Mumbai, April 1 (IANS) Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara had a simple message for his team on the eve of Saturday’s World Cup final here against India: ‘Score more runs and take quick wickets’ to give them the Cup a second time after 1996.
Sangakkara, who was part of the side that finished runners-up in 2007, called on his players to lift their performance. He did not want a repeat of the last World Cup final, when Sri Lanka was comprehensively beaten by Australia.
‘We have to play tomorrow as well as we can. Four years back we were outdone by a fantastic innings by Adam Gilchrist. This time we won’t allow that to happen and even if it happens, hopefully we will have the mental aptitude to adjust and get back in the game,’ Sangakkara said at the Wankhede Stadium.
‘We have to keep ourselves grounded. Tomorrow’s strategy is very simple: score more runs and take quick wickets,’ he said.
The worry for Sangakkara are injuries to champion off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan and key all-rounder Angelo Mathews. The 38-year-old off-spinner sustained hamstring, knee, groin and side injuries in the run-up to the final, while Mathews strained his quadriceps muscle in the semifinal. Veteran fast bowler Chaminda Vaas and off-spinner Suraj Randiv have been flown in as covers for the injured players.
‘We have flown in covers for the injured players and we will make ongoing assessments as the day goes along. We will take a final decision by the evening as to who is fit to play and also decide on the combination of the team,’ Sangakkara said.
The captain is keeping his fingers crossed on Muralitharan, for whom Saturday’s final would be his 350th and last ODI.
‘Murali’s presence is always valuable. He is a big match player. It’s great to have him in the side. It will be great to have him tomorrow in the World Cup final,’ Sangakkara said.
‘Whatever happens tomorrow we want to play for him and play for each other and do the best that we can.’
Sangakkara said that despite the various injuries, Muralitharan was still a lively character in the dressing room.
‘It’s hard to shut Murali up, whatever his mood is. He’s pretty upbeat. He’s always talking, laughing and annoying most of the other players in the dressing room. Today’s been no different,’ said Sangakkara.
Asked if his team was the underdog, playing India on their home pitch, Sangakkara said: ‘I don’t think so because we have been playing well as a unit for the last couple of years. We have to accept the fact that the Indians, for the last two years, have been tagged as the favourites by almost everyone to win the World Cup.’
Sangakkara said all his boys are excited to play the final and it means a lot for the island nation which is coming out of a more than quarter century-old civil war.
‘Everybody in the squad is excited, but it is good too see that it is a sort of controlled excitement. It is a huge occasion and the boys are determined to win it. The World Cup means a lot for the country.
‘The nation has come through a very tough period. Lot of people laid down their lives and hopefully in this new future we can bring back the World Cup for Sri Lanka,’ he said.
Sangakkara said he had a look at the wicket at the Wankhede where they played New Zealand in their last league match. ‘It looks a good wicket.’
Having played the quarterfinal and the semifinal at home, Sangakkara feels playing in front of a vociferous Indian crowd will not affect his team.
‘It cuts both ways. Playing in front of the home crowd adds a lot to the excitement and makes you feel proud. But the weight of expectations is also tough. We would have loved to play the final at home, but that’s not the way it is and we have accepted it. I am sure the Indian crowd will appreciate a good game of cricket,’ he said.
–Indo-Asian New Service
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