COLOMBO, 1 August 2004 — A thrilling cricketing battle for supremacy is on the cards as hosts Sri Lanka take on formidable challengers India in the final of the Asia Cup at the Premadasa Stadium here today.
Both teams are confident of victory, sharing the two earlier matches in the competition — India losing the first match by 12 runs and then drawing level by winning by four runs in the return clash.
Sri Lanka are in their seventh straight final — they won only twice in 1986 and 1997 — both at home.
India on the other hand won four of the first five tournaments.
Interestingly, of the 39 one-day matches played the venue, the team batting first has won 25 times.
In the current tournament, however, the team batting first have lost three times out of five.
Indian captain Saurav Ganguly thinks his boys have not performed to their potential so far in the tournament.
“We have not played to the best of our potential and still managed to get to the final. I hope one match will do the trick for us,” he told newsmen during the team nets yesterday.
Ganguly is not unduly worried about the lack of titles under his captaincy.
“It’s a new day tomorrow and it’s a new game and I hope to win it,” he said.
Ganguly does not think it is difficult to beat the Lankans at home.
“We won the last game. If they did not have their full team we did not have our prolific batsman Laxman,” Ganguly said.
However, Ganguly conceded that Sri Lanka are a good one-day side at home.
“But we have beaten them in the past at home. They are a good side as all teams are at home. It is just that we will have to play well. The conditions are similar for us back home. Our wickets have a bit more bounce. I hope we click as a team tomorrow,” he said.
Ganguly said the fielding will be crucial as it is for any one-day game.
He said the possibility of playing three left-arm seamers is very much there.
“We will have a look at the wicket. If it is as dry as in the last game then we probably won’t go in with three left-arm seamers. Otherwise that definitely is an option. Laxman is fit and will be playing. Parthiv Patel won’t be in the side,” Ganguly added.
Ganguly thinks winning the toss is not important.
“Wickets for the finals are prepared with much more attention and care. It has got two days’ break after the Pakistan-Bangladesh game. They must have done a good job on the wicket,” he explained.
About Sanath Jayasuriya, who has tormented the Indians with his brilliant batting in the tournament, Ganguly said: “We know that Jayasuriya is an important wicket and we will try to get him out early. In the last game Zaheer had a strong appeal against him early in the innings,” Ganguly added.
About the threat from Muttiah Muralitharan, Ganguly said: “We have seen what he bowls all through the tournament. I don’t want to think about what they are doing. It is important to think what we are doing.
We shall play to our strength. We are the team which has won all over the world. We should be confident about our own abilities.” Sri Lankan captain Marvan Atapattu feels the Indians will be worried about Jayasuriya.
“Great to see Sanath in top form. The Indians have suffered the most at his hands and are naturally worried about him,” he said.
Atapattu said it was good to see everyone rise to the occasion.
“We all have played well in the tournament. Sangakkara too has played well. As far as the team is concerned this is one of the best periods we have had,” Atapattu said.
Atapattu said he was happy that the team was doing so well here after their none-too-happy tour of Australia.
“Expectations are naturally high because we are playing at home. We have had some good individual performances. We are all keen to end on a high note,” Atapattu added.
He said everyone in the team was fit and available for selection.
Muralitharan and seamer Chaminda Vaas are coming back after missing the last game. It will be a full strength India against a full strength Sri Lanka and a keen contest is in the offing.
