your support and wish your BCCI the best of luck figuring out thing at your end). The basic idea of a dream is to achieve something unimaginable, wanting something to happen even though in reality in looks bleak. So in that sense you should be happy that the undertone of his article has outlined the near impossible task Sri Lanka has come this Saturday. I say near impossible because nothing is impossible, especially in a game like cricket.

Yes, my fellow Sri Lankan fans we have to acknowledge the fact that on paper and as so far demonstrated in the WC, Aussies are the team to beat, because they have a very powerful, totally motivated, hardworking bunch of guys who wants to win. This however doesn't mean Sri Lanka cannot win, nor does it mean they are any less talented or less motivated. In fact it's the opposite. That's our advantage too! But to have things come our way we have to have a few things go our way, just like in any form of competition.... luck also plays some part of it, along with talent and hard work. That's why it's so unpredictable and we love to watch and cheer this game. When the best two teams are left standing at the finals, it comes down to who handles the pressure better, have things go their way by having everything firing on all cylinders.. Sorry mates that doesn't automatically assures the Aussies the win either.

From SL point of view, we got to build on our strength, which everyone agrees is our bowling. One word! Dilhara. No way are the Sri Lankans going to tame the Aussies if he starts his no balls, wides and now running down the pitch. He needs to get his act together and support his fellow seamers and keep things tight. If not we got to look into other options like Maharoof who can both Bat and Bowl (he could at least recover the extras should he give them, with his bat). Speaking of batting I never knew Malinga Bandara could bat so well... he is another option we have if the pitch dictates another spinner and if Aussies are uncomfortable with spinners. I wish we got Marvan to play that super 8 match against Aussies, cause I can't see him playing in the final.. rightfully as well because he has only batting to offer, that too depends on how far he has recovered from his injury. Right throughout the tournament the pundits always said our middle order looked suspicious. Heck, even great Aravinda de Silva said so... (check cricinfo audios). However we seem to have overcome that (with Chamara, Dilshan, Arnold contributing well) only to find the top order falling behind... Sana and Sanga as of late to be precise. Mahela showed that if one of the top order guys stayed till the 40+ over how we can score at least another 80-100 runs to put up a huge score. Who that will be the question come Saturday. All this only emphasize my earlier view of having things working out when needed. This goes t both teams... Aussies too cannot automatically expect SL to fold as they did during the super 8 as they are a different team with the so called hidden 3 prong attackers.

This brings out the point of all the fuss about that Strategy. I won't waste my time cause Sangakkara has written it beautifully on his extra cover column on cricinfo. Let's just say he knows a thing or two about the game better than all here and it comes directly from the horses mouth - and what a mouth that it..... Another segvay to sledging a hot topic around here. Some pundit on an above post commented that the Asians (IND, PAK & SL) too sledge in our own languages... Excuse me? I wonder does he even understand the point of sledging... What do we gain by sledging to Aussies in a language they can't understand..? Isn't the whole idea of doing it is to rattle the player's confidence? Sure when you sledge in English the whole world understand... But if my history stands correct, it's the British who went around the world spreading the "word" isn't it.. So blame them please! Sure Sanga does sledge but anyone who has seen his clip on YouTube knows he didn't use any filth towards Sean Pollock. He even explains it up front in an interview with Sanjay Manjekar on this site. Can yo say the same about your Aussies when they called Sana a "black monkey"...?

Bottom line is there will always be a few who will want to stir the pot, drop some cow dung in to the milk. For every Maverick and Terry Gonsalves who brings out Murali's chucking to the forefront, there will also be an Aussie (a fellow Australian poster) to defend it passionately as done on this page above. For every Angel there will also be a David W from the MCG to support and air some unbiased opinions.... This is true even for us Sri Lankan, who we have to admit sometimes can get carried away with our passion and say the wrong thing. Guys, let's not forget that the 2 coaches who have so far taken us to the big dance (WC Final) are both Australians. At least respect them before you put all of Australia into one bag and bash them. I have SL friends living down under who can vouch that not all Australians are bad... it's just that from a very young age they are trained to play this sport so competitively, that sometimes they loose sight of things. Let's just be realistic and acknowledge that Australians have brought this game to another level.. a level Sri Lanka has reached with hard work just like them.

Right now there is no dispute Australia is on the top as the defenders, and we are the contenders waiting to take their place... Come Saturday this could change if our boys do their part, umpires stay out of the way (thank god Buckner is in for the final) and some luck go our way as well. Team Australia we have the utmost respect for you, but it's now our turn to savour the moment... we are sure as hell gonna try to topple you mates!

I will be looking for a great match.... cheering my Lions all the way to the Cup!

Sri Lanka will win world cup. We are very very strong side Bowling, Batting and Feilding as well as Mental strength. We are stongly ready to think our side victory for worldcup

:) I'd love that to happen - not you dozing off, but the Lankan win!

Hi to all (who supports Sri Lanka and Asia)

Yes SL should win this. I support any team , but not the Aussies.

They are hypocrits.Always wants to crush others.

the Sri Lankan coach (Moody ) told the Aussies today to "mind their own business without worrying about who Sri Lanka plays and whome they rest for a match"

This is a guy who played with some of the current players in the world cup. He too has realised that the Australians just want to win whether its fair or not they done care.

TAKE MY WORLD AFTER THE WORLCUP AUSSIES WILL TELL THATS "MALINGA'S ACTIONS IS SUSPICIOUS, MURALI'S AS ALWAYS THEY SAY IS SUSPICIOUS", where as their bowlers are clean.

I think Tait and Lee are big chuckers and should be banned from cricket all together.

I heard that Lee is going to act in some hindi movie soon in India. Must teach him a lesson when he is in India.

When Ponting and Gilchrist was rested then there was no issues.

But when SL rests their players Aussies are boiling 'cos they are scared to face them in the final.

No use of talking about the Aussies ,

other than just saying

They wanted to be tested then here u go aussies,

Sri Lankans will kill you right, left and centre.

Go the greatest MURALI.

People who call Murali a chucker should take a closer look at Tait's short balls, that's all I can say.

As a Sri lankan i love to see my motherland wins the final. But whatever the result of the final , our team performed well and i can recall most of the cricket pandits under-rate our team.
Mukul , you are the one always talking about our players. Thanks for your column.
I will not be sleeping satursday night at all. After festival seasons , still we have some sweets. Having sweets and tea i am watching from my cottage. But everymoments i am wishing our players. Hope sunday will be wonderful day for all sri lankans.
All the best team Sri Lanka.

Honestly, quite enjoyed this post! Stick to the funny stuff, Mukul! Your prediction may come true as Lanka do have a great side! Another team from the subcontinent now has the chance to win the world cup, TRY and make the most of it LANKA!!! I hope this one atleast is a close final, unlike the ones we saw in '99 and '03!

SANATH JAYASURIYA...i don`t know whether u are reading these blogs or anyone from our team reads them..but GO OUT THERE AND BAT..BAT For thousands of south asians who threw away their lives fighting imperialism..BAT for poverty stricken millions who live in shanties as a result of greedy imperialists grabbing our resources..BAT for those who tried to stand up against the carnage of our glorious civilisations in south asia by the invaders...BAT for those who look up at the empty skies in starvation heart and body yearning for the next meal ages away, for they starved to give you strength..BAT For Westindies, Indian,Pakistani brothers who will stay sleepless tommorrow supporting us..BAT for those lives devastated by wars and proxy-wars in Asia over riddles created purposely by imperialists,for they paved your way to the ground..BAT for innocent women raped and murdered over the centuries by imperialists in Asia and Africa..BAT for millions of colored brothers who were sold in slavery, for they toiled restlessly to bring u here...BAT for those disabled over conflicts that modern imperialists don`t wish to end...BAT for Mahatma Ghandi..BAT for those who are against modern-imperialism..Millions and Billions of our fore-fathers souls roaming the Earth will pump the pure and rock hard asian will in to your blood veins tommorrow to fight against the very forces who tried to shame and ruin our sport..SHOW THEM HELL!!

There are no any two words,Definetly Sri lanka will win the 2007 world cup. That is sure.

I am surprised that no one has noticed that the Aussie bowlers stagnate in the middle overs and allow the opposition to get runs. This happened in the previous match against Sri Lanka, against England and also against the previous South Africa match.

All the Sri Lankans have to do is remain calm during the first 15 overs, and not try to prove any points by taking on the Aussie bowlers (this was S.Africa's nemesis). Even if it means just blocking the ball and maiden after maiden just do it. Play cautiously, and your time will come.

Most teams have tried to take on the Aussie bowlers too early to prove points and this is how they have lost early wickets and failed.

So my Sri Lankan brothers, play "our" style of cricket. We dont need to prove anything or gain any psychological advantage by batting aggressively too early. Let's be quietly confident and we WILL lift the cup.

Don't be disheartened by any early misfortunes. Keep your spirits up come what may and we can do it.

Kumar Sangakkara the best wicket keeper ever, please do your bit. Your role as motivator is going to be all important, and go to the extent of intimidating the oponents if it is required. Keep the constant chatter and shouting and encouragement going even if it is in the face of adversity.

It is overdue for a team who plays "in the spirit of cricket" to win the cup, and not allow aggressive, bullying teams who have absolutely no team spirit and even resort to sledging (Ricky Ponting's altercation with Kevin Pieterson when he was scoring well was appaling and truely showed their sportmanship)to rule this game.

Our battered nation needs you to lift us up.

Our prayers are with you. Good luck and believe in yourselves.

hey Madura,

you say that fielding wise Aussies are better? I don't think that's a very valid statement. They are exceptionally good, no argument on that but i don't see any flaws in the SL fielding to put them in the 2nd position.

The only thing I see is that the Aus team is very consistent, and the batting line up is very solid.
Yes, the Australian team is exceptionally good, and I'm not jealous of that and that's not the reason I want them to lose! they've got such a BIG HEAD!!! And they back up all their bossy talk with their performance, like when Ponting lashed out at Gavaskar telling him to improve India's performance without telling Aussies what to do.

That's why I cheer for whoever is playing against Australia.

Sri Lanka, you can win this!!

The aussies winning streak is destined to come to an end on saturday. They are definetly did not want to play Sri Lanka and in the final.

u did again mukul....cool stuff. Its dream for all of us..we are proud to be up there once again against the giants..we beleive we can beat them...the "boys" have the confidence...but most of all...we would enjoy this great game of cricket..come what may...Mahela you have already brought us pride ...and we stand tall...now go enjoy a good game of cricket !!! We aint worried of the result....dont worry about that...Like i said we already stand tall....Thank You for the excitement so far. If Mukuls dreams come true- we will all be in clound nine.....Come On Sri Lanka !!!

Just like to say this to end thank u,

well this is to all the fellow indian and PAK bloggers,

thank you all u guys for da support and these refreshing words,, we truely are blessed cause of u guys and will stand as one in many time to come...
Is it a start of a new chapter... come on all SL guys, be little humble for wot u have got......

Just like to say this to end thank u,

well this is to all the fellow indian and PAK bloggers,

thank you all u guys for da support and these refreshing words,, we truely are blessed cause of u guys and will stand as one in many time to come...
Is it a start of a new chapter... come on all SL guys, be little humble for wot u have got......

Well, I'm from India, but I am support the Aussies for here. I don't really like either of the two teams, but I'd rather have Australia rather than Sri Lanka. I have my reasons, but there is no point in repeating them here, as seeing the number of rabid Lankan supporters, it'll just start a flame war.

Sri Lanka will win. Australia will loss the game.
All Sri Lankans are thinking their winning and this thinking power are more energize our cricket team's moral. Sri Lankans very strong side to win World cup 2007

Please, no conspiracy theories. The umpires are selcted because they are the best. No other reason.
If you think that they are helping Malinga by wearing red shirts, let's get rid of the sight screens. I mean, after all they help the batsmen as well. I have played the game and it's not fun facing a fast bowler and not being able to pick the ball up because of the background.
I really get fed up with people making excuses before a ball has been bowled. Is Sri Lanka lose it will be because they got beaten by a better team on the day and for no other reason.
For all you clowns who keep going on about Murali's battle with the ICC about his action. Just remember that he is the only player who has ever had the rules changed to suit him. Every other bowler from all other countries have gone back to the basics and have tried to correct the problem themselves. Not Sri Lanka, they scream raciscm and run to the ICC to get it changed. I think that you may find that Murali has been reported not just in Australia. After the initial blow-up the umpires were required to make their reports after the game and not call the player during the match.

We Will Win :D

ALL THE BEST GUYS FOR SRI LANKA! jus watever happens we are proud of you guys! jus give it one more shot at it!

hello everyone,
well i went through most of the comments here and verified most of them are bogus and baseless.looks like everyone want sl to win but the manner of aussie cricket sl never ever have achance for it.aussies are better team and always will be ans sl team like one of those stars which rises every 75 years and so. good luck withthem but certainty of winning is very low

IF SL BAT SECOND. THEY GOT THE BOWLERS TO RISTRICT AUS FOR UNDER 270 RUNS. GIVE DUE RESPECT FOR AUS BOWLERS. SL CAN DO IT....... AND THEY WILL.

Hi Mukul,
Whether Sri Lankans win the cup on Saturday or not, I think they have already done justice to by playing great cricket for your blogs like 'Martian picks', The reasons we root for Sri Lanka, Silva and Sinhala ....
Thanks Mukul!

Ha! That would certainly be a fairytale ending. I truly believe Lanka have what it takes to claim the cup, and like others have said, when Sri Lanka are at their best, no one- not even the aussies- can take them down. The only concern is their consistency, you just never know with lanka if it's going to be a good or bad day. Still, i think it's that air of suspense that makes them the most entertaining international cricket team today. The way the Lankans have played this WC has made me exceedingly proud!! The Aussies may be the most skilled team, but they're boring!! That cup has been crying out for its real home since 96. It's time for the aussies to get a good dose of humility. It's time for some new world champs, and none other than Lanka fit the bill...

Shirley, the umpires wore red because the black caps were in black, so there was something to distinguish.
Back to Mukul and all.
It is very enlightening to watch the Aussies playing in this world cup. Have you seen them getting out because of 'lapse of concentration'? I have never seen their batsmen ever taking a chance with good balls. They are so strong mentally and their batting is so technically sound that it is a joy to watch. In the earlier South Africa match, they just got back so easily which shows what kind of homework they do on each and every aspect of the game. They are just brilliant! Remember the ICC match where they played rest of the world XI after their Ashes 2005 debacle? They were so focussed, it was too much for the opposition. Everyone should learn to play cricket this way only.
As for the Sri Lankans, I appreciate their effort. I have watched them closely especially their bowlers. I am sure most of the teams which lost to them especially New Zealand actually played into their hands. Remember Shane Bond and Jiten Patel bowling good 'hittable' lengths to Jayawardene? Any good batsman would have made mince meat of such average bowling effort. This is not to deny his special knock. The idea of rooting for Sri Lanka because it is an Asian side is more emotional than rational. I am sure they will not crumble like India and Pakistan in the past finals, but this Aussie side is very different from the earlier ones.

