Bradman99 Posted April 2, 2011 Posted April 2, 2011 I have played in the last four World Cup finals but tonight I will watch it on television. It is going to be a new experience and while not one I would have chosen, I am looking forward to it. India v Sri Lanka is about the perfect match-up for a subcontinental World Cup and it should be a fascinating game featuring some of the better cricketers who have ever turned out for either country. Both sides had the advantage of playing the bulk of their games at home, but both have played some really good cricket too. Sri Lanka had a well-balanced team since the start. Its spinners have done a good job and Lasith Malinga has been a very effective strike bowler. On the batting front, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Upul Tharanga, Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene have been good. With a team like that you would have expected them to make the finals or the semi-finals at the very least. Obviously India was the pre-tournament favourites and they have a very powerful batting line-up. There hasn't been too many surprises with the way they have gone about the job, the one surprise I suppose has been Yuvraj Singh. While he was out first ball in the semi-final he got a couple of key wickets and has really done an amazing job for his country in this tournament. He is a great story, actually. India left him out of its side for a while there and was playing Suresh Raina and Yusuf Pathan ahead of him. It just seems now that cricket means a bit more to him than it did. I know it is a World Cup and you are going to pull out everything that you can to get a game and make it count when you are there, but he has turned it on at the right time. Yuvraj has looked from the outside to be more focused and disciplined than in the past. Even the knock he played against Australia was controlled and mature. If there has been a criticism of him in the past it was that he could do something stupid at any time and get out, but he has been different this tournament. Sachin Tendulkar has been in brilliant form of late and when it hasn't been great his luck has kicked in as you saw the other night with Pakistan dropping him four times on the way to his man of the match award. His form for the past 18 months has been nothing short of extraordinary. He and Virendar Sehwag make a great opening partnership, with Sachin technically correct but still able to hit boundaries combining with a guy who just goes for it from the first ball. I have never been a big one for studying other people's careers or what they are doing, but I have to admit that it has been hard to ignore what Sachin has achieved. He was 15 runs away from his 100th 100 the other night. Few people know how hard it is to get one, let alone 99 of them and I can only stand back and admire him for what he has achieved and the way he has done it. Everyone around the world can draw inspiration from the way he plays his cricket and it is nice to know that there is a player out there who has gone through lean times but come through the other side. Sangakkara and Jayawardene are very good players but their records indicate that they aren't on the same level as Sachin. Going into a World Cup final however the only thing that matters is who stands up on the day. You start on 0 every time and don't take any of your previous runs into a game. I have said all the way through this tournament that India was the team we had to beat and I think it is the favourite tonight. I think it has a bit more class, a bit more zest on its side. If I was to criticise Sri Lanka in any way I would suggest that it relies on too few players to get them through. Too much falls on Sangakkara's shoulders and then how Jaywardene plays through the middle of the innings, but India has a lot more depth on the batting side. It's hard to be sure what bowling attacks both sides will take into the game, but I think both attacks are pretty similar. Anyway, before the game starts I have to find the lounge room, the couch and the remote control. I know they are here somewhere. http://www.foxsports.com.au/cricket/cricket-world-cup-2011/former-australia-captain-ricky-ponting-previews-world-cup-final-says-india-sri-lanka-match-perfect-for-subcontinent/story-e6frf3ju-1226032383439
maniac Posted April 2, 2011 Posted April 2, 2011 Are we going back to the 60's Free love and peace for all era...Damn first Afridi and now Ponting....I am running out of people to hate on:two_thumbs_up:
Cricketics Posted April 2, 2011 Posted April 2, 2011 Say whatever you guys, Ponting has always admired great players and good players whenver he has come in front of media. What he wrote, sounds so real, on other side, Afridi can be as much innocent as he wants to be, down the line, I feel it's all fake, and inside 99.9 percent he wants us to lose in finals and stuff like that. Ponting is one of my fav regardless of how pathetic he has been in terms of his behavour. As i say always, one of the greatest. and you definately gotta listen to one of the greatest.
yoda Posted April 2, 2011 Posted April 2, 2011 Very well done Ponting and thanks for posting Mr 99.96.
maniac Posted April 2, 2011 Posted April 2, 2011 Say whatever you guys, Ponting has always admired great players and good players whenver he has come in front of media. What he wrote, sounds so real, on other side, Afridi can be as much innocent as he wants to be, down the line, I feel it's all fake, and inside 99.9 percent he wants us to lose in finals and stuff like that. Ponting is one of my fav regardless of how pathetic he has been in terms of his behavour. As i say always, one of the greatest. and you definately gotta listen to one of the greatest. Great Post....Totally Agree
pinkfreud Posted April 2, 2011 Posted April 2, 2011 Let's hope Punter is proved right yet again. His last prediction was also bang on and lucky for us.
Bradman99 Posted April 2, 2011 Author Posted April 2, 2011 There is a reason they call him Punter.. he's known to be good with his predictions.. Notice he always seems to win the toss? he just better be careful.. If India win, that Pakistan dude might call for him to be hung
DomainK Posted April 2, 2011 Posted April 2, 2011 Are we going back to the 60's Free love and peace for all era...Damn first Afridi and now Ponting....I am running out of people to hate on:two_thumbs_up: Say whatever you guys, Ponting has always admired great players and good players whenver he has come in front of media. What he wrote, sounds so real, on other side, Afridi can be as much innocent as he wants to be, down the line, I feel it's all fake, and inside 99.9 percent he wants us to lose in finals and stuff like that. Ponting is one of my fav regardless of how pathetic he has been in terms of his behavour. As i say always, one of the greatest. and you definately gotta listen to one of the greatest. Agreed with tics here. Ponting has always maintained that opinion on Tendulkar. We sometimes get misled by the rivalry the media and the fans have so hyped up, but Ponting himself has always maintained that Sachin is the best batsman of his time and he has always looked upto Sachin. Afridi's statements however have been very uncharacteristic. His statements have been nice, but it will take a lot more to convince us that he has actually changed.
satyam1729 Posted April 2, 2011 Posted April 2, 2011 There is a reason they call him Punter.. he's known to be good with his predictions.. Notice he always seems to win the toss? he just better be careful.. If India win, that Pakistan dude might call for him to be hung Well they have already said BCCI has fixed the World Cup. And India has paid all the teams a contract in IPL . This is why they are losing to India.
kabira Posted April 2, 2011 Posted April 2, 2011 There is a reason they call him Punter.. he's known to be good with his predictions.. Notice he always seems to win the toss? he just better be careful.. If India win, that Pakistan dude might call for him to be hung He alrady lost about 170 million fans on wednesday.
pinkfreud Posted April 2, 2011 Posted April 2, 2011 Well they have already said BCCI has fixed the World Cup. Every match Pakistan loses is fixed apparently
goose Posted April 2, 2011 Posted April 2, 2011 nice read. i will say it's getting tiresome hearing guys from the West go on about the best teams in the finals for the sub continental conditions blah blah.
gult Posted April 2, 2011 Posted April 2, 2011 I agree with his comparison between the two bowling sides. Lots of so called experts say Srilanka has a better bowling attack and balanced.. but IMO, their effectiveness will be greatly reduced against our batsmen. It happened in the past and it will happen today too
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