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Losses in crunch games will play on Sri Lankan minds
Just two months after the Asia Cup final, India and Sri Lanka square up in Dambulla again for another final. The hosts will go into this final with the recent losses to India in crunch games at the back of their mind, writes Sourav Ganguly.
Just two months after the Asia Cup final, India and Sri Lanka square up in Dambulla again for another final.
The hosts will go into this final with the recent losses to India in crunch games at the back of their mind.
India, after struggling initially, had come back to beat Sri Lanka in the final games of both, the Asia Cup and the recent Test series.
The Lankans will know that, of late, India have always delivered under extreme pressure. So their previous encounter, where they humiliated India, will have no major bearing on the final.
It will be a new day and a new game altogether for Sri Lanka. The biggest danger will be Sehwag. They will have to get him early if they intend to control India in this all important game. The other Indian batsmen, who have struggled for runs, will have to get psychologically ready for this game.
The biggest thing in sports is to put your past behind, and the young batsmen of India should focus on this particular game, because one big performance here will put all their failures behind.
The Indian bowling was very good in the last game and the four-pronged pace attack will come handy once again on this surface.
The Sri Lankans too will have to go in confidently with whatever bowling they have. The biggest worry for them will be their key bowler Lasith Malinga, who has been trying too much on this pitch.
He just needs to hit the right length as there is enough assistance in the pitch for the faster bowlers to extract advantage in their favour. He will do well by sticking to the basics.
Once again, it is the batting that will decide the final. My team is India. PMG