Finally I want Aussies to dominate because they play exceptionally well. They are deserving champions. They make the game look vibrant, subtle as well as vigourous. They work hard every day to improve no matter where they stand. My heart and mind goes for them

One must say that Sri Lanka Played verywell in all their Worldcup matches and it was evident that if Newzealand didn't loose the semi final they would have made it to the final and sri lanka would have lost the match.but one must say that if Mahela didn't score a century on that match he wouldn't have score 115 not out.they all deserve to win this world cup cause they are in the finals and only if they win.if they win the world cup the will be the worldchampians.one must know that they won the worldcup in 1996 and they lost in 1999 and 2003 because they lost their knockout matches.lets hope they win all the matches in the finals.

i'm speaking chiefly to all the aussies ive heard talking lately, but i'd appreciate most englishmen reading this as well.

leave aside the soothsayings, the odds are against sri lanka. and so cricket will be all the richer if they DO win. so lets just watch the final without shooting off, okay?

now, some of you say that murali is a freak, that malinga is a freak, and that theyre taking something out of the games purity by playing. well then, maththew hayden to my mind is as big a freak, for relying on 140 kilos of muscle to bludgeon a ball to the boundary regardless of timing. every brutal batsman is thus a freak. the williams sisters are freaks for playing womens tennis, as is lindsay davenport. grow up.

and while were on the subject, you know full well that the only reason malings isnt getting the same psych treatment as murali did is because the aussies have a slinger as well, and because thommo was there before anyone else. imagine if malinga was the first blowler to go side arm. you creeps would have outlawed him by his second match, wouldnt you?

equality has PLENTY more space for application than you think. and util then, your fences will never be rabbit proof.

Dont care how they do it, But pls Mahela & co, beat the arrogant Australians. All of us in UK rooting for you! All the best Lanka , will pray for u!!!!!!!!!!!!

dear mukul,
i have to say few words on behalf sl cricket team and move on.i truly admire how they play this game and i even leave my work and watch these games bacause my fassion for the game.well win aor not they are my heros forever. well done sl keep up good work

Think it all boils down to how the top three - Jayasurya, Upul and Kumar handle Bracken and McGrath. If the do a repeat of the South African top order, then Shaun Tait just has to turn up for the rest of the innings to just fold up. Murali is right. It is all up to Jayasurya and Sanga, and if need be, Mahela. The bowlers aren't going to count for much here.

First of all let me thank David W from MCG, Aussie and Punchy for the possitive comments given about our Sri Lankan cricketers. Thanks a lot. I really appreciate it.

As a Sri Lankan I also have the same dream MK is having. My heart is saying we can do it. But I have to say that Australia is a brillinat team and they are the number one. No argue about that.

We chased a huge total of 300+ in Engalnd with one or two wickets down with some overs left. Sri Lanka has the ability to do it and I'm sure they will do it in the final. Go Sanath You can do it. Do it tomorrow.

There were some comments saying, for SL to win gods will have to come down to earth.

Australians Be aware! Gods might come down to earth and Sri Lanka will win the world cup.

GO SRI LANKA GO! BRING THE CUP HOME.

To chris. Australian cricket is at this high level because of the infrastructure and massive spending to cultivate average young players. There is no doubt this is the best infra-stucture in the world.If Sri Lanka which is a war torn third world country had this infra- structure can you imagine the levels it would reach.

The australian media does its bit to create heroes and encourage pseudo-nationalism among the foolish public who think that the cricketers are saints and the greatest and fork out hard earned money to watch matches where australia beats the crap out of underprepared demoralised teams. The media also has no respect or admiration of any team or cricketer other than an aussie. The idiots in the Australian media are just cheerleaders for the aystralian team. They should be wearing short skirts & waving pom, poms. I have visited many countries but have never seen media as biased as this. This a media which does not even mention world records or outstanding victories of non-aussie cricketers and does not even show semi- final matches on free to air TV. Compare this to the Soccer world cup.
It is time the gullible Australian public woke up to the fact that almost all the aussie players are simply doing it for the money, glamour fantastic retirements and the media gets it cut. This is the reason they will try to win any way they can. The more they win the media will make them heroes and the more money they will make.

Aussies are a tough team. They have splendid batting line up but so far there batting line up is not been tested because they never faced a class bowlers of this era.. no shoib akthar, no bond, no murali yet,no vass yet, no malinga yet, no harmisson, no Zaheer so no wonder they thrash everyone. They will be tested on their batting in the finals. Irrespective whether SL bowler have a good day or bad day they will be tested as muralis, malingas bad days are good as any others good days.

Match will be decided on how both sides weak links perform. how SL batters take on Aussies bowlers.

Sanath will have to fire which will seal his IMMORTALITY in cricket or magra will fire which will seal is IMMORTALITY. And only one can be the IMMORTAL GOD of cricket either Sanath or Magra not both.

As a SL wishing for SL victory and if SL win it will not be because of Luck it be because of class. If aussies win it will not be because of luck but because of class. let see which side has better class and accept the fact as it is.

Hey God Bless for the Sri Lanka's World Cup final , your guys could this time as well .

Hey God Bless for the Sri Lanka's World Cup final , your guys could do this time as well .

My countrymen doesn’t need LUCK or DREAM to beat Australia. They have the skills and talent to do it, and Sri Lankans will always fight to the end. Remember we beat them in the VB series first final, so Australians are not invincible, just that they have not been confronted with a proper team that delivers the same kind of cricket.

I hope Sri Lanka win, only so all the twisted haters of the Aussies dont take their anger out on innocent people, yes I'm Aussie

ok I don't go buy dreams. I go by stats. This is it. whenever Sri Lanka met Australia in a Worldcup, Sri Lanka won. So 28th result is fixed.

Oh I am playing a prediction game and am currently at 659th position. An Australian victory will not give me a significant jump, but a Sri Lankan one will. So I have predicted Sri Lanka, and atleast for that let them win!! :-)

This is the exact dream of every Sri Lankan (and all cricket fans baring Aussies, which is obvious) but having said that, Aussies are an unbeaten power packed professional side yet beatable. Cus someday this long winning streak should come to an end. What a day to make it happen.

Guys what ever the outcome, we all can be proud of our team’s performances. As Mahela throughout said, he (and rest, including all Sri Lankan supporters) took game by game and reached the final. We never boasted or made any remark of being there and winning it (we all know what happened to McGrath when he predicted the Ashes outcome in 2005). They brought us happiness, united the nation (and the subcontinent and maybe the rest of the World too) and gave us a hope. Let’s thank them (and god too).

On statistics (of the WC 2007,pls check out the Crickinfo site), Aussies are far ahead but Sri Lankans should not worry. In four finals they have met each other before apart from WC –SL has won 2 (in SL) and AUS has won 2 (in AUS).Only time they’ve met in a neutral venue in a WC final SL won(96). AUS yet play Malinga (faced him only during the last test tour in 2004, Malinga got Gilly and Lehmen in that match. I think in the first couple of overs too) also since Jan’ 2006 yet to face Murali, Vaas, Dilshan and Sana. On the other side, our batting line up had a free practice session about a week ago with the AUS bowling attack, so definitely our Lions knows what balls to play and what to leave (Sana, Dilshan I’m sure you guys would have learnt it the hard way). Also AUS yet to go thru any testing times and Lankans had plenty of experience (lost by a wicket to SA and won by one run against ENG). So obviously, our Lions are better prepared but prefer to remain as underdogs!

On the matter of negative vibes in this blog; guys (Aussies) it’s not that we hate you (or call you racists, there may be but still we won’t). The rest of the World wants a change, change of power. Otherwise people will not watch cricket. Also they have built a strong liking towards this tiny Island and their humble players (good example of how Chamara and Dilshan walked off after getting poor decisions, compare that against MuCullum in super 8’s. Would an Aussie player do that? Apart from Gilly) and the way we enjoy the game (like kids, the best moment how Murali celebrated when he took Ganguly). This is the way the game of Cricket should be played. Then only all will enjoy it!

Also there were couple of comments on Murali (as usual about chucking). Pls remember, he was cleared so many times and it’s proved beyond doubt that it’s an illusion (so pls go and get your vision checked). Just because someone can’t read it (like all players) how can one brand him a chucker? What about Brett Lee, Shawn Tait, even McGrath is bending his arm. On the matter of (c&b) catch Murali took against NZ there wasn’t any doubt and it was never contested. He juggled but held it (remember what Langer did in India?). Pls don’t find excuses/reasons if you don’t like some one!

So cheers to Lions on their Kangaroo hunt!

Go Sri Lanka, give your best shot and bring back the cup! Even if you fail, we are with you guys!

SL win over NZ was certainly a dream game. NOw what are the odds of two dreams coming true in a row ! You've seen a good dream, now watch the Aussie show

mukul sir, now u know why we sri lankans love india.
thank u, all the indian & pakistani fans who support sri lanka. idiotic aussies call it racism coz they dont understand what asian brotherhood is.
i m thouroghly disappointed of cricinfo.com editors for displaying comments made by maverick, gonzalves, tyche, cricketycricket etc..containing abusive, obscene, racially motivated phrases.
If these kind of uncivilised individual's indecent comments are not scrapped, i'm afraid cricinfo is bound to lose some of its readers who do not wanna waste their time reading a bunch of Neanderthals slinging mud at each other. SORRY !

I was thinking of Malinga and it struck me that but for Thomson, Malinga would have been branded a chucker. Luckily, we have the example of Thomson so the western press and umpires and match referees(Chris Broad, anyone?)and ICC chiefs of Aussie origin have shut their traps about him. Else, these guys would have ganged up and raised enough ruckus to defame Malinga and hound him out of International Cricket. But what can they do now? They raise a voice against Lasith and we'll say, as someone did here "What price Thomson?". They know this and there goes the real reason why Malinga's action is not being questioned. I think this is God's way of revenge on the Aussie and English Cricket Administrators, players, umpires and match referees - these guys would be itching to implicate Malinga but by cruelly making his action similar to Thomson, God has shut these fellows' mouth! Peter Roebuck must be cussing in private, Speed must be nursing his itches a nd Chris Broad must be drowning in Beer-pints-full of misery at their impotence against implcating yet another Asian Cricketer as a cheat. GOD is, indeed, GREAT!

Well written artical Mukul. Congrats. Aussie may have an edge over Sri Lankans. But Sri Lankans are much more sportier & athletic than aussies. SL are enjoying their game & play by the rules.
Go Sri Lankans. You can repeat 1996 victory. Aussies it's only a game. Please understand why the people from all over the world hate you. It's not your game it's the way you play it. Good luck Sri Lanka, you can do it again

Great article Mukul!

I think that final is going to be a Jayasuriya and Murali Show.

Yes, Sri Lanka will end 'Stralian' dominance in World cup on the 28th.

I also think that some rowdies in the crowds will 'no-ball' Murali as they did in the SL vs Ireland match.

Little do they know that these schoolboy tactics will only Make Murali and co. stronger.

I am pretty sure that the Tasmaniac Ricky Bush & his school bullies will be thought a lesson or two.

Guys, dont be overconfident. lets see the match and the result will show which team had its day. Its not some Monday Night Raw Wrestling to just pass abusive comments. Aussies arent favorites anyway, just they had the edge in the begining of WC. In 2007 WC none were favorites. Two teams who played competitive cricket made the finals. If SL win, its not end of Aussies or If aussies win, its not end of SL. SL came the same way as India did in 2003, except Aussies India bulldozed everyone. winning all super 6 matches. SL will have certain plans, Aussies too have certain plans, Lets see who materialize as per plan.

I'm a Sri-Lankan Australian (and honestly I can't say that I'm more one or the other). Though I do find myself supporting SL in the cricket... but go the Aussies in everything else!

There are two cricketers I whole-heartedly trust. One is Murali... and the other is Gilchrist.

If either of these two say that they caught a ball, then they surely at least believe that they did.

Nath, Murali's caught and balled in the SL vs. NZ match was "fair-dinkum" (just feels like the right term). I feel sad that anyone would doubt that... the ball did not touch the ground!

Not all the Australian cricketers sledge and sneer and "bully". Only a couple of the Sri Lankan cricketers sledge (and I can understand the sinhalese... so really they don't!)... so guys... Why are so many people on this blogsite sledging each other!

Anyway, hoping for a fair and a tight match on Saturday... no matter the outcome!

Well,well! interesting comments by everyone,it sure will be a great day tomorrow with two of the best teams in the tournament clashing, and as a srilankan my heart and soul goes out to our fine boys,no matter what happens tomorrow,we will love them and adore them for the magnificent people they are and what a lot of joy they have brought to cricket which no other country has,It was heart warming in lahore when we won the world cup and even more moving to see our pakistani brothers supporting us so much,and we as srilankans respect and revere that always,it is sad though that some indians are very cold and not very supportive towards the srilankans,yes we might loose tomorrow but don't forget who we are,we are asians and we are representing the sub continent and that goes for any of our four teams,and it is a dream,that is why we speak of it,and for our little country I think we taught a lot of things about cricket and humanity to a lot of BIG people! may the force be with lion hearts!

You guys are kidding yourself, sri lanka nearly lost by an innings and 320 runs in the first game they played against austrlia. They have 2 chuckers in their team Mailinga slings the ball like a baseballer, i cant believe they allow his action. You see him warming up and he rolls his arm properly, his arm come over his ear. but then when he approach his the crease and bowls his arm doesnt get higher than his... As for Muri, he's always been a chucker, i say bring back Daryll Hair to umpire the final, he's was the only decent umpire who...say it how it was(Muri's a chucker). Anyway Australia is gonna pump Sri Lanka...

As a Sri Lankan fan i have enjoyed reading all the positive commments regarding this team.. but i think many are being a little rough on the Aussies.. yes i agree they are arrogent and make most people want to cringe every time they shoot of their mouths in press conferences.. they are however an awesome cricket team who is playing very positive cricket at this moment in time.. they also match and better SL in many aspects of the game.. their bowling is roughly equal to SL, i think their fast bowling is a little stronger but our spinners have the edge on them.. their batting in terms of the current form of the players is miles ahead of the SLans.. We have to accept this but cricket is not always an equal playing field.. if we get favourable conditions they victory will be with the Lankan's..

I would like to comment on Ranjit Fernando's views on tommorrow's finals that he has posted on this blog,
Dear Mr.Fernando what are you trying to say here? i don't understand why you attend such stunts on media ? Please stop this non sense and go get a job somewhere you don't have to speak for a paycheck.

We in Sri Lanka are all feeling the weight of the event.We hope that our boys will bring the Cup back home and are keeping our fingers crossed. At the moment we are confident that the boys will do well.

Sanath, Please dont repeat the mistake u did in the semis againt NZ, overcautious!!. Late decision to hit the lose ball. Start it from the begining. It is going to be nothing-to-lose scenario Sanath. You have got to wack from the first bal to put this mighty OZ's down..You can do this in 10 overs. Believe me and go for it from the word go. If that fails, well Sanga, Mahela and co will deliver their way of batting. Sanath dont change your way batting for god sake. Doesn't matter if you got out from the first ball bowled after you have tried your own brand of cricket which is highly a success for 10 years.....
All the very best Sri Lanka!!

