The Hindu : Sport : The boys are raring to go

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Thursday, Apr 26, 2007
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The boys are raring to go

The eventual result against New Zealand could be attributed to Sri Lanka's fantastic team spirit, writes TOM MOODY

ROCK `N' ROLL: Camaraderie is a key factor in Sri Lanka's success . — PHOTO: AFP

For most of the boys, being in the final of the World Cup is an unusual feeling.

Memories of 1996 are obviously looming large, and I sense an element of absolute determination within the team. Every single player knows that the World Cup is not over yet, and though they are very excited at the prospect of playing in the final, there is no indication whatsoever that they are willing to rest on their laurels.

Forgive me if this sounds clichéd, but it makes virtually no difference to us who we play in the final, apart of course from the different strategies that we have in place for either of the two teams.

At the risk of stating the obvious, I would say that in order to be the best, you have to beat the best.

We are aware of this fact, and not counting on any factor other than our own merit to see us through.

Merit on display

We displayed plenty of that merit in our semifinal, and despite the great individual performances from Mahela and Murali, I would say the eventual result could be attributed to the fantastic spirit that has been building within this team. Of course, that is to take nothing away from Mahela's innings, one of the best one-day knocks that I have seen, and a master class in innings building on a pitch that was not overly friendly to batsmen.

As a leader, he took the responsibility of ensuring that New Zealand found the final target unreachable. We had been targeting 240-250, but Mahela's innings gave us the advantage of having wickets in hand at the death, so that 30-odd bonus runs were there for the taking.

Needless pressure

At the start of our innings, we were conscious of the Shane Bond factor, and wanted to nullify his wicket-taking ability as much as possible. At the end of the day, he is a wonderful bowler, but the problem is that when a player or team announces an intention to target a particular opposition player, there is a needless build-up of pressure that can actually be counter productive.

I think that is what happened to Bond — having announced his intention to target Sanath Jayasuriya, he probably felt he had to live up to it. We were always aware that he would be the key for New Zealand, and that our top three batsmen — all left-handers — could face problems against him.

So now we look ahead to Barbados, where the track will be livelier, and where we will face the World's No. 1 or No. 2 team. With a bowling attack to suit all conditions, and a batting line-up that goes down to number eight, are you surprised that the boys are raring to take the field?

(Gameplan)

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