ICC World T20 2014 Final, India vs Sri Lanka: Expect the Asian final to be an absolute cracker!

India stand to become the first team to hold all three major limited-overs titles, having won the 50-over World Cup in 2011 and the Champions Trophy last year. Only Sri Lanka stand in their way.

Updated: April 5, 2014 10:01 PM IST

By Abhimanyu Shahi

ICC World T20 2014 Final, India vs Sri Lanka: Expect the Asian final to be an absolute cracker!

The world T20 champions will be decided from the result of the all Asian fixture in the finals of the ICC world T20 2014. Both the teams started their campaign when they faced each other in the practice games and ironically will face each other again in the all important finals. (Read: ICC World T20 2014: India’s Road to the Final)

The road to finals for the Indian team has been very impressive and they have defeated major contenders of the title to reach this stage. All their wins have been very comprehensive and even though their bowling failed to deliver in the last game, the team would be more than happy with their performance in the tournament so far. (Read: Form and history give India edge against Sri Lanka)

Virat Kohli as always has been the main key to success for the Indians. His innings in the semi finals might well be one of the greatest innings played by an Indian in a T20 game. Rohit Sharma has looked in good touch right throughout the tournament. He has scored Half centuries and played a very important innings of 24 against the proteas, giving India the perfect start that they needed. Players like Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh and Ajinkya Rahane have also looked in good touch and can very well play that one vital knock that might decide the result of the game. Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has been the joint that has kept the team together and has proved that the magic of his captaincy has yet not been lost.  He has managed his troops and strategies like that of the Dhoni of old and come the finals, there is not a bigger player than this man at the biggest stage of them all.

The Indian bowlers have been the game changers in the tournament so far if you ignore the semi finals against the proteas. The spinners have never given away anything, while Bhuvaneshwar Kumar has been India’s most Economical bowler of the tournament so far. Amit Mishra with his wily leg spinners has not been easy to put away at all, while Ravichandran Ashwin has been the highest wicket taker for India in the tournament.

The batting at the top will be the matter of concern for the Sri Lankan team. The duo of Sangakara and Dilshan has hardly contributed to the teams’ effort, while Jayawardene has managed only one innings of 89 against the English team, a game which the Lankans lost. Opener Kushal Perera has looked in good touch over the span of the tournament but has failed to convert his starts in major contributions. It has been the Middle order that has proved to be the savior for the Lankans as far as the batting is concerned. Angelo Matthews and Thisara Perera have baled them out on more than one occasion.

The bowling of the Lankan team will be the key factor in the final outcome. The Lankan bowlers have been mysterious as well as consistent with their bowling. The spinners consisting of Herath, Mendis and Senanayake can prove to be fatal to any batting line up. Herath specially will be the man to watch out for, as he has already shown shades of absolute brilliance in the tournament so far. Lasith Malinga has always been among the best T20 bowlers in the world, while Kulasekara has held his own in the tournament, picking up important wickets and also walking away with reasonable economy rates.

Key players:

India: Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Rohit Sharma, Amit Mishra.

Sri Lanka: Kumar Sangakara, Rangana Herath, Kushal Perera, Mahela Jayawardene.

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