Aussies are the most super-talented bunch of guys to have ever played the cricket... atleast surely after the West Indies of the 80s. So many of you, please don't get into the familiar Indian trait of mistaking talent for only infrastructure/systemt, and brilliance for arrogance! Aussies are by far the best from every point of view, and each of their players is better than the Lankans (and surely Indians)!! Yes, Lanka could win - if Aussies have a hopelessly bad day and the Lankans play brilliantly, but it would be so cruel and unfair if the best team loses out at the final step!
Go Aussies go... some cool dude Indians are with you atleast!!!

Ok then . Australia is the best team around. No doubts.... but there is no point in everybody saying that Australia will have to play very poor cricket AND SL will have to play out of the world cricket to register a win against the Aussies. Australia and SL are not that far apart. I am sure if its going to be a pitch like what SL played aginst NZ, 2/3 times SL will win. If its pacie and bouncy(which is predicted)2/3 in favor of Aus. Please dont spoil a SL win, if it happens, by saying that it was just luck by chance.

Sri Lankans are proud of the cricket team for all sorts of reasons. They are humble, play the game in the right spirit, take losses on the bump and most importantly, they reflect the kind of society this country should be. Tamils, Muslims, Christian, Buddhists, Hindus- they are truly multicultural, yet so united.

They represent what we as a country can be, and we are proud of them. Yet, they know that the greatness they achieve and the fame they enjoy is because of the TEAM that plays well. They are a community and are proud members of that community, but are not arrogant bullies who think no end of themselves.

Go Sri Lanka. Our fractured country will join in one unified whole to cheer you on, and we will feel what it is to be truly Sri Lankan, not Tamils and Sinhalese, at least for 7 hours. Thank you boys, you mean a lot to us.

No matter what happens tomorrow.. whether it's a Sri Lankan win or Australian win or a tie. Sri Lankans are the champions of the hearts of people from all over the world, except for Australia. Everyone wants Sri Lanka to win tomorrow, for the mere fact that they have been an outstanding bunch of professional sportsmen. There's no dirty words or tactics in their camp. There's no arrogant big heads or unreacheable superstars. They all have been ordinary human being throgh out the championship and won the hearts of millions of Cricket fans. Therefore a win tomorrow will just be the icing on the cake. The cake is already baked. So let's hope for the best. Lions are out for the kill.

Mukul, I am sure u r dreaming. It can never happen but what I write may.
Mahela wins the toss, opts to field. Gilchrist goes to Vaas in the 3rd over. Heyden is done in the the fourth over by Malinga. 225 for OZ's.SL does that in the 45th over and Mahela becomes the most valuable player with his half century in the finals.

As a Sri Lankan living in Australia, I wish to thank from the bottom of my heart to all non-Sri Lankans supporting our team. I was deeply moved by the comment of Muhammad Shafiq “Please win it for me – for us – win it for Asia” (and many others who had the same feeling towards our boys). Thanks heaps everyone! We really appreciate your sincere wishes. Your support means a lot to us.
In this game, we are putting the power of breast milk against the power of red meat. It has been proved that ‘Breast milk is the best’, so we should win! Hope the whole South Asian region will celebrate on Sunday!!

Look all u lankan fans (btw i'm a lankan who totally supports lanka) i know its hard to digest but its highly unlikely that we're gonna win cause of the type of cricket Aus have been playing ...For Lanka to win ALL our batsmen are gonna need to score and contribute. A top order collapse isn't going to help our cause either. So Sanath, sanga, mahela, tharanga, dilshan, silva and arnold.......its up to u guys now. We need u guys to fire.....our bowling has been consistent and i don't think they will fail in the final. Our bowlers need ammunition to fire and u batsmen r the ones that can satisfy their needs. I'm betting if lanka make AT LEAST 260 their chances will be good! the key is to get rid of ponting, hyden and symonds asap.

Though I'd certainly love a win for Sri Lanka, I am quite sure that all of Sri Lanka is already proud of our team which has already acheived a spot in the finals, proving that they are, at worst, on of the two best teams in the cricketing world! Come on Sri Lanka, whether you win or lose, we're proud of you! You have already achieved greatness!

SANA do it just one more time man..just one more..please shut those aussie mouths on sat...thats all v ask from u.....go sl u can do it

Well Murali said it himself, if we are to win we need our top order to hold itself together, which will be a dream come true if it does happen. I've waited too long to see Jayasuriya nail a six against McGrath and I'd be screaming in delight if it happens again! It would be great to see him go our on a high though, he's really a once-in-a-lifetime player for Sri Lanka and i don't think we'll ever see a player with the styles and grace of the Great Sanath!

Oh, and also, it's awesome to see the support from all the other subcontinental countries! We may not be of the same country but it's great to see that we stick together against the likes of Australia.

one more thing though, let's see if our Sri Lankans can make one more dream come true; Us lifting up the cup to the roars of the crowd :)

Guys, I am a Sri Lankan – so needless to say about my dreams.

But just to remind about the last match between SL and AUS in the WC. Initially, even I was kind of pissed off for not playing the three star bowlers. At that time I thought that would give the Aussies the psychological advantage by allowing them to beat SL loudly as they did, subject to a ASU-SL finals which is the reality now.

But now I see things differently. Ponting himself keep on saying “Hmmm.. bring them on let’s see” or “We are waiting for them” – Well, looks like the tactic has done more tweak than even SL have anticipated initially. I feel there is a bit of a “discomfort” in the Aussi camp about this whole thing.

Looks like even Ponting is not sure what will happen when they clash with SL with their full attack. If he is not disturbed, I don’t think he would waste his interviews to talk about this.

I strongly believe that there was more than mere injury scares for resting those starts. Proabably SL didn’t want to give Aus some batting practice to their best bowlers. But looks like they have gained more than that.

I am not by any means trying to say this will win the WC for SL. But, this tiny element of “uncertainty” is something that is nice to be enforced on the opposition. Those tiny things may really balloon up in big occasions like in the WC. If Aussies, by any chance, either try to be too aggressive or too defensive for the three starts, having this scar back in their minds– well, time will tell us.

i might be one of few sri lankans who hate sanga. but on sat i will back u too man. please get tht 100 u wanted to score in the world cup. good luck...do it for ASIA

As a SRI LANKAN, i hope ur dream cums true. I think our guys have wat it takes to beat the Aussies. We have the beat bowling outfit in this tournament, so i really don't think it's gonna be much of a problem whether we bat 1st or not, batting 1st is an advantage but not crucial. I also think we have a better chance since the Aussies are way over confident about winning, i agree that they are gud but not unbeatable. Anyway if we do win i do know that Murali and Malinga will be called chuckers by the Aussies since they can never take a defeat with a good face. Anyway tomorrow is a big day and I WISH SRI LANKA ALL THE BEST!!!!! SRI LANKA ROCKS!!!!!

p.s. Hope Sanga and Sanath whack a century each, they deserve it. Hope Maha play's and take a few gud wickets.

it was great comments, but i think all of us in south east asia should get together. no matter India, Pakistan, Bangaladesh, Sri Lanka it us the asia should win the world cup. so will all join our hands together and cheer and pray my Island nation to the world cup 2007!!!

SL winne ? Jokine what ? they loose and Australia win. Sanath jisuriya out bowled for a 0 1st MvGrath ball andJaywardhena run out for 0 2nd ball Tait.

SL fans, dont jump in the joy firom now on, this Mukul bhaiya is very smart media, he write in favor of Lanka when they winning, but bhen tomorroaw Australia harao Lanka, he woud bash Lanka !!!!!!!! Go aussie go...........

As a Sri Lankan, my heart is filled with pride for my team .. world cup winners or not, we have concurred the world of cricket .. A small island made known to the world gracefuly through sheer talent and humility .. As much as i am confident of winning i wish not to be unrealistic .. 8 hours of intense competition await us .. Lets do it boys .. Bring home the glory once again !!

Yes,This dream would be on every sri lankan's head till 27 night but on 29th it would come true

every indans will support us every pakitani will be suppoting and wishing the lion's to hold the World cup for a yet a another time

India we miss you so much on the super eight Schin.Rahul,viru we miss you this time and inzi you too hope will do next time

as asin we will wish our team all the best and luck to win the toss

I am Sri Lankan - and no doubt Aussies are playing the best cricket at the moment. What about Sri Lanka - they are the best that can ever challenge the Aussies.
How about the toss? Will it play a role - definitely yes. If SL win the toss - we must bat and score 280+. If AUS win the toss and bat - we have to get Hayden and Ponting out early - restrict them to 240 - and bat for all your life's worth. This is the only way to beat the Aussies.
And last but not the least - what about Terry Gonsalvez? - why doesnt his tiny brain stretch beyond the point of "Chukli"? Oh why not, oh why not????

Hey shrikanth dude!
Don't be so nasty man,what the hell do you mean,aussies have to play badly and sri lanka should be at there best,that is just being wicked man,you gotta let go of the india worse than bangladesh thing,and grow up.
The aussies may be a superior team but the sri lankans have the best bowling attack in the world and they are so humble and correct in there approach,win or loose those guys are great!
May the lions crush the aussies!

Good luck Lions we can won the world cup, WE are the Champions....

Go Chuck go."Bend it even more than Becks".You have been cleared and what an opportunity for the finals. The umpires have been censored and you have the go ahead to chuck your bomerang and fell the roos. Optical illusion some say. Good Colombo
mmonshine "arrack" is more like it. Is this your last hurrah, please get on with it?

1999 Pakistan got thrashed really bad .Aussie campaign was not all that great but it kept on picking momentum match after match

2003 Indian got thrashed.. Aussie campaign was brilliant and was full of master class. But they their nervy moments like the game against England, Newzealand. In the semis also they faltered against SL spin bowling till Binga destroyed the Lankans

Circa 2007 .. here we are Aussies have had a great great tournament so far. In not a single match were they pushed to the corner. I guess SL fate will be worse than that of India and Pakistan. Even if it not so bad Aussies may still win the cup easily. Of course it is dangerous to make predictions but then we all know it a boys(Lankans) versus Men's (Aussies) game. Murali,malinga Vaas will be dispatched and I know how Jayasuriya,s fares against Mc'Grath outside Sri Lanka.

Also for your Mukul and all the supporters of SL from India and Pakistan support Sri Lanka because they have played good cricket.Dont support them coz they are simply from South Asia or are brown skinned. If this is not racism then what is it.
Boy I read the word "Brown Power" somewhere.This is non sense. I mean we can use terms like brown power and all that but the moment a white guy uses these terms we brand him racist!!. What an ugly mentality.

I am Indian and I wanted them to win. But after that I have only supported Australia simply because they are the best. Had Paksitan been the world's best team I would supported them not because they are so call brownies but they would have been the best. This is what is called spirit of the game.

Regards.

Ruchit.

I really do find it interesting the amount of fantasy involved in a huge number of blogs above. Many of them complain about aussie sledging, racism, arrogance, bullying etc. The aussies are confident and aggressive etc. They do sledge, as do every cricket team. The aussies thrive on being confronted. Allot of players don't and that is a legitimate weakness to be exploited. But I don't believe it is racist. If it was you would be hearing about it all the time and umpires would not tolerate it. Ponting and the Australians would not tolerate it.
Could you imagine the outrage if the majority of pro aussie blogs were written in the same tone as most above. Imagine if someone accused most of these bloggers of being racist etc. This sight would be in melt down. Please just give analysis based on actual cricket knowledge and opinion. I don't mind pasionate support. People should be impressed and respect the Sri lankans for the cricketing talent and performances. I consider Sri Lanka and South Africa as the two best teams to watch Australia play against. They both regulary test the aussies more than the others.

Our dream will come true on Saturday.

If tomorrow Sri Lanka wins - the spirit of cricket will win and if Australia wins - technology, the hard and fast modern cricket will win.

It is absolutely exciting to see how much Sri Lanka is enjoying their cricket as opposed to the frowning (or limited smiley) faces of almost all their opponents of the world cup (in and out of the grounds). When was the last time an ex-captain was seen to bring water to players? Marvan Atapattu was seen doing this. Sri Lankan recipe for success has been this spirit the unity and equality. We are with you Sri Lanka. Even if you dont win tomorrow you have won us.

God! only if ranjit fernando quits commentary... jeez with so many top criketers retiring... why cant you ranjit... you sure can do it boy... dont show up for the finals. PLEASE!!!) GO Lions GO!

Posted by: Ranjit Fernando 4 hours, 24 minutes ago

One must say that Sri Lanka Played verywell in all their Worldcup matches and it was evident that if Newzealand didn't loose the semi final they would have made it to the final and sri lanka would have lost the match.but one must say that if Mahela didn't score a century on that match he wouldn't have score 115 not out.they all deserve to win this world cup cause they are in the finals and only if they win.if they win the world cup the will be the worldchampians.one must know that they won the worldcup in 1996 and they lost in 1999 and 2003 because they lost their knockout matches.lets hope they win all the matches in the finals

hahaha .. I MUST SAY I REALLY ENJOYED THIS POST, AS IT IS INDEED EXTREMELY FUNNY ...

sri lanka will beat australia come the final,they are well prepared. Go sri lanka go.

Hey, I'd like Sri Lanka to win, but lets analyse the performance of the 2 teams when they met met in the Super 8, in a more objective manner. Austrailia convingcingly beat Sri Lanka. Their approach was 'clinical', 'strategy' was sound, and they throttled the middle order.
But there is a factor no one has looked into close enough, in the Sri Lankan batting. For one thing, Mahela and Chamara Silva belted the bowling of the Aussie pacemen and Ponting at one time was not sure who to put in next. Until that lucky breakthrough to end the bowling massacre of this pair and the collapse of the rest of the middle and the tail, it loooked like there would have been atleast 30 more runs on the board.
This proves that the Aussie pace machine might just not be enough to contain the explosive Sri Lankan batting it is gets going (if). Sangakkara and Silva as well as Jayasuriya will have to fire.

The run chase was always going to be easy for Ponting and his men. not enough runs on the board. The end result proved that. The Aussies won convincingly, with about 7 overs to spare and 7 wickets in hand.

However, the point is, Sri Lanka played with its 2nd option line-up of bowlers. Had Murali, Vaas and Malinga played, a total of 30 overs would have been shared by them. If you do your numbers, you wonder how effective the Aussie batting really was, because, even with a depleted Sri Lankan bowling attack, the powerful Aussie bats finished the match with only 7 overs to spare.
Imagine 30 overs shared by the ace bowlers of the Sri Lankan camp. Then that total would have been very much a defendable total.

If you look carefully at the Sri Lankan batting, yes they failed. But remember that Ponting didn't have an anti when Mahela and Silva go going. That definitely says something. If Sangakkara clicks on Saturday, and Tharanga finds his form again, Mahela and Silva can bank on their confidence and play their natural game. Dilshan played his natural game against New Zealand and Arnold is sure to do his bit. That's more than enough batting for Sri Lanka (assuming Jayasuriya doesn't find his form) to post a score of around 270. And going by the past match between the 2 sides, it should turn out to be a very difficult call.

If you analyse the 'psychological' factor, teh Australians and mentally strong and very aggressive. But can easily panic when they are matched with an equal amount of viguor. And this was the undoing of the Aussies with the Sri Lankans even during the 1996 world cup final.
And if one watched teh game carefully during the Super 8's match, in that brief passage of play when Mahela and Silva got going, it completely upset the rythm of the Aussie strike bowlers and Ponting had his moments of fear.

