India's thrilling victory over Sri Lanka on Tuesday once again highlighted the unpredictability and uncertainty of this great game of cricket. The result of the entire day's efforts was decided by the last ball of the match. Teams might have great names and the players might have performed well, but the result is not always in their hands.
Sri Lankan star Sanath Jayasuriya maintained a good run throughout the match, standing in the way of Indians reaching the final. But at the end, Zaheer khan, who otherwise looked like a perfect villain on the field, bowled the last over to steal the limelight.
Though Jayasuriya played another great innings of his life, his team members would be extremely unhappy with his dismissal. The Sri Lankan players, while applauding Jayasuriya's efforts, would suffer in silence, as it was his dismissal that rolled down the curtains on them.
Pakistan, too, would like to level Jayasuriya as their biggest enemy. Pakistan did beat India, but they have to accept the reality of the tournament rules and, indeed, the authority of Indian cricket in the Asian continent. Pakistan will have to wait for another opportunity to show their mettle.
There is a thin line that demarcates Ganguly's great captaincy and an ordinary leadership. In the end, a true leader is the one who often makes the right decisions, be it selecting the right people for the match, winning the toss and, most importantly, marshalling his resources on the field.
Ganguly has managed it too well to become India's best captain. The bowling changes in the last few overs were testimony of his good leadership.
Such close encounters make the perfect setting for the grand finale on Sunday. So far the tournament has failed to see the unfailing brutality of the diminutive duo, Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar. But finals are always different where the best is better derived from great players.
The last over bowled by Zaheer Khan must have done a world of difference to his eroding confidence. Great bowlers always work backwards while staging a comeback from an injury.
It appears that Zaheer is really working hard to find his place in the eleven. But when the team management picks him ahead of fit Ashish Nehra or Balaji, it proves that he is still an automatic choice. It must have been a hard decision to leave out Balaji, but then, Zaheer's experience always matters when it comes to crucial qualifying games.
The rapid progress made by Irfan Pathan is a great sign for Indian bowling. The strongest guy in the side has given a lot of importance to his fitness, and it is paying him rich dividends.
In a bowler's career, the more he bowls the more he learns. Recently I read an interview of Pathan, where he said: "I want to master my stock ball, that is the in-swinger, before I try anything else."
I thought it was a matured statement from a youngster, who has just played 18 games. Rahul Dravid once told me that he was amazed with Irfan's attitude and focus on the game.
Most of the Indian batsmen got runs in this tournament at different stages. It is now only the question of all of them coming together with runs on Sunday. The combination of Harbhajan Singh and Anil Kumble has worked too. With non-regular bowlers like Sachin and Sehwag also chipping in, the bowling department looks more or less settled.
Sri Lanka would have loved to pocket the last game to keep the wining streak intact. Muralitharan and Chaminda Vaas coming back in the side for the final should not really bother the Indians. It's all about applying one's minds on Sunday.
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