So the I got the egg today on my plate rather than on my face. Australia vs Sri Lanka is a dream final. The two teams have epitomized modern cricket - aggresive batting throughout, excellent fielding and a bowling attack that is multi dimensional. These two teams have been the best on view by a mile. New Zealand flattered to decieve and South Africans failed to walk their talk. Amid all the hype, both the Aussies and Lankans have gone about their work in their characteristic brands of confident cricket.
Australia were (and still are) the red hot (if not white hot) favorites before the tournament began. Many were saying that this World Cup would be a much closer affair compared to the cake walk the Aussies had the last time around. But the Aussies have just crushed each opposition. Every time they batted first, they scored 300+, have not lost more than 6 wickets in an innings batting first or second and except for Bangladesh (when the match was reduced to 20 overs), they have bowled out the opposition each time. The furthest that they have been stretched was the England game in which they eventually cantered to in the end.
If the Aussies are the Alexander's army pummelling the opposition into submission, then the Lankans are the cunning troops of Genghis Khan beating the opposition with cunning rather than firepower. But make no mistake both of them have been equally brutal - from ending a blue billion Indian hopes to dismembering the Proteas both of them have been clinical.
So how do they attacks match up?
In batting the Aussies have a definite edge. They bat long and hard. After you have weathered the assault from the quicksilver Gilchrist and Hayden who is having the time of his ODI life, in comes Ponting the most destructive batsman of our times and the best since Sir Viv. Following them are Clarke who has quietly collected his runs and Hussey who though starved for some runs at the moment knows how to turn it on. The pack is rounded up nicely with the two big hitting all rounders in Symonds and Watson.
Sri Lankan batting on the other hand are distinctly top heavy. The wily old fox Jayasuriya wants to end his career on a high and he has had a wonderful last year or so. Tharanga on the other hand has had a miserable tournament up until the semis when he burst into life with a splendid knock which gave all a glimpse of what he is capable of. One player Sri Lankans would be mightily disappointed with is Sangakara. He has got out to some pretty ordinary shots when looking set for a big knock. Jayawardane on the other hand after an indifferent group stage seems to be coming good at the right time. He gave a masterclass in ODI batting in crisis in the semis and the Lankans would be looking for an encore a in the finals. Beyond them though it is a the great unknown. Silva impressed against Australia in their Super 8 clash while Dilshan and Arnold have been efficient rather than exceptional. Nobody knows how they would fare on the D-Day.
On the bowling front, Sri Lanka seems to be better placed with the old warhorse Vaas opening up with the irrepressible Malinga who has to be the most exciting bowler on view. Fleming the other day told about how he has come of age and boy is he having a good time. Fernando can be erratic but somehow had the nerves to bowl the final over in that nailbiter against England and bowl Tendulkar for a duck during the group stages. But he has had to do little else. Then comes their trump card Murali who like wine seems to get better and better with age. They are aided by the highly under rated Jayasuriya and Dilshan with Arnold throwing in some dobblers in between as well.
Australia had a miserable run up to the World Cup failing to defend two massive totals in the Chappell-Hadlee series. Admitedly, bowling is their weaker suit but they have improved vastly on this front to the point that a lot of teams are underestimitating their bowling. Tait has been the find of the tournament for Australia giving them a vital wicket taking weapon a la Malinga. McGrath like Murali is having a wonderful time and Bracken has taken over from McGrath in the economy stakes. He seems to be the Bracken of old swinging the ball - both old and new. But the most underrated bowler (the player?) of the tournament so far has to be Hogg. Hogg is vital to Ponting's Plan B of delaying the Power Plays when the opening burst does not fetch enough wickets. Hogg has been the cushion he can fall back to bring them back into the game. The fifth bowler made up of a combination of Symonds, Clarke and Watson is effective but not the same class as Jayasuriya and co.
This would be the battle of the two most balanced attacks on view. Only Sri Lanka and Australia don't rely only on batting or bowling for a win. And only they have demonstrated the ability to come back into a match after an opening onslaught on their bowlers or after a couple of quick wickets.
The Aussies though would have one score to settle. After winning the 1996 final, the Lankans said that they wanted to beat Australia in the finals after they had forfeited a league match, well the Super 8 match between them was virtually gifted by Sri Lanka after they rested Vaas and Murali and the Aussies would like to set the record straight this time around.
As for the final, I believe that Sri Lankan batting is suceptible and like Pollock, Vaas too might struggle containing Hayden and Gilchrist with his gentle medium pacers. In fact it would be very difficult for Jayawardane to decide what to do if he wins the toss. If he bats first, he risks letting his not so strong batting line up crumble against the early morning juice at Barbados. While batting second many not be a joy if you have to chase down 350 like India had to four years ago. Australia should win comfortably.
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