This brings us to the mental strength and approach of the captains. Ponting is a hard, seasoned campaigner, with the right mental strength and a very good fighting spirit, and a lot of aggression in his approach.
Whereas, Mahela is a shrewed, calculated strategist who reads the game well and plays his bowlers well, and makes changes with his 'irregular' bowlers when the time is right. He has the ability to expose the Aussie weakpoint, which is their fear of a giant-killing Sri Lanka performance, like in 1996, because Sri Lanka, on their day, can be simpy unstoppable.

i m backing aus to win this world cup..becasue to be honest they deserve it.
As far as Mahela is concerned he is the worst middle order batsmen I have ever seen. He scores his run with a filthy 31 runs/innings average, and considers himself as the best player of his team. But yeah agreed he played a match winning innings in the semis. Still I think he is the worst middle order batsman ever. He produces this innings once in 2-3 yrs I guess.

Yet again we see more totally irrational borderline rabid comments from fans who have lost sight of the fact it is a game. But a couple of small technical points particularly on bowling, Malinga's action has absolutely no similarity to Thommo's at all so why keep up this rot that it's relevant. Thommo was closer to a javelin thrower with a much higher action and no one ever described it as round arm. Also stop blowing smoke over the windies of the 80's great team, yes great players, yes better record than current aussie's, no. Oh and before anyone does the competition is weaker remember you can only beat who you play. Can you guys stop with the brown v white the asian v aussie rubbish and celebrate the two best teams playing the final. Win or lose i support australia and you all tend to forget the twenty years aus spent in the wilderness winning nothing no ashes not a thing. I respect the talent of the SL players but they are not more joyful and ebullient nor are the aussie's robotic. Really what twaddle both teams are made up of extremely talented professional sportsmen who wish to do the best for their fans and country but please SL players are pros or are those county contracts all in my imagination? Why not celebrate the game and try to remember it's not called the world cup for nothing it's supposed to be a celebration of the great game that cricket is and rabid racist meanderings from either side do your team and the game a disservice just grow up and enjoy the pinnacle of one day competition and stop with the white, brown, chucker, asian brother, murali bad rubbish. Lets just hope the game lives up to fans of cricket's expectations. And if you don't get this post you should not be following this game.

thanks for the dream Bro,
Some how SRI LANKA will win, this is not a game of two countries this is the Game of Humbleness(SL) vs Vanity(Aus). We are lions we are not scared to lose, we pick up something when we fall, but Finals we wanna win, just to wipe off the Vanity from Cricket. Love you SRI LANKA

mukul i really respect you!..but your last paragraph is just day dreaming...god bless you

Good luck for Sri Lankan,you are the Champions 2007.

DATE: SUNDAY 29TH APRIL 2007.
TIME: 12.00MID NIGHT (GMT).

Wake up Mukul!!! THE LANKANS DID IT AGAIN!!!

We still are yet to see the lankan lions peak. Will be good to see them win

I have been harping on before the start of the WC that the sub continent team will be winner for this world cup. Sri Lanka is going to lift this cup because they are a well balanced team and my best wishes to them. Let us see how Mahela will be able to beat this Australian Team. SL have done wonders and they deserve to take this cup. Good Luck

I have been harping on before the start of the WC that the sub continent team will be winner for this world cup. Sri Lanka is going to lift this cup because they are a well balanced team and my best wishes to them. Let us see how Mahela will be able to beat this Australian Team. SL have done wonders and they deserve to take this cup. Good Luck

To suresh kottegoda - colombo

'Asian brotherhood!?" Is this the brotherhood that has seen India and Pakistan fight a war for over 60 years, or the same one where Indian fans trashed Eden Gardens and let loose flares in 1996 when India was knocked out by Sri Lanka?

Australia/NZ/ENG/RSA may have their problems, but never has it resulted in guerilla/mobile warfare as it has in the Asian brotherhood. If sport is what we take too seriously, better that than having to kill people in the name of religion or sport (as many mindless Indian and Pakistani fans have done over the years). And don't claim because you are Sri Lankan that you are different. After all, you are part of the Asian brotherhood.

Looking past this and the extreme bias of this blog (whatever journalistic credibility you once held Mukul has now been flushed down the toilet) I only have one wish for this final. Or two. First and most important, let it be a close contest where both sides do their nations proud. Second, let the team that plays the better cricket win (which doesn't always happen). I am an Aussie fan, but if Sri Lanka take the prize coz they played better, then I can leave with a smile knowing my boys gave it their all.

This final will be a repeat of the 1996 wc whe got the master blaster sanath jayasuriya he will give a stunning performance and whe got the best offspinner in the world Muttiah Muralitharan and ofcourse Malinge dont think they can read him
And for all the people out there for Mukul Jayawardena can eb the hero as the Indian team did nothing at all and neither did the pakistani team the only team who prospered is Sri Lanka
Come lanka

There is only 1 worthy winner to this competition. The team which has knocked the socks of every team that's come their way. It'll be a shame if by some abberation, SL go on and win it. It's good to support the underdog, but one's gotta pay credit where it's due. Australia are the best Cricket team in the world and deserve to win this world cup.

May the best team (on the day) win. My condolences to all Aussie haters I honestly feel sorry for you.....the pain must be excruciating.

I admire and respect Australian way of doing many things but when it comes to cricket, it is sad some of the Australian commentators spoil their teams popularity by praising them ridiculously. I don’t see any miracles from Aussies and their technique pretty much similar to many other players. It’s only the matter of their consistency where it applies anywhere for delivering constant good results. Sri Lankans should be proud thousand times of their success considering the limited resources they have.

Hey Chris, Fact is that McGra has become a successful bowler because he is mechanized which suit for taking wickets. McGra being the highest wicket taker in world cup history doesn’t necessarily make him a bowler of Wasim’s caliber who was genius of confusing batsman and get the wicket. That’s difference of Talent and the Robotics. Pointless doing the same comparison for others. Sri Lankans don’t have to fear or respect too much for Aussies as they only need self belief of their capabilities. One thing is evident that Sri Lankan team has grown a lot from the time they last met Aussies in 2005 VB final which end up with controversial decision when Mahela took Pontings catch.

Hey Alan, If Aussi who called for throwing wasn’t allowed to play why on earth someone who took performance enhancing drugs, allowed playing without ban him. Whenever someone does something unconventional shouldn’t lead to a scrutiny or sarcasm. When Scientists invents something new, all incapable and envious bunches used to do laugh or show their ignorance until they find the truth. Why you guys couldn’t scrutinize Sanath’s unbelievable hitting by saying he holds the bat differently from Gilli or Hayden. Open your eyes guys! Try to “pick up your ears”

Can anyone produce a real piece of evidence to suggest that this current Australian team is arrogant, racist, overrated, and all of the other things they are accused of? So much garbage originates in the media. This crap about Ricky Ponting condemning Sri Lanka for resting bowlers is just that. It's plain wrong. When asked about it he said he didn't care what Sri Lanka did. That's all. Perhaps the Sri Lankan team is humble...but their supporters are full of only insults and hatred, with the exception of a notable few who support their team as they should, but without feeling such hatred toward Australia. Let me say that some incidents in the past have been very regrettable, such as Darren Lehmann's terrible outburst. As an Australian I was embarrassed. But can ANY team claim a totally clean sheet in terms of behaviour?

I understand that unless you are Australian you are likely to support Sri Lanka in the final. Nobody likes to see total dominance and 3 World Cups in a row would be that. But to call this team of exceptional cricketers some of the vile crap that has been spewed forth in these posts is disgraceful in my opinion.

my dear friends and sir mukul,
well some times we start dreaming when things are unable to achieve in reality. normally the middle class people dream a lot after the poor. not the rich ones.
so here mukul is simply exploiting the rich as ausis and the other as sri lanka. it is true to the fact that when you wanna talk about sri lanka and if you wanna compare with the mighty ausis we are very poor and they spend a lot for cricket as we dont. because we are one of the poor nation fight with the rich. for an example every one is concern or some what about resting the key bowlers for the match against ausies. but if you see the fact i heard that ausis built a bowling machine look like slinger lasith, doosra murali and they practice with the machines. the one who practice more will be the perfect one. so coach moody decided against exposing the main bowlers. but they already practiced using machines.

so when you come to reality they need few practice to get used to either malinga or murali.

i know australians are the hard to beat team, because of their alround effort bye each and every player. but every one is human and every one can make a mistake and most of the cricket lovers except ausies want australians to make that mistake. but the best team on the day will win.
other hand if you talk about th ground it self, sri lanka never played a single game after the renovation. but ausied did and the proved. this will be another disadvantage for the sri lankans.

nowadays sri lankans are getting used to the bouncy pitches. so they still have an edge.

even if they lose to ausies we love our team, because they proved that they can beat any team on a neutral venue and they pleyed very simply. their entusiasm were never against to any other oppsing players. some time you must have some sort of agressiveness in order to beat other team. so i dont blame sanga for talking behaind the wicket. it was earlier done be kiran more, alec stewart etc. but they were never blamed. but when a sri lankan or a asian make the same people start to blame. for example what happened on the day sl vs nz in semi final. the best unpires made the mistake. who couldnt differentiate against inside edge. but if the same mistake was done by an asian ohhhhhhh how many people gonna talk.

thats why murali, malinga all get the blame for their bowling actions.
thanks for all your comments some times one sided but still fantastic comments.

Yo yo guys,

i dont think SL overcome Ozs as easy as they think. Mukul made a bet with someone that he will make 500 replies from one blog, so he does by warming the SL fans heart. SL can win, but you cannot write Aussies off. If SL want to be a World Champion not just WC is enough, they must atleast level a Australian test series in Australia.which is a big ask. India,Pak have levelled their series in Australia about 3times. WI won a lot of series, England too have won. SA levelled 2 series in Australia in the past 10yrs.The most common dialogue here is :\
Sanath, malinga,murali,mahela,Vaas go go go, whats it i dont know? Wait till tomorrow evening mates, then u can celebrate if u win. not just loathing here. SL guys, all aussies are racist, why u need a racist coach. Just u guys cant stand the legacy of Aussie team. i dont think SL can ever maintain a champion feeling for 10 years
its already 12 yrs AUSSIES are World champions even though they lost WC96. I dont think that this tag will be ever earned by any nation unless they show consistency at supreme level.

ALL SL fans, u say MCgra is aged. and what do u think Vaas and Murali are teenagers. IF SL can handle Mcgra,bracken, why not AUS handle Malinga and Vaas, ye malinga had good WC07, dont think this is something he will be consistent like Courtney Walsh for 18yrs. Do any of you know that Gilly is a baseball player. Malinga can be handled by Aussies, didnt u forget the WC match against England. you won by 2runs, and malinga was pumped from neck to leg by Bell and Kevin. i believe an even contest, indeed if Aussies win, i'll be happy but if SL wins i wont be sad. Its just a World Cup Winner not a World Champion. World Cup champions cant become World Champions, but World Champions can become World CUp Champions. I only understand its one off game to prove luck, but if its best of 3 finals, SL you know you cant :)

talking about ranjit fernando!!!!!
it is like this. back in sri lanka the commentators give the comentry by watching the TV. so they will comment only after the run is scored and they normally repeat the comment given by the international commentator. there are people like epasinghe people beleive he is one of the best knowledgable commentator. but what he does is he repeat the comments given by the TV commentator and he starts like this mata mathakaya sihiwena bla bla (what he says is he start to remember the past when he was watching such and sucha game or try to show his knowledge like this. then onother charactor called palitha perera. another funny clown in sinhala comentry.
but still there are people like skandakumar, roshan abeysinghe and not forget bryan thomas one of the best in english commentry.
we do lack in expert commentrators for example former captain arjuna is always predicting things like our weather man do. if the weather man says it is gonna rain, then it will not like wise he predicted so many wrong predictions. he is giving some expert comments to one official indian channel.
hope we can find some one to replace such like ranjit fernando. (when the politics is out of cricket every thing will look better for sri lanka)

In response to Mr. T... yes, I too think there is a bit of discomfort in the Aussie camp... and it comes across via Ricky Ponting, no less. The reason is Malinga. Aussies are scared of Malinga. They are not scared of Murali and Vas as much. For them, Malinga is the wildcard in the SL side because they have had no experience against the rejuvenated Malinga. I will go as far as to say that should Malinga succeed in prising out 2 Aussie wickets within the first 5–7 overs, then the Aussies are going to be up against it, never mind how strong their batting is.

To Nayanta Pandita... Terry Gonsalves stopped stretching beyond his point of whatever several blogs ago. There’s no point wasting time on him and his ilk because there are none so blind as those who would not see. If Bradman and the Waugh twins can acknowledge his greatness, and if Murali can still demonstrate his prodigious turn (with no degradation whatever) right before the disbelieving eyes of the cricketing intelligentsia of the world, bowling with an elbow brace to prevent any arm–bend, then there is no more that the cricketing world can have to say... and they have rightly stopped. Case closed... except for some ostrich–like people who would rather bury their heads in the sand and pretend the issue to be far from over. They can only be craving attention, whatever may be the reason, and perhaps obtain a perverse satisfaction by sticking their barbs into someone. Just ignore.

2 SRILANKANS WITH NAMES STARTING WITH J WILL HIT CENTURIES EACH & TWO OTHER SRILANKANS WITH NAMES STARTING WITH M WILL BAG 4 WICKETS EACH . SL WILL TROUNCE THE AUSSIES IN THE FINAL. ANY BETS

My heart wants SL to win, my brain says it is going to be a hard game but I also know that the only team that can beat the Australians are the Sri Lankans hence I feel that it is going to be Sri Lankas day.

Sri Lanka needs this victory very badly. The only thing that unites the country is CRICKET. Even the LTTE has called for a cease fire until the finals are over.

If Sri Lanka wins it will be a victory to the spirit but if the Aussies win it will be a victory to the laptops and technology

It is upto all of us to judge which way we want the lovely game of cricket to go !!!!

SRI LANKA do it for the country , do it for asia, do it for the spirit of the game.

Good Luck Sri Lanka. Hope you would change the 'world champion' tag this time around. This SL team deserves to get rid of the Aussie monopoly in the CWC's.

there don't seem to be many comments from English supporters here, so here goes one. I'm really rooting for SL. I'm bored to death with the aussie cricketers and the SL style really excites me. Its a joy to watch their bowling. Remember really rooting for them in 96 as well and was well chuffed. Good luck Lanka stuff the aussies for me

Ricky Ponting portrays the ugly side of Australia. He should be sent to finishing school but then no finishing school will accept him, that is why he is what he is!!!

To add to Brian’s post above... before all of you uproariously funny SL cricket fans go completely tipsy on Mukul's feel-good fantasy brew, it would be sobering for all of you to be reminded that a pigeon called Glenn McGrath is strutting the ODI field for the very last time on Saturday. So, watch out. 'Cos this pigeon hasn't quite been planning to strut out with a faint flutter of his wings either... with may be a cuddly coo towards that endearing ole Sana Boy and his assortment of new age cricketing wonders. No sir, not this bird. He is currently a very mean pigeon on a strut, and for good purpose. He wants to leave his clawprint on this World Cup so that he will be remembered by posterity. (He never enjoyed being outstrutted by the Warnes and the Muralis). And so... he is planning to deliver his Pigeon of the Day performance. That is enough reason for Sana and his cricketing wonders to lose sight of the World Cup... pigeon-struck. So, dear Sri Lankan cricket fans, do enjoy Mukul's fantasy while it lasts...

