By Our Special Correspondent
Kumar Sangakkara's memorable half-century helped Sri Lanka beat India by six wickets in the World Twenty20 final in Dhaka on Sunday. The veteran left-hander scored an unbeaten 52 off 35 balls in his last Twenty20 match.
Thisara Pereira was unbeaten on 21 with a winning boundary off Ravichandran Ashwin. But Sangakkara anchored the chase with six boundaries and a six in his unbeaten knock.
The victory gave Sri Lanka their first world title in 18 years after winning the World Cup (50 over’s) crown in 1996 and their fifth World Twenty20 champions in as many editions.
India won the inaugural edition in 2007, followed by Pakistan (2009), England (2010) and West Indies (2012).
It also broke Sri Lanka’s jinx of losing the final of major world level events as they had lost two World Cup (50 overs) finals (2007 and 2011) besides being runners-up in as many World Twenty20 events in 2009 and 2012.
The win provided a memorable swansong for veteran Mahela Jayawardene and Sangakkara, who announced his retirement from Twenty20 cricket after the tournament.
The win provided a memorable swansong for veterans Mahela Jayawardene and Sangakkara, who announced their retirement from Twenty20 cricket after the tournament.
Sri Lanka lost wickets regularly as the Indian spinners pressed, but Sangakkara kept one end intact.
Sangakkara added 34 runs for the third wicket with Jayawardene (24) and another 54 runs with Thisara for an incomplete fifth wicket before openers Kusal Pereira on five and Tillakaratne Dilshan on 18.
Despite a brilliant half-century from Virat Kohli, India collapsed to 130-4 with Sri Lanka bowling.
Kohli scored a 58-ball 77 for his eighth Twenty20 half-century — his fourth in this tournament — after India were sent into bat in a match reduced by 40 minutes due to rain.
Rain spiced the pitch for the bowlers but Kohli was at his best after India lost Ajinkya Rahane (three) in the second over of Angelo Mathews' innings. Left-arm spinner Rangana Herath's first delivery left Lasith Malinga at midwicket on 11 runs, Kohli took full advantage of the lap by hitting five boundaries and four sixes in a brilliant batting performance before being run out on the last delivery.
The dashing Kohli added 60 for the second wicket with Rohit Sharma (29) and another 55 for the third with Yuvraj Singh who slowed down the tempo with a snail-paced 11 off 21 balls.
Left-arm spinner Herath finished with 1-23 from his four over’s before stylish Mumbai batsman Sharma hit three boundaries off his 26 balls.
So facile were India’s last four over’s that there was no boundary and a well-set Kohli have just seven balls to play, restricting their total badly.
The win also ended a two-and-a-half-month long tour of Bangladesh for the brilliant Sri Lankans, during which they won all the matches in the bilateral series against the home team and the five-nation Asia Cup.
Bình luận