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Afridi inspires Pakistan to a memorable triumph

S. Dinakar

Sri Lankans fail to deliver when it mattered most; Sangakkara’s gritty effort goes in vain

PHOTO: AP

CROWNING GLORY: Skipper Younis Khan (centre) and members of the Pakistan team celebrate the ICC World Twenty20 triumph at Lord’s on Sunday.

London: Pakistan won the key moments of the final. The side made the early inroads, laid a solid platform with its opening stand and was composed during the chase, picking the right time to accelerate.

Younis Khan’s men were worthy winners of the ICC World Twenty20 final at Lord’s on Sunday. Pursuing 139, Pakistan triumphed by eight wickets with an equal number of deliveries remaining.

Shahid Afridi impressed with his leg-spin and then produced an effort (54 not out off 40 balls) of substance.

He was named the Man of the Final. Tillakaratne Dilshan was adjudged the Player of the tournament.

Intelligent cricket

Afridi’s innings reflected his growing maturity. Between phases of belligerence — he thwacked Muttiah Muralitharan over the mid-wicket ropes and then smacked the off-spinner through covers in the 14th over and dismissed Isuru Udana away for a leg-side six and a four in the 18th — the all-rounder milked the bowling with firm drives and pushes. It was intelligent cricket.

Shoaib Malik (24 not out) donned a valuable supportive role. The 18th over of the innings where left-armer Udana conceded 19 runs settled the issue.

The first over of the summit clash produced a key moment of the match. The dangerous Dilshan was scalped by impressive young paceman Mohammed Amir, who sent down a nerveless over of searing short-pitched deliveries.

Given the left-armer’s angle from over-the-wicket — the delivery was zipping across the right-hander — it was hard for Dilshan to get around the ball and harness its pace. He was picked up at short fine-leg. The ploy — persistent short-pitched bowling — had worked; Dilshan’s strength proved his weakness.

Abdul Razzaq, a clever paceman, then got into the act. The ageless Sanath Jayasuriya had just pulled him over the ropes and whipped him for a boundary, when he forced the left-hander to edge a pull on to his stumps.

There was initial bounce and carry in the pitch and Sangakkara’s decision to bat was coming unstuck.

In deep trouble

Razzaq inflicted further damage. Pinch hitter, the left-handed Jehan Mubarak, came down the track, but holed out to mid-off. Mahela Jayawardene, attempting a cut, was pouched at slip. The side was 32 for four in the sixth over.

Chamara Silva struck a couple of spunky boundaries but perished to a back-of-a-length delivery from Umar Gul. Isuru Udana was foxed by an Afridi wrong ’un. The leg-spinner bowled beautifully, spinning the ball but giving little width on either side. Looking back, the initial overs set up the Pakistani victory.

Then, Kamral Akmal blazed at the start during the pursuit. He flashed Mathews through covers. Akmal is a quick-thinking batsman who can unsettle an attack with his ability to force a bowler to change his line.

Sangakkara gambled. The Lankan skipper introduced Ajantha Mendis inside the first six overs. Mendis’s overs had been influential in the tournament and somebody had to take the spinner on early in his spell.

Akmal did just that, picking the ball from outside off to slog-sweep Mendis over the ropes. Pakistan — 39 without loss — was easing towards the target after the power play overs.

The wicket-keeper batsman continued to inflict damage. Mathews was pulled — the delivery was again struck from outside off — for the maximum.

The wily Sanath Jayasuriya prised out Akmal slipping one down the leg even as the batsman gave the left-arm spinner the charge. Sangakkara removed the bails. But Mendis was not allowed to settle into a rhythm. Young opener Shahzaib Hasan collected two boundaries — an audacious straight hit and an inside-out cover drive — off Mendis’s second over.

Not much later, he was held at short fine-leg off Muralitharan but Shahzaib’s contribution was vital.

Pakistan made all the right moves.

The best phase for Lanka was when Sangakkara, holding one end firm and batting with flair and substance, and the enterprising Mathews added 68 runs in 44 deliveries after the side was reeling at 70 for six.

Skipper’s knock

Sangakkara (64 not out off 52), leaning into his cover-drives and pulling with aplomb, played a skipper’s innings. Mathews batted with dash and power.

For once, Gul, who had earlier sent down some telling leg-cutters, went for runs.

But then, Pakistan has so many match-winners. It was Afridi’s day under bright sunshine.

At his greatest moment of triumph, Younis announced his retirement from T20 cricket.

“This is my last Twenty20 game (for Pakistan), so I am retiring from T20 internationals, ” said Younis.

“I am now 34, I am old for this kind of cricket.”

Dr. Gill lauds victory

Reacting to the triumph, the Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports, M.S. Gill, told The Hindu, “I congratulate Pakistan on a well-deserved victory.”

SCOREBOARD

Sri Lanka: T. Dilshan c Shahzaib b Aamer 0 (5b), S. Jayasuriya b Razzaq 17 (10b, 2x4, 1x6), J. Mubarak c Shahzaib b Razzaq 0 (2b), K. Sangakkara (not out) 64 (52b, 7x4), M. Jayawardene c Misbah b Razzaq 1 (4b), C. Silva c Ajmal b Gul 14 (19b, 2x4), I. Udana b Afridi 1 (5b), A. Mathews (not out) 35 (24b, 3x4, 1x6), Extras (lb-3, w-2, nb-1) 6; Total (for six wkts. in 20 overs): 138.

Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-2, 3-26, 4- 32, 5-67, 6-70.

Pakistan bowling: Aamer 4-1- 30-1, Razzaq 3-0-20-3, Afridi 4-0- 20-1, Ajmal 4-0-28-0, Malik 1-0-8-0, Gul 4-0-29-1.

Pakistan: K. Akmal st. Sangakkara b Jayasuriya 37 (28b, 2x4, 2x6), S. Hasan c Jayasuriya b Muralitharan 19 (23b, 3x4), S. Afridi (not out) 54 (40b, 2x4, 2x6), S. Malik (not out) 24 (22b, 1x4), Extras (lb-2, w-2, nb-1) 5; Total (for two wkts. in 18.4 overs): 139.

Fall of wickets: 1-48, 2-63. Sri Lanka bowling: Mathews 2-0- 17-0, Udana 4-0-44-0, Malinga 3.4-0- 14-0, Muralitharan 3-0-20-1, Mendis 4-0-34-0, Jayasuriya 2-0-8-1.

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