(Say, Mukul? It’s about time to inject some fun into this outrageous belly-thumping going on inside your blog... eh? (First it was lions and tigers... then, it changed to roos and kangaroo meat/curry... and latterly, it has taken a turn towards breast milk versus red meat...VOW). And dear SL Cricket fans... you will respond in kind to this post without your hyperbole and your invective, won't you? Let’s have some good, clean fun, like all world cricket–lovers should. Bless you all).

Good Luck Sri Lanka, we know you can lift the World Cup for the second time and spoil the aussie dreams of three in a row :).

Well, this is a great game for Sri Lanka. It's our dream final with a nightmare opposition. I hope we win, though I would say that Australia has a better chance. But then again, even we Sri Lankans never expected our team to win in the 1996 world cup also. So....

Anyway, every idiot - Sri Lankan AND Australian alike, don't get carried away in this blog, you guys end up disrupting the peace and making fools of yourselves. If you can't make it pleasant, don't come in here and sour the mood.

Firstly, let us all try to remember cricket is a game folks and the outcome of this WC final is not going to enable world peace or find a cure for cancer.

Secondly, the comments by NT 5hrs ago are the biggest load of rubbish I have ever read and that is saying something after reading some of the comments on this blog!

The comments made earlier yesterday by "Damith Kethaka" well they were just scary, you need some serious help man, if you haven't noticed, this is a game of cricket we are supposed to be talking about.....emphasis on the word GAME!

Last of all I would just like to draw to your attention the photo shoot that took place today between the Captains of the two opposing World Cup sides, where one captain turned up on time and the other captain kept the first captain and worldwide press waiting for over an hour. Now if it had been the Australian Captain who kept everyone waiting, all of you would be jumping up and down full of condemnation and outrage but no, it was the Sri Lankan Captain who did not have the good grace and courtesy to turn up on time. So tell me which team is it that is rude and arrogant??? People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones!

ranjit fernando pls retire...arnold thanks for retiring...just do one favour b4 u retire...pls hit 2 sixes if u r facing the last over for dont need singles in the last over man.. yes i am a sl supporter... good luck SL

King Chuck will lead the tainted victory parade and soothe the Asian Brotherhood. To Johanne and Suresh,I know that cricket is played with braces when injuries are sustained and straps of a different type are used for protection elsewhere. I was not aware that braces and straps were used to prevent the King of Chuck from bending his arm. Why was it taken off? I recommend to the ICC that Chuck be strapped permanently to eliminate his ilegitimate deliveries, which as they stand now is every one of them.
Forget the Asian claim of racism against the Aussies or anyone else. I too am Asian and there is more racism in Asia than anywhere else, caste, colour and creed is the criteria, it appears. If you don't like it in Australia, England,Europe or North America then leave.Nobody asked you to come in the first place. Ole to fair play, down with chuckers.

I remember watching the 1996 final as a 11 yr old kid. I didn't understand cricket much but I could tell the difference between victory and defeat.
Now that its 11 years later I'd just like to see Sri Lanka win, because I'm in a position to savour good cricket.

But the fact remains that Australia are too good. To beat them you need to be lucky as well as on top of your game. Who knows if lady luck will smile on Mahela tomorrow?
All in all I'm not expecting too much. I'm going to watch a good match of cricket, and I've told myself I'm not going to be disappointed too much whatever the outcome.
But it would be good for Cricket if Sri Lanka won, because they play with passion and grit, whereas the Aussies are all about power and precision.

Well done Sri Lanka for playing Cricket with passion...the way its meant to be played! Good luck tomorrow, but know that we love you and cherish your triumphs. Unlike our other sister nations we will welcome you back with open arms whatever the result. Good luck and god speed!

how can the lions win,
the principle to win is simple. bowl well, field well and bat well. which ever team has the edge over the other team on the day on the above aspects will win. fingers are crossesd that the lions will roar comes 28 in Barbados.

As a south african I love to see SL win the world cup, as we lost to Ausiees due no slow bowlers
ausiees are scared of slow bowlers, only person can hit is andrew symonds. all others will tumble to sri lankan slow bowlers.we wish south africans have couple of slow bowlers in our team, maybe 2011,

I guess everybody here supports Sri Lanka. or to be precise, ANTI AUSTRALIA. Thats understandable, cause Aussies have hurt supporters of every other team. Its good that people from all over the world backing sri lanka for the final. On the day, Sri lanka can defenitely beat Australia. Well On The day, even Bangladesh has beaten Australia. Here "On The Day" term means, You Play your best and your opponent don't play to their full potential. I Have read a lot regarding Aussie domination In cricket. Well Even if Sri Lanka upset Australia and win the world cup, that Domination not gonna end. Australia Will Still be by far the BEST team in the world.
India Won World cup 1983 Beating The mighty West Indies. But That didn't Change anything. The Calypso Went On to dominate the cricket world for another decade. When all of their champion player retired without any major replacement, came the end of West Indies Era. Same Thing is applicable to Australia. They took the game to a new level. Other teams were left far behind. It was upto them to achieve the standard set by Australia, and challenge the best. So far they have failed to do so.

Now Talking about Sri lanka. They are a good side with sheer talent. But They still have to prove a lot. To be a dominant force like Australia, they have to win more consistently. But after 25 year, they are yet to win a single test match in Australia, South africa and West indies. Or an ODI series/tournament. Their batsman; very talented, but they must Learn to play in bouncy and seaming condition. Because of the flat tracks of West Indies, they have looked much more frightning. They have got malinga as a Young talent and a superstar for the future. But The prime factor for their revival, 'Jayasurya and Muralidaran' Is about to say goodbye to internaional cricket. Is there any replacement in sight? well, it will be very hard to find another jayasurya, and likes of muralidaran Born only once. So Sri lanka's future is not bright either.
And finally for the final match. I Just hope for a good contest and tight finish. And victorious team win by their own capabilities, not by the help of luck and the mistakes of opponent.

Sri lankans under Mahela is a formidable force yet to be recognized. On saturday, Sanath and Kumar need to settle down and play their game. Others will join the party. Silva, Dilshan and Arnold must stay cool and play their shots. Batting first SL need 300 runs, batting second SL need to keep their heads down while keeping the run rate up. Australia is a harcore team, with full of confidence. SL you have nothing to loose just dont get distracted, you can beat the kangaroos.

Come Saturday the Lions will roarrrrrr and devour Kangaroo steaks for dinner.....

The Aussies are a very aggressive side given the shortest chance to get on top of you...but their weakness is their pride....hurt it a bit and you could see them crumbling.
If they bat first get three quick wickets including the one of Ponting and you could watch them cave in....panicking as they did an year and a half ago when Dilshan had three fantastic run outs executed out of five.Just imagine a great side like the Aussies panicking when they play SL.

They have already taken the bite and when they swallow they get choked. They have brought pressure upon themselves by making too much hype about SL resting Murali and Vaas. Shows how much they have been banking on having a look at them...but why? they had played both these bowlers many a time.....the only thing I see is that they are at their dirty tricks trying to unsettle the opponent.Watch out ....the LIONS are Lions and they will teach the Kangaroos a lesson never to forget. Shane Warne made the mistake in 1996 and suffered heavily infact made him comment later that he didn't mind Arjuna hitting the sixes against him but the tongue that shot out was too much to take....would Arjuna have done iyt if Warney kept his mouth shut?....So we all are for sure going to have one hell of a match up...as the Lions are fighters and the more the vultures try to grab their prey - THE WORLD CUP the more angrier and tougher they get. This love hate relationship since the infamous HAIR calling MURALI has not ended. The SL LIONS will take the fight to the AUSSIES tomorrow.

LETS CHILL THE CHAMPAGNE AND BE READY......GO SRI LANKA GO....IT'S ALL YOURS.

your views are not just a dream but a foresee of what will happen!!
I bet australians over confidence will let them down..ponting's sarcastic comments "ready to take on the rested player" and past records favoring australians hatrick are to be proved wrong..
We cannot doubt their talents, but their mindset for this game i suppose is not something I have noticed before..
full credits to Mahela's decision of resting his key players..i would rate it as one of the best moves any cricket paying nation has done before..australians are sure to face thier worst defeats in history.
Jayasuriya and Sangakkara will burst out tomorrow and make it LOUD and CLEAR 2007 WC is OURS!!

Lions will win the world cup with passion!! May triple gem bless to SL team!!!

Chuckermansinghe seems to be in the 'Brace selling business' Only Ramnaresh Sarwan dont need a brace when bowling. (99.5% straight arm when bowling...) You might want to contact some of the following players in order to sell your braces. Glen Mcgrath (12%), Shaun Pollock (11%), Jason Gilesspie (13%), Akther(14%), Brett Lee (14%). You might want to contact the ICC specified scientist for the whole list.
Infact why dont you try and test yourself when bowling... oh sorry, almost forgot, you are no real bowler..Only an Arm Chair Chucker who loves the braces you sell.
Ole

Jeff Thompson had a similar action as malinga
That was the thing i was trying to bring up to another twit

Yet another Sri Lankan fan reveals his dream this time it is in great Mukul Kesavan's. Its fascinating what sports can bring about to people and its country and to the world. The Warring rebels and the government have announced a ceasefire to watch Cricket finals here in Sri Lanka. All religious places have got together to bless the Sri Lankans towards victory, you'll hardly see anyone not talking about the finals, trend is now set for a complete standstill in businesses for tomorrow, with the roads expected to be haunted there will hardly be anyone even to enjoy a good speed driving in the ever conjested Colombo.

Without me too getting provoked by those itching for it, lets look at why 80% of cricket lovers wants Sri Lanka to win. We see some of the Aussie fans are disappointed with the remarks by many who've commented of Aussies, while most of others showing their open hatred some have yet acknowledged that Aussies are a better side, and I too agree there's hardly any doubt they are among the top two in the World. I've not seen the greats of the West Indies play who were once world's dominant side but, from all what I've read most Cricket fans weren't worried to openly acknowledged they were the best side then, even now there's hardly anyone would say this West Indian player was a nasty or anything for that matter.

When you look at Australia even when the most competent appointed by the ICC had cleared Murali the Aussies will still call him names, Aussie PM set that standard to follow to their "mates" (what an example). Once McGrath called our own Sanath a Black Monkey, like Mukul I would love to see McGrath shown the farewell he deserved, and 60 off 10 (wicketless) is hardly enough for me.. I would like to see Aussies lose by a margin not less than 100! Aussies are a competent team but like Sunil Gavaskar pointed out they are the most bad behaved in the present Cricketing World this should also go to the famous "UnderArm Commentator". Auz deserve Mukul's Dream to become a real to bring this game back to a "Gentlemen's" game. Sri Lanka will win, and if they don't we'll still be rooting for any other country to win but Australia.

Malinga will make the major damage....

Sri Lanka can WIN and will WIN!

Fair Dinkum ..., it was not Mahela's fault. It was the fault of the organization committee who did not made the necessary requirements to get him there on time!

How can SL beat the Aussies in the final? I think it's almost all about attitude. If you want to win a match, you have to believe you can.

The best example is probably the interview of James Franklin just before the Aus/NZ Super 8 match. His entire body language made it seem like an interview taken after they lost the match to Australia. If you think you've lost a match even before you've played it, obviously you won't get a different result.

This is where the Aussies have their edge over the other teams. Every time they play a match,they believe 200% that they can win.

Also most teams are running scared of the Aussies. The minute they know they're up against them, they get the shivers. As a result they lose half the match before it's played.

I don't want to stick my head out, but I believe our SL team is a class act. I really hope and pray our team wins. So, bring home the World Cup Sri Lankan team! We are waiting for it!!

It's clear from comments that Sri Lankans have warmed the hearts of cricket lovers world over. That's what cricket should be all about. Well done Mahela and the fun team!

Aussie Aussie Aussie, only Australia will win this World cup, why? Because only they deserve to win, this isnt 1996 its 2007 come out of your fency imagination, and stop building castles in the air. Enough said.

I am a pakistani and i have been rooting for SL since the day pakistan was shown the door in this world cup. SL has been playing like champions and god willing they will be champions on saturday. Somebody has got to beat the arrogant aussies and it will be SL. GO SL bring australia to the ground on saturday.

Johanne, Mark Waugh wants the job as coach for Sri Lanka and Bradman probably did not have to face a strapped and braced bowler being tested for chucking.So what credence can one give to what these two persons have said. Bradman probably did not know that the degrees had to come into play to suit the bent arm and Mark Waugh never acclaimed Chuck when he played. At least I am consistent, King Chuck is a chucker, has and always will be with or without "arrack" creating the optical delusion.

hey CRICKETY CRICKET uve got a great insight on the game and ur analysis is very accurate. i think ur right about wats going to happen to the australian team

I have to wonder about where the theory that Australians can't play spin came from. Murali's record against Australia is worse than any other nation. Seems to me that Australia can play spin fairly well if we can take on the best offspinner/chucker (depending on your disposition).

Hayden is in such rare form that getting rid of him early is a must for SL. But then there's Ponting (who used to have trouble against spin but no longer), Clarke (who embarassed Anil Kumble in Bangalore 04 on his Test Debut) and Symonds (who murdered Murali on a spin-friendly SCG a few years back). Only question mark is Hussey, only coz he has yet to encounter such quality spin bowling.

Australia has no identifiable weaknesses. As Mahela rightly points out, SL will capitalise if they stick to their own gameplan and build up pressure. If pressure is built, then there may be some uncharacteristic shots that lead to wickets. And people forget that the quick nature of the Barbados track is going to negate the impact of the Sri Lankan slow bowlers. It's a wicket favouring Australia, at least their batsmen will be able to handle the extra bounce, which is a question mark on Sri Lanka's lineup...

Hey nithakaran,

You say Palitha Perera / Premasara Epasinghe are clowns??? Then mate, I am sure you are a bigger clown than all of them!! These two guys have done a great deal to take the game to the village level. I hope you know that our village boys don't speak English! So, its too bad that skandakumar and Roshan's comments don't make much sense to our village boys. And look at the majority of the SL cricket team and it is laughable if you say that the majority are city boys!!! Of course, city boys like you don't undersand the dynamics of local cricket. And for Arjuna's predictions, they are as good as your's and mine. Do not judge a great player /captain by a few predictions! Predictions are best kept as predictions!
And when did Brian Thomas become a good cricket commentator? Are you referring to the same Brian Thomas of Sri Lanka (country - Sri Lanka on the face of planet earth???) Brian only knows English and does not know a thing in cricket and how on earth I do not know it makes him a good commentator. Your knowledge of Sri Lankan cricket, my friend, is quite shallow as your list of good commentators do not even include expert cricket commentators /writers in the calibre of Mahinda Wijesinghe (heard of him?? or have you even read any of his articles in cricket mag??)
Please get a reality check!

