New Delhi, April 1 (IANS) With India and Sri Lanka all set to lock horns Saturday in the battle for the cricket World Cup, most fans predicted an Indian win while some remained sceptical.
‘We are going all guns blazing right now and it would be impossible for the Lankans to stop the Indian juggernaut. Our win is inevitable,’ said Ankita Mehra, a 17 year-old student in east Delhi.
Agreed Khalid Khan, a mobile shop owner in Jammu’s Raghunath Bazaar.
‘Sri Lanka is good, but India is better. I am sure Sachin will score a hundred tomorrow (saturday) while Bhajji will cast his spell over Dilshan, Sangakkara and others,’ Khan told IANS over phone.
According to T.K. Murugan, a media professional in Chennai, India deserves to win the cup and looks much stronger on paper.
‘Sachin and Sehwag will annihilate the Lankan bowling. My heart and mind say India will lift the cup,’ he said.
However, some argued that underestimating a strong opposition like Sri Lanka would be foolish and India should tread with caution.
‘They (Sri Lanka) are the fittest team in the sub-continent and bowl and field like the Australians and the South Africans. The only downside is their middle order, but there is no clear winner as of now,’ Rakesh Ranjan, a software developer in Hyderabad, told IANS.
Rishima Joy, a chartered accountant from Kolkata, is also cautious in her prediction.
She said: ‘Although we have terrific batsmen in our side, Lanka is a more balanced team and has expertise in all aspects of the game. The second we drop guard, they’ll pounce on us,’ said Rishima Joy, a chartered accountant from Kolkata.
For many fans defeating arch rivals Pakistan in the semifinals was as good as winning the World Cup.
‘It doesn’t matter even if India loses because we have defeated Pakistan. The team has performed exceptionally well and I am proud of them,’ Sohan Singh, a driver in Punjab’s Ludhiana city, said over phone.
Vinod Sharma, a newspaper vendor in west Delhi, shares this opinion.
‘I could bear India losing to Sri Lanka, but not to Pakistan. So, our dream run continues in the World Cup,’ he said.