To Fair Dinkum. You mention that I have written rubbish. Please point out which part.
Doesn't australia have the best cricket infra-strucure in the world who groom young players with the best personell and technology available?
Isn't SriLanka a war torn, third world country?
Isn't the Australian cricket media extremely biased? (Dont they demean , demonise & demoralise every cricket team which visit Australia sometimes even before they arrive. Dont they think that the Austalian cricketers do no wrong specially when they are winninig. The only time they gun for someone is when not winning. Hence the win at all costs attitude of the team).
The exposure to just Australian cricket & cricketers and the bias is far in excess of other sports. Golf, Wimbledon, Rugby, Soccer etc. is shown on free to air TV even when no Australians are performing and there are articles about non-Australian golf, soccer & tennis greats. Not even a cricket world cup semi-final is shown and there is very little mention of the Tendulkars, Lara's, Muralis achievements on TV or papers, while a century even by a club player gets a mention.
Dont the cricketers and the sycophants make a lot of money and become celebrities leading glamorous lives because of this exposure. There are young children who watch them and want to be like them including all the surly, boorish behaviour.
I will admit that the above does not apply to all the media and the players.It is this culture which has to change which is taking the gullible public for granted and and appealing to their dark side, forgetting that this is a sport which can be played nicely and still win.

To Maverick:
Please re-assess your Writing Skills! It is in-fact "The Spirit of Discussion" and NOT ""Spirits"! Maybe, you were "Spiritually Uplifted" when posting your comment, hence the deragatory remarks regarding the SL Cricketers. Nevertheless, your biased assessment is as "Limited" as your Writing Skills. Illiterate, are you???

I wonder the Aussie bashing in this blog is really necessary. Well, Australia have treated us bad at times, they treated Murali bad. But nevertheless, my dear fellow SLns, is settling scores our way? Do you guys realise that after the second world war, SL was the only country in the world that rejected war reparations from Japan? Infact that seem to be the way SL cricketers are behaving. When Malinga was hit for a four in the super eights against England at the critical moment, his face didnt turn angry and didnt shout "F". Instead he smiled - may be admiring the skill of the opponent.

That's the way we are. We want our guys to play our brand of cricket. And why do we want to be aggressive in a blog?

Anyway, most of the comments in this blog are quite fun to read..so, dont worry about my grandfather like talk. Enjoy your your selves..keep writing.

SL will won the cup!

Am taking the day off from work 2 see ur dream aswell as mine and the rest of are supporters come true for the second time......... lets show them SRI LANKA is still on the map!!!

BEWARE FOLKS, IT IS JUDGEMENT DAY. THE SHOWDOWN BETWEEN MORTALS AND SKYNET IS ABOUT TO BEGIN!!!

Win or Loose SL Team is our Champions - Sri Lankan Fan

Sri lanka wins every 3 to 4 matches that they play against Australia. The last three games between Australia and Sri Lanka were won by Australia. The world cup final will be the forth. Sri Lanka would win the forth match.

I think Ian Chapell has to lick his lip. He thinks he is the best man (pundit) in the game. He says there is a worry since big gap is there with Australia and rest of the world and other countries don't do any thing about it. I just would like to ask him what he has been doing as an Australian cricket team member to the enormous gap existed between West Indies and rest of the world when he played cricket!Just look at his predictions on the semi fianlists. His prediction being Australia, New zealand,West Indies and India. He is 50%. The bottom line is: he is bias and prejudgemental. I think this is good time for him to retire and puting fullstop in making laughing stuff.

Lets look at the final stakes here, whatever the outcome is - Australia has more to lose and Sri Lanka has more to gain. Cricket is a 90%
mental game (I think) and if SL keeps a cool head amidst all the ups and downs during the game (for example, without uttering the F word), they would stand a very good chance of pulling it off.

Dear Aussie,
Your words itself says that you guys already accept the defeat. How can you say that World Cup winners are not the world champion? Why on earth then Australia lost to NZ and Eng still call them as world champion. Whatever happens till the next world cup, it’s guaranteed the winners called Champion. Whatever happens in the past series, if any team cannot come to their peak at the right time, no quality in that team? (May be poor administration, lack of practice or injury so on...)

Just because SL didn’t level any test series in Aus, it wouldn’t reflect the quality of their cricket. Even if we lose or win, we always play a good brand, competitive cricket. Time wasting and producing selfish batting performance will soon be finished test cricket in the future. Similarly, the quota of matches always go to big countries and it’s a shame you guys saying that Aus are the best. If SL had the same number of matches and the frequency and the duration where Aus get these matches, we would have been on a par with Aus. Once SL finishes a series of 2/3 matches, the next series would be months away and by that time inform players have to find their form again and again. We don’t have that luxury otherwise Aravinda, Mahanama, Gura, Hashan, Arjuna would have scored 10000 runs like so called world class test players. Shame on you guys….

this is the sweetest dream any lankan would get in his sleep.
I wish this would become areality in Barbedos

all its depend on whos going to win the toss and desided to bat first that team will be the winners
course who evre batting first can easily can make upto 250 or more on that perticulor ground and they can attack the second batting guys to make the score as less they can becouse balling will deside the winner team today good luck for both team from srilanka and i wish my team to bring the cup guys to make country proud

Aussie power or SL Magic???? Magic by all means!!! Go Lions...Roar!!win or lose...the Lankans have been fantastic. All the best guys!

Rubel, your points made were valuable and I doubt Sri Lanka has any shortage in talents but, the likes of Murali and Jayasuriya both drew a whole new dimension in the Cricketing World, bowlers and batsmen have made their marks and have vanished, I doubt that any fan would be excited as watching a match when Sanath's on song in full swing and Murali's at his best spinning his web! simply because they are Murali & Jayasuriya. With more variations in his armoury and a lot more matches I see Malinga Bandara as a justifiable replacement for Murali. Chamara Kupugedera a free scoring youngster from the hill capital in SL would be the ideal candidate in place of Jayasuriya. These two may not fill the gap of our two greats but they are capable of coming close to them..

Terry Gonsalves,i could not stop laughing seen your comments mate i can not comment on a persons intellectual capacity, however, calling Murali a chucker or illlegitimate had become your personal opinion mainly due to the fact he has been already cleared by a specialist team. there are some handful number of sub-continent people who can not stomach small islander's probable victory because their countris could not reach even super 8. they pray to the God to bless a defeat to SL whole heartedly supporting Australia in this moment of time. they even bring theories to tarnish the much anticipated victory of SL by the majority of the sub-continent people.

ALL PLEASE BE CALM and watch the MATCH. Prematch interview of mahela jvardene was we want to capitalise on Aussies mistake. So it means he wants rather aussie make a mistake then he will lift the team ;))

Mr.Charmin, dont speak about quota of matches. ICC asks the necessary board if they are interested to organize or not. ICC cannot force.
Can you say me whats the necessity for Sl to play against Bangladesh every two years :)). Why didnt SL go to SA for a complete tour since 2002 October. Why SL went to India only in 2005 after 1997.

Do you know ICC Plan, In 4yrs time every test playing team should visit each other for a complete series. Sl didnt visit WI since 2003 for a test series. Why is that??
SL want to play against politics affected ZIMBABWE in 2004. WHy is that? You are not a minnow. Why u cannot organize tous with better teams rather playing Bangladesh and Zimbabwe.

One thing is truth - You all want to improve your statistics as simple as it is.

Now bring Aussies, for past 4yrs
Aussies had home series in 2003 against India and Zimbabwe. But Aussies didnt want to face depleted ZIM but met INDIA in India on 2004. Aussies had both home and away series with SL in 2004. Ashes in 2005 and 2006. visited WI in 2003 and invited WI in 2005. Visited Pak in 2003 and invited PAK in 2004. Visited and invited SA in 2005/2006. Visited NZ in 2006 and invited NZ on 2005. This shows How aussies concentrate to play respected opponents.

I dont know why Murali concentrates on easy wickets from BD and ZIM, he has 50 against BD in 6 tests and 87 against ZIM in 12tests. This all can simply be a statistics but surely not some pround contribution, if Murali is considered as World's greatest spinners.

OK, why u sledge Aussies. During Tsunami attack ShaneWarne hepled for reconstruction of Galle Cricket Ground. + Steve Waugh still helping schools in Calcutta. After this you say aussies are racist. I think Asians are racists ( I am asian origin too ). I can see all anti australians who are jealous about aussies golden run support SL purely for being against AUSTRALIA not SL As a team. i admire SL as a team. I want them yto visit Aussies and play competitive Cricket.

I can say all you guys, Aussies are vulnerable at home rather than away.CB series Final is clear example. A lot of times i saw aussies losing at home in recent past than away.Between 1997 - 2007, Aussies lost 3 VB Series and 3 times were levelled in Tests. In away they are thumping everyone.

Guys just think about this, all the major upsets of this world cup has happened on saturdays ( Confused???????????)

Bangladesh Vs India - Saturday
Pakistan Vs Ireland - Saturday
South africa vs Bangladesh - Saturday
Australia Vs Sri lanka - Your guess is same as mine
COME ON LANKA
Bat first score 250 and get them for 225.

see you on sunday boys when we sing WE ARE THE CHAMPION, WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS AND THOSE ARE LOOSERS

This is cricket & This is a game
Win or lose be happy we came to the end
Use this game to UNITE as ASIANS
ASIANS always challenge the rest of the world
This match is ASIA w/s EUROPE
we wish our ASIAN TEEM all the BEST
Iam a proud ASIAN sri lankan

Think its been an awesome performance by our Sri Lanka and they fully deserve to be in the final as Stephen fleming himself said last week.
A word about Murali's action though. I think its quite stupid to question something that has been cleared by the relevant authorities. His action is within the permissable level of tolerance and if he s a chucker then most so called great bowlers have chucked before him. I mean guys like Ray lindwall would never have gone through the scrutiny that our 'hero' has gone through in the past decade. Just respect his talent and skill because you will never see one like Murali again.

good luck Sri lanka. Whatever happens today you have done us proud!!!

What a feeling it is in Sri Lanka this morning !!! I am writting this with a view of the main high way , Galle Road in Colombo 04 and I can see all cars , vans , buses and three wheelers hanging out the Sri Lankan flag out of the windows proudly. It is so wonderful to see all of Sri Lanka united like this.

Come on Mahela and the rest of the Sri Lankan team , do it for our beloved motherland !!

If you win you will make us proud and if you loose still we will be a proud nation knowing that we lost to the best.

Mahela, win or lose, but dont shake hands with that spitter Ricky.

Look at the world cup photo session and the way Ponting holds the cup. You will see the controlled aggression,confidence in that holding where as Jaya's holding is marginalised and bit of shyness in that holding. So I think Australians will lift the cup though I love to support srilankans as I am an asian, indian, tamilian

Look at the world cup photo session and the way Ponting holds the cup. You will see the controlled aggression,confidence in that holding where as Jaya's holding is marginalised and bit of shyness in that holding. So I think Australians will lift the cup though I love to support srilankans as I am an asian, indian, tamilian

Sri lanka will win this World cup 2007, and the man of the match will be Murli. Aussie will loose this math by 30 Runs. The World cup will be in asia this time

To Johanne,

Thanks for your response - yes I do agree with you. May be they are more worried about Malinga. But what I am trying to say was, they would be in a better frame of mind if these two bowlers played in the last game, and Ausssi scored those 220 odd runs with the lost of five or even six wickets.

Few hours from now will tell us all these.

Enjoy the match and - have a great evening, night, morning, day … or whatever everybody ..- Don't switch off the TV if the team you are supporting is 60 for 5.

All the best – for all of you and, me too.

The time is here....the future has dawned..a great civilisation with a rich heritage and it`s forefathers who roam it constantly are united..a great nation awakens..20 million people and their undefeatable will rally around one man called Mahela..TONIGHT IS THE MOTHER OF ALL NIGHTS..Ricky,Andrew,Hayden,Bracken bring it on...WE ARE READY!!!

love your piece haha. I happen to come across this right as i was listening to Ravel: Bolero

This is a response to all those who called Murali a chucker.

Qualified doctors and scientists, even from Australia, at many different times have proved that he does not chuck. This ought to satisfy your obviously less than mediocre intelligence.

But of course if Murali was part of your time and winning you matches, you would be singing a different tune wouldn't you?

My my, how sour the grapes are.

Ranatunga is still chirping away eleven years later that its easy to beat Australia, you just have to serve it up to them.

Which rather cutely ignores the lack of Sri Lankan success against Australia since then, and of course no mention is made of the dewy condititions in that evening of that 96 world final that made it impossible for the Australians when they bowled

But hey its great to see that Australia has managed to bring together Asian cricket via the sub continent inferiority complex.

Rest assured that Australia don't suffer the same racist group think, we'd hardly be barracking automatically for NZ if they were in the final instead of us

Harden up Asia

Please don't turn it into an Asia vs Australia game. I would rather Indian supporters not support SL if that is the case. Grow up!!!

Sri Lankans are talented and fantastic team players. All the best and Good Luck Guys!
FANS Don't Miss IT..............Don't Sleep??? Cheers............

So 3 hours more to start 2007 WC Final.
Everybody looking the "WHO WILL WIN THE TOSS" & whats happend Next. "TOSS" is luck but not always.
So playing well will WIN the game. Both teams specially SL will use some tricks.Kangaroos want to take revenge of 1996 , but dont want to remember it.

So It's happening .....! again

History will repeat...!

I've just saw a comment by Terry Gonsalves and thought I'd say something 'bout it. If he can't remember murali was cleared of all charges by the ICC after considering the test results of specialists who carried out the tests; in Australia. Is Terry Gonsalves a far more qualified specialist in the scientific field to criticise others? Or else he might be jealous of Murali, the king of spin cuz loads of batsmen tell he's the greatest spin bowler ever; even the current top batsmen in ODIs Kevin Peterson. As far as I'm concerned and I'm sure millions of others will agree with me that as long as sad losers like Terry Gonsalves keep out of anything that's got to do with cricket it will be better for the game. And I also wish the Sri Lankan team for the final today! Go win what is yours!

Sri Lanka will win this world cup 2007. They are great challenges to any one. I will my country victory this night. Triple Jem Bless to Sri Lankan team

Alright Terry Gonsalves, I will respect your viewpoint though I cannot possibly agree with it. I doubt the majority of cricket commentators and cricket followers in the world would agree with it too ever since the newer evidence was brought to light (for one such example, see StrightArm above).

Be that as it may, would you be so kind as to consider criticising the bowler without resorting to denigration? You can instead write a telling critique which, well supported with verifiable facts, will surely convert the multitude to your viewpoint. If you do not wish to or if you cannot, then it is better to keep your viewpoint to your self as nobody will find your argument or lack of argument too convincing (obviously). On the contrary, it would simply get viewed as mud-slinging... which is what is happening. This surely defeats any meaningful purpose for your posts.

Krish, I viewed the same photo you refer to. What struck me was that Ponting looked unnatural in what I perceived was his over-confidence, while Mahela looked more natural... well, modest, I might add. All this just goes to show that whatever is perceived may well be more in the eye of the perceiver... you and me (and everyone else).

It wouldn't surprise me if the Lankans score a stunning upset... although I would refuse to bet on it.

ok people dream on . aussies are gonnawin esay. Thats all I wanna say. You all are gonna get their hearts broken. I want SL to win but whats the point when they r not going to. Wait a sec. Murli around the wicket to Aussie batsmen. Hmm. Jaya scoring a century. All Right!!!

What the hell. Aussies still won by 5 wickets.

i heard i lot of australia being under pressure, and SL got nothing to loose. But i Think thats not true. SL are too feeling the heat. From the very beginingof this world cup, there has been a hype that Lankans Are going to steal the show and upset the Aussies. Everywhere, every cricket fan putting there hopes on SL. Except Australia, Whole World is supporting them. Now this support does turn to pressure.
Other Thing more, Since 1996 World Cup, Sri lanka hasn't really Played Major Tournament Final. They did reach that (rain washed 2day) icc trophy final in 2002. But didn't fare too well. Question marks remains as How They Coupe With the pressure of Big Match, Like This ONE. On The other Hand Aussie are renowned for their mental Toughness.They know what final is all about and how to control the nerve.

Sri Lanka Is a team With Immense Talent. But they don't often click together. They Will have to now, if they want to outplay Aussies and win the world cup.

Terry Gonsalves' insecurites are refelcted by the retoric, he tends to post on this blog! His knowledge of the game, is probably as limited as his intellect! Murali is GREAT, and an un-paralleled genious! Cheers, Mate!

It is perhaps true that most Indians support Sri Lanka. I had also been a great fan of Sri Lankan Cricket. So, I will root for them but not in the same way as I did in 1996. The thing that upset me very much during this the India Sri Lanka match was the insult that a senior pro like Chaminda Vass hurled at Robin Uthapp - a relative new comer in World Cricket. Vaas ignored all the congatulations of his team mates and continued with his offensive language towards Uthappa even long after he was out. I suppose Indians have done a lot for Sri Lankan Cricket and Chaminda's actions leaves a bad taste.

a wet dream has certainly come true this morning in barbados, lets just hope the final lives up to it's billing. I wish a good match and believe that regardless of skill, luck has a bit to play in this and every sporting matchup. Good luck to all supporters of Cricket regardless of where you live , we are all the same people albeit with differently coloured skin and cultures. Go the Aussies and Go Sri Lanka!

The Nationalism on this blog is attrocious. who Cares what colour you are? To all the seemingly marginalised, colour blind people out there... please wake up and realise we all live on the same planet and all have the right to be here....As an Aussie i am devastated by the lack of ethical and ethnic control on the basis of where you happen to live....please remember you are just a simple human being who cannot understand the meaning of the universe.... That said... lets hope the best team wins and life will go on.. get over it !

Dear "They changed the laws so I could play"

Inferiorty complex?! You are not all that wrong. But this is not brown colour sub continent against white Australia. If NZ were in the final? Yes! Then all Asia would not have gathered against one opponent. NZ is small and they dont do things to attract disliking.

It is not easy to get out of a psychological backwardness after 500 years of european battering of Sri Lanka. Our minds have been raped as well. Sinhala was made second class and English was made the official language. If one was unable to speak English he would be treated second class. Eating with fingers was bad and using fork and knife was good. Playing Elle (local sport like baseball) was thought to be of not in fashion. And it was fashionable to play cricket. This phonomenon continued after independance. The weapon of English was used to exclude the rural youth. Talking English with a foreign accent is fashionable in Sri Lanka even today. And speaking bad English was/is laughed at.

Arjuna Ranatunga once said that when he first went to SSC, the players were asked to talk in English and to eat using knife and fork. This is exactly the situation where the non-English speaking Sinhala youth feel inferior. I think it was Arjuna who changed that. Today, it is not the English speaking elite who represent Sri Lanka cricket. Kids of ordinary families have found their way into the National team. For the Sinhalas this is a revival. Today, in the playing ground, one hears the national team speaking in Sinhala, to the Sinhalese the language of the common man - in a sport that was once thought to be only played by the elite in SL. If Arjuna was not brave enough to make the change, many guys who represent SL today coming from humble backgrounds, may not have found their due worth.

So, there is an inferiority complex withing the context of Sri Lanka. But Australia (neither England) does not play a part in that in the present day context.

Ramping up against Australia in a cricketing context, I think, has more to do with the Australian arrogance on the field. They do it well and they are successful. We cannot emulated them and do not need to either.

There is another thing why the subcontinent people gather to support SLns. Whether you like it or not, they are likeable in general - and players seem to have less ego.

The Aussie can emulate the Sri Lankans, if they want to. But for that it requires one quality: being able to let things go.

By the way I was hoping for both sides to go pass 300 mark. Looks like I am going to be disappointed.

U LOOSE MUKUL BIGTIME DONT TAKE ON A GOD AN UNDEFEATED ONE SRI LANKA WILL GO BACK YEARS IN TERMS OF CRICKET AFTER THIS U WAIT AND SEE

except for sri lankans --- everyone else should root for australia. coz if u r a real lover of the game than u just cant ignore the way aussies are playing ----- seems to be an art that they hv mastered.

I m rooting for OZ

Ye Mukul, The Game is Over. SL can still held their heads high. Sachin should learn from Sanath, what means to deliver when required. Australia went comfortably with all the comical umpiring stuff. SL proved they are competitive opponents to AUSTRALIA. But MUKUL for you specially,
Gilly won it for Aussies, So when you wake up on SUNDAY, u will see PONTING with WC2007. Bye guys, but SL will rise to the best team in Asia

Hmm..Looks like the KANGAROO has choked the LION. Sorry ASIA,(as you all seem to want to be known as) But you're going to have to wait. NO, not for the next world cup but for your cricket administrators to get it right.
You all seem to misunderstand the difference between Arrogance and confidence and take sooo much umbrage at the sight of it. India lost early because of indifference within the players themselves; Pakistan because, well, they're Pakistan, no one knows whats going on with them. South Africa had folded 2 days before their game against Australia.(psychological)Sri Lanka, you just didnt aim up on the day, and apart from your top 3, i didnt think you would make it anyway.
Austr4alia is the team they are because of the WEST INDIES! We took stock of our game here and did what was needed to not only win but dominate the game in the manner we are showing.Many of you seem to be waiting for retirements to happen, so as to end this dominance. What a mistake this is! This dominance and confidence is going to continue untill the rest of you understand the need to groom this same arrogance/confidence in your game.That is, in the grass roots/county/state/schools. This so called BOORISH behaviour is a needed ingredient.For those of you who dissagree with this comment, look at what your all writing about, its the one common element and its putting other teams off.PSYCHOLOGY.All in all, i liked the final, even better WE WON THE BLOODY THING !!
When you all have finished your crying, Please, Please get your games Administrators to get cracking on bringing your game standards up to SCRATCH..we could do with some REAL competition here. C'mon...3peat..can we do 4? OF course.

kangaroos made a mincemeat of the lions!!!

first the pakistanis, then the indians, then the sri lankans. aussie dominance over the asians in simply unbelievable.

Johanne

Hope now you accept that seeds of future victory is determined earlier....

pretty quiet here. Isn't Australia in Asia?

Sri Lankan fans Mukul has jinxed you .. ha ha ha ..
Thank you Mukul ..

The problem with great dreams is that you have to wake up to reality some time. All you guys that thought Australia would be gone if Hayden & Ponting didn't fire forgot about ADAM GILCHRIST.

Human Right Watch and Amnesty International ran a campaign during the cup urging Sri Lankan government to 'play by the rule' as to say 'obey international laws and norms of human rights'. Sri Lankan government and media tried to counter it by putting the focus on what was happening on the field. When the international media was busy reporting on Sri Lanka's victories on the cricketing field, the deaths, destructions and disappearances were submerged in the fireworks for cricketing feats. The president went to Barbados to see his team 'win' and to return home with the team as a victorious leader of a fabulous nation, completing overshadowing his brutal humanright violations. In light of all these, what happened minutes ago is VERY VERY SATISFYING!

On a different note, what a brilliant knock by 'Gilly'? The 'walker' of the game just proved that if you 'play by the rule' you will be rewarded!

As for what is happening in Australia, there are no fire works, there won't be a public holiday tomorrow. The political life of the country will not change. Just a few million sleep deprived fans having a drink or two, blissfully unaware that their team has saved hundreds of human lives in Sri Lanka by putting the focus back on real issues.

ha, so much for the Murli show. The Aussie's sure do fear him don't they? 44 off 7 overs. Go the Aussies!

Hi all,
So it's finally over. I've been reading plenty of Aussie-bashing on this blog for a long time now. I believe the author of this blog & his cronies are paid just to do that. I'm of Indian orgin myself though now live in Canada. I'm saying this so that nobody should be under the impression that these comments come from an Aussie.
Lot of people on this blog kept screaming over the rooftops about Aussie racism. But the truth is closer to home in countries like India. All one has to do is go through matrimonial ads in newspapers & such. e.g. "Everybody wants a fair skinned wife/husband." Isn't that hypocritical? And what about India's famous caste system? Isn't that racist as well?
Lot of fans were gloating about how talented SL players are & how mechanical the Aussies are. You cannot win a tournament just by being mechanical. And if Asians teams were so talented shouldn't they have lifted the cup everytime? When an Asian teams win tournaments it's sheer talent, brilliance & what not. When countries like Australia lift cups (with unfailing regularity I might add) it's because they are professionals. Wow....don't Asian players get paid for playing cricket as well? So that makes them professionals too.
Someone said this Aussie team is no match for the West Indies team of the 80s. If so, then how come they have a hat-trick, with 4 total WC victories while the West Indians have just 2 with no more in sight...honestly speaking.
Someone said "Oh...the Lankan Lions are going to eat Kangaroos for barbeque." Well, either they were just sheep in lion's clothing after all OR if they were lions at all they might as well put their tails between their legs & run.....run like hell till the end of this world because Murali, Chaminda, Malinga or no Murali, Chaminda, Malinga .... the kangaroos are still going to whip you guys.
An execution well executed....that too publicly.
GO AUSSIE GO...
And don't forget to whack that obnoxious ex-cricketer either in a bar or on the streets or wherever you guys can find him.

"see you on sunday boys when we sing WE ARE THE CHAMPION, WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS AND THOSE ARE LOOSERS"

Bukkhi, thanks for posting the words to that song - us aussies haven't stopped singing it!!

Whilst I am extremely happy that Australia has won the World Cup I feel for Sri Lanka who never really had a decent chance to chase the Australian's total. A terrible end to a disappointing World Cup which has done nothing to advance the game. I believe that Australia is an awesome unit and would have beaten Srk Lanka over 50 overs but having the final reduced and then played in the dark was a joke. Both teams should be given a fair opportunity. I ask the Sri Lankan supporters who have been so outspoken in their hatred of Australia not to blame us for this farce. Blame the ICC who seem to make up rules as they go along. Personally I would have liked to see the match moved to Sunday so that we could have a real game of cricket and not the joke that ensued. Oh..and to those who claimed Adam Gilchrist is over-rated...yeah right!

So Dear Mukul It happends,,

AUS got WC 2007 , but SL played under pressure.
They dont know target & Bad light as well as Rain. ICC must answer this question. I dont know this stupids why did not call this game to next day or limit to 25 overs. ( In rainy day even kid knows dark will come soon in evening ) Begining ICC has to limit this game to 25 overs or call to next day. But they want business than the game.
AUS is a very powerful team. So how SL can face to them in bad lights?
This is the worst game I ever saw.
We no need the victory. But we don't want like this stupid end.

ICC must change their name to UCC - ( Unprofessional Cricket Council )

Mahela , You done it. They fear to you..,
We LIONS do our best..,
Come back home,
We are waiting for You.....,

For Mukul and all devastated SL fans,

Aussies are THE BEST. Best team won and SL did put up a credible show, but their best was not up to the mark for Aussies. They have outclassed every team on the planet and rt now no other team has in it to stop them. So Aussies are the worthy winners and they do it for their way f play, not for their sledging or color of the skin or whatever emotional reason, one can put up.

It was attrocious and really shockign to find SL fans demeaning all other ppl and fellow blogegrs who commented not in coherence with their views, their nationalism was overboard and uncalled for. The life doesnt stop after a defeat or victory, thats something which subcontinental fans have to understand...

Its a pity that the SL fans literally pumped unwanted emotions, irrelevant venom against Austraalia, called players names and even called India a disgrace. I know a few of this fellow SL fans coming down to my blog space and hurling abusive comments down there.

This is really sick and also sick is when matured journos go overboard in support of one team. This is blind cyniscism.

The best teams played the final and the weaker ones fizzed out before the grand stage. And yes being an Indian i wud hv loved to see Rahul s men playing AUssies, but they played sickening cricket and rightly got kicked out in the 1st round, but Lankans deserve some praise for wot they did , btu somehow they werent the best team in the tourney and the one which was won convincingly....And then it doesnt mattr when u try to score psychological points over opposition captain by restign 2 of ur best bowlers or going late to the photo shoot to keep Ponting awaiting, hoping that he wd flutter and err in the world cup. And this all on advise of some astrologer back home in Lanka....Franatic!!!! And totally uncalled for....

There r just 3 things in the cricket field : Bat, bowl and field!!! The one who does better wins, rest doesnt matter, no color, no asia or oceania, no emotions, no pyscho warfare, no demeaning, nothing....Just pure genius on cricket field and being ahead of the game by 5-10 overs....Thats what the great RICHIE BENAUD said!!!

MUKUL, Like you I have dreamt of the perfect team and the perfect match all my life. It's a pity that the Aussies have won yet again I hope they will soon come acropper. As Nemesis for all the nonsense they have brought to the game: physical obstruction, sledging, intimidation and a cockyness that our friend Plum would have found reprehensible. It certainly had no place in the world of Jeeves and Aunt Agatha.

And the DREAM of yours has remained just that - A dream. Gilchrist a "bunny" of Vaas ! Malinga will terrorise !! Murali will demolish !!! Have you all day-dreamers woken up?? How was Gilly, Mr Mukul? Please write sensibly.

Why has everyone gone silent? After all that talk.......

jabber, jabber, jabber, yada, yada, yada,

you SL guys really know HOW TO TALK

pity for you it's actions that count.....

Has anyone noticed that the Austrslian bolwers play very aggresively bowling not at the wicket but at the batsmens ribs? This is not sport but simple aggession.

Imagine the parallel with football where even a simple push of another player would earn you a yellow/red card. Why can't the ICC bring in tough new rules where aggression such as bowling at the ribs is punished by a no ball or a severe warning.

I can't believe or accept that somehow, South Africa, England, India or Pakistan are somehow less talented than the aussies but simply that australian bowlers are excessively aggressive and their aggression simply cannot be categorised as sport.

I hope for the good of the game of cricket and for the future of the game, the ICC are bold, not get intimidated by the australians and simply put a stop to their aggressive bowling at the ribs(would they bowl at the batsmens heads and groin area if this tactic fails?!) otherwise cricket could not be categorised as a gentlemans game anymore.

Sadly other countries are trying to imitate these terrible practises by the aussies by being aggressive themselves which does not bode well for the game of cricket.

I hope and wish for the future of the game of cricket that aggression not be confused with sport.

Has anyone noticed that the Austrslian bolwers play very aggresively bowling not at the wicket but at the batsmens ribs? This is not sport but simple aggession.

Imagine the parallel with football where even a simple push of another player would earn you a yellow/red card. Why can't the ICC bring in tough new rules where aggression such as bowling at the ribs is punished by a no ball or a severe warning.

I can't believe or accept that somehow, South Africa, England, India or Pakistan are somehow less talented than the aussies but simply that australian bowlers are excessively aggressive and their aggression simply cannot be categorised as sport.

I hope for the good of the game of cricket and for the future of the game, the ICC are bold, not get intimidated by the australians and simply put a stop to their aggressive bowling at the ribs(would they bowl at the batsmens heads and groin area if this tactic fails?!) otherwise cricket could not be categorised as a gentlemans game anymore.

Sadly other countries are trying to imitate these terrible practises by the aussies by being aggressive themselves which does not bode well for the game of cricket.

I hope and wish for the future of the game of cricket that aggression not be confused with sport.

The Srilankan fans too emotionally threw words for granted in this blog. Maybe thats what Mukul Wanted here. 2 things happened as per Mukul Said.
Ponting won the toss and Sanga n Sanath got their touch. SL targeted Hayden,Ponting & Symonds, but forgot Gilly. Gilly launched a massive assault with the main 3 bowlers whom SL hided to surprise AUS in the final. Aussies make plans in field but Others plan the night before. Srilankans Surely gave a good fight, which is a best example for INDIANS and PAKISTANIS to know what means batting under pressure. SL played well, but not enough for AUSSIES.I dont think if any SL fan will reply in this blog anymore, because they'd be just finding hard to digest this result. Mukul pumped up Srilankans and Srilankan fans surely threw words for granted with nonstop sledging and accusing especially players like IAN CHAPPEL (I think none of the SL fan who wrote here have watched Ian Chappel in his pomp).
ONETHING was UNIQUE in yesterday's match. MCGrath in his last match picked the wicket of Arnold who also had his last appearance in INTERNATIONAL CRICKET. GLENN, RUSSELL, SANATH, ADAM, HAYDEN, MARVAN, possibly VAAS and MURALI will be missed in NEXT WC.

Oh dear! We lost. But congratulations to australia. They certainly were the best team in this tournament by a long chalk.
A word about Sri Lanka though. This sri lankan side is the best one and far better than the one in'96(except for the lack of an Aravinda). It just goes to show how far the aussies have advanced in their cricket over the past few years and its certainly gonna take some doing to get on par with them in the near future. Think we all need up the standard or the next world cup is gonna be even more one sided than this one!

Purr,purr,purr,is this the roar of the Lions?.Well done Australia and Sri Lanka, two of the best teams were in the finals and the better of the two were decided victors. No Roos on the "barbie" or curry, and spare the" maned" ones, poachers are taking them to extinction anyway. ADAM GILCHRIST, the most feared batsman, in one day cricket,put on a spectacular display of power punches and the Aussie machine mowed on.Congrats to the best and to the second best. The old guard of Jayasuriya, Vaas and Mahela have nothing to be ashamed of, infact you ought to be very proud.With Gilly on song a World X1 would not have come any closer. Bset wishes for the future.

What is your real name anonymous?Ashamed of it, you ought to be and that is the reason I refer to your type in lower case. Cleared you say to the Chucker. You are right, Gilly did clear him out of the ground and hopefully out of cricket.
Thank you Sri Lanka and Australia and especially Gilly and Sanath for a final in an otherwise deplorable,disorganized and easily forgetable World Cup.

Mukul Kesavan, looks like your dream turned into a nightmare and the Punch and Judy show turned into a solo performance by Adam Gilchrist!

Your by-line states that you write from a spectatorial axiom "distance brings perspective", maybe you should take a closer look and realise that there are other countries that play cricket, who aren't Asian but are just as passionate and possibly in future try to write in a less biased, one-eyed fashion.

Congratulations Australia, commiserations Sri Lanka. It was a very unfortunate way to play such an important game.

The most racist website in Cricket. You should be ashamed of yourselves.

Hello All AUS Suppoters,

This is not the last WC. Everybody knows what happend to the match. Stupid ICC now saying sorry for the match. They want to give the WC to AUS.
281 for 38 overs is not a mirracle. Why you forgot the match against SA. AUS make 434.
But SA beat you ( 438-49.5ov)
Dont forget this match. AUS World Record blasted in the same game. It is big Shame for you.
ICC fear to call the match next day.Specially TOSS also WON by AUS. If SL win the TOSS they must
call the game next day.

Now all over. No need to say " WE ARE SORRY "

AUS+ICC beat SL

This is the Truth....!

Shame... Shame ...... AUS
You can WIN against SL by D/L Method only.

Yes.., We accept..

AUS+ICC vs SL Played WC Final.
D/L also support to AUS.
So now you can think (If not stupid)

Congrats Sri Lanka on a terrific world cup - you made it a tournament (unlike India, Pakistan, and the other teams that barely turned up to play!). Sorry the final wasn;t closer, but at least we have memories of gilchrist's innings to live with us forever and ever.

See you in 2011.

Expect a pro Aussie article from Mukul next time on.. Did i say Mukul that how much u crooned for SL, made us fools to believe that they are really the best team on the earth and their bulldozer s gonna whip Aussie juggernaut and how lesser other teams are in front of Mahela - men.

And rt now it counts for nothing. Absolutely nothing. Those overboard fans are gone, shocked and in silence....

Expecting now some sensible posts here and no > bashing here pls. Its sickening for a author of a stature like you who writes regularly in reputed dailies and websites all over....

dont be sad my dear friends.what if srilanka had lost-jo haar ke jeete use baazigar kehte hain

Hope this is not censored....
Meanwhile : http://coherent-moments-of-cricket.blogspot.com/

What a sorry end to an event that is regarded as the pinnacle of Cricket and only comes every four years!

I assume the crowd who gathered at the Kensington Oval, Barbados on Saturday came there to witness a good game for a period of 100 overs. But, unfortunately nature was against everything and after waiting for so long the ICC reduced the much awaited FINAL of a WORLD CUP in to a 38 overs-a-side match. Surely, the ICC should have known before hand that there will be continuous rain interruptions and darkness issues during the second innings. Knowing all that, why couldn't the ICC reschedule the match to the next day ? Or play a 50-overs-a-side on one day and the other side the next day. Instead of doing any of these, the ICC officials and their umpires decided to stick with their own decision to hold the match.

For all that chaos the FINAL had to go through, and the irresponsible manner in which certain things were conducted, the ICC should surely take the blame.

It is sad that some people think that the 'world cup' belongs to Australia just because they won all the games throughout the tournament. One mustn't forget the fact that anything could happen on a given day and that the verdict of a good game cannot be given until its last ball is bowled.

Gilly who was quite out of form throughout the tournament turned the match upside down with a century. The way he approached the match was something that was quite surprising for some.
Gilly's latest revelation was that the secret behind such a significant change was a squash ball that he stuck in to his glove. If he really used a squash ball inside his glove, it devalues the spirit of the game for sure. Because as far as I'm aware no one can use anything and everything they want, other than what is permitted. If some team other than Aus had done this,there would have been quite a lot of fuss by now.

Didn't the ICC know that a rain interruption would be unfair for Sri Lanka, who batted second because a dry-pitch would transform all of a sudden in to a wet one? Didn't the ICC know that continuous rain interruptions would affect the rhythm of the Sri Lankan batting ? After all does anywhere in the laws of cricket state that batsmen must play in the darkness (for over ten overs) for the sake of finishing a match in one day (in order to make the TV guys happy)?
When the whole world saw that Jayawardene's LBW was a clear not-out, Bucknor ruled it out as a LBW at the very moment when SL was recovering from the loss of rhythm due to rain interruptions and trying to give a fight to catch up with Aus's run rate. One might say that Bucknor himself had not seen whether it was out or not-out; true that, but the ICC should definitely have given a thought that such incidents could take place when playing in great darkness.

I have no doubt that Ponting would have strictly objected in playing in the dark, if Aus was batting second.

Given the hard conditions and the pressure that the Sri Lankan team had to face, it was a good performance by them.

Saying all this, I can only conclude that this world cup was not won but robbed. All the chaos that had taken place, limited all its chances for people to really decide the rightful winners, be they Aus or SL.

It was so much fun reading this blog with the benefit of hindsight. As expected the awesome Aussies crushed the lankans winning their 3rd World Cup in a row. I knew this would happen but waited till it was over to come here and have a good laugh over these posts. Just finished with the Pak Spin thingy and had a good time there as well. Am not an Aussie btw so spare me the hatemail. Am from the subcontinent but admire the Aussies - the quality and passion of their cricket. Wish more people could remove their blinkers and do the same.

Aussies 'think' they won..but if we had fair conditions we would have seen a better match..obviously where sri lankans would have screwed Aussie asses. I was in Barbados and the local support for the Sri lankans was awesome. Its hard to believe that players from a tiny island won the hearts of the whole of carribeans. Ask anyone there and all their heart is out for lankans. its a known fact the Aussies have some attitude, we all ask why? mayb coz they were the deported prisoners from US?!?!?HAD NO WHERE TO GO, SO JUST DUMPED THEM IN AUSTRALIA..LMFAO! Everyone there says sri lanka never got a fair deal of the game. It was just a free game for Aussies and ICC probably gave it to them..we all know about the support for the big nations. And also Gilchrist is a cheater. He had a squish ball in his glove. its a joke man! Aussies who brag about us chucking and throwing goes all that way to cheating. Anyways The world cup isnt urs u Aussies! thats what u think. The world cup was a disappointing ending.

Aussie guy here. I was just reading about how India are already training for their upcoming series vs Bangladesh. And I wanted to wish the Bangladeshi's good luck in that series.

Oops, I forgot. Sorry for uttering such racist tripe. But what were you expecting? I am an Aussie, after all, and every single one of us is just like Darren Lehmann. That's not a stereotypical view of us, that's just fact.

(Sarcasm Alert)

Ratan your comments are a joke. I think you've eaten one too many sour grapes. Physical obstruction you might have to explain that one. It's time Mukul was taken off Cricinfo. He is pathetic.

I used to like your blogs.They seemed sensible and coherent...but now I realise that this was the honeymoon period. You are also one of the "jingoistic" "Sachin and India are the best" chest thumping irrational and illogical Indian Cricket writer.
The above article and the one about Greg Chappell were loads of BS.

wat happened to ur dream mukul.. n ther r no new posts after aussies won..!! They r the best and itz time for u to admit that..

Hello Cricket Fan. You are not a cricket fan, you are Srilankan Cricket Fan. D/L method is in effect since 1994 accepted by all cricketing nations, LBW decisions can be contreversial too. those things also contribute to results. But Sir. If you see some matches from wc2003, where umpire didnt judge the clear caught behind of Jayasuriya against NZ where he went to score a century. Now as i see Srilankans trying to find a luckyday against Aussies and they think it would be 29th instead 28th. But 29th too it was bad weather in barbados. Hope better luck in 2011, not just luck but also professionalism. One request better change your coach if u hate Aussies

SL are sour loosers. God, its comical to read their fans comments on different forums, sites and blogs. Full of abuses, racism, self inflicted inferiority complex syndrome esp due to political situations, yada yada, jaber jaber jaber.....

Sl are not the only country playing cricket, their history of game is short lived. Do they have any player in the list of great players ? Nope. all they boast of is 1996, thats the only proud achievement they have and that was when they had 4 points due to the forfeit of the games by AUS and WI.

What r we goin to do with SL hearts ? Who cares who won whose hearts? 2 hoots to them. Fact is SL lost and now they are crying foul. Where are those big words on the same page ? Gone, head stuck with doom in the sand ? Kangarro Curry for lunch, dinner were the words.

Who were cooked for the lunch and then the dinner ? The 2 bowling "greats" -- Murali and Vaas. yes greats they are -- one in abusing the batsmen and the other one for ahem ahem we all know.

For GOD s sake, no more SL blogs Mukul. Write something on Eng-WI series, say something about India, say something about any other damn topic but for heaven s sake dont dont post a sugary blog on SL, which are one sided and totally biased. And please relax ur approval criteria for non-SL fans and increase them for SL fans. Esp the racist and pathetic English ones....

It seems Mukul is in love with the idea of romanticising the Sri Lankan team. They seem a nice bunch of blokes(atleast externally). However he seems to have pushed this idea a bit too far, with his redundant rhetoric, making it boring and at times obnoxious. Possibly he wanted to write this 'praise showered piece' for his native India, but they obviously weren't upto the standards. Not that Sri Lanka were upto the lofty Australian standards either.
It is also appalling to see him vent out his loathing for Australia such outrageously and numerous other ignorant fools who are labelling the Australians as 'racists', 'facists' and god knows what.
But after a while I realised that this post is nothing more than a tiny slit of escapism for a group of people who have been abject failures throughout their miserable lives.

I reckon it's a shame most of the comments on here have not been about the joys & wonders of cricket & what we have seen this tournament from ALL the nations. Rather, some are taking a swipe at other countries & cultures.
Yes we are all different, from different parts of the world but we all love to play/watch this wonderful game. Some of us play/approach it differently but we bring our approaches to the tournament & lay it out there.
Cricket is a great game & the World Cup is meant to bring us all together.
I'm Aussie & proud. I also have friends who are Aussie but were born in Sri Lanka, West Indies, England, India, Pakistan, South Africa (etc) & we all love cricket & talk about it. It is something we have in common - Not divisive.

The Australian Team might seem arrogant but in reality I believe they want to win, and to be successfull you have to take that mindset into a game. Hard, focussed & uncompromising. Know what you want & go for it. What's wrong with that? It works doesn't it? If they lose they learn from it & improve.
Like many other cricket playing nations we also have our trials & tribulations in a country of 20 million but you have to rise above it & have a focus.
It's called professional sport folks.

regarding Gilly's innings, I could possibly understand people questioning his use of teh squash ball if he was a trundler who all of a sudden belted on of teh best bowling attackes out of the park, but lets remember who this is - squash ball or no squash ball this is the same player who against his recent form, belted the second fastest century in a test match - a game where there are no fielding restrictions, and at a rate sater than his world cup century. Squash ball or no, every time Gilly steps up to the crease, there is a distinct chance of a demolition job!.

well hello for the last time;
Have to say this loud and clear...

OZ are the best team,and SL best of the rest..but they are really exciting and tink we had a good final with some stupid ending by the ICC... said that ,have to say performance by India was pathetic and some Indian bloggers writing garbage here to console themselves..

come on India,, cant u do better than brining some NO-CONFIDENCE MOTIONS against ICC..just learn to play cricket..U are a pathetic site to watch..and can only can win in Online games and in terrorist fundings....sorry if i was little harsh..but this is the hard truth..WINNING AGAINST bangla and smashing Greig chappel again wont help u a bit.

come down to real world and smell the roses....

One of the greatest innings ever seen in my life ...who plays better than this in current cricket. Former Australian players are crying for his retirement after that there players want to achieve all the records same things they are expecting from mural too black & white issue so sachin don't worry carry on

I wish all the best to SL Cricket Team.I Love SL Cricket.