Sri Lanka look unstoppable

Sri Lanka's surge through the Sharjah tri-series has been so breathtaking that only the unpredictable nature of one-day cricket gives India a chance in Sunday's final.

The classy Sri Lankans not only won all their four league matches conviningly, they showed what lay ahead for the Indians in the final by a 68-run romp on Friday.

In a game the Sri Lankans dominated from start to finish, centuries by Marvan Atapattu and Mahela Jayawardena were backed by a magnificent 7 wickets for 30 runs by off-spinner Muthiah Murllitharan, the best figures ever in one-day cricket.

Sri Lanka are, however, aware that runaway success in the preliminary round does not guarantee a win in the final. Everything depends on how a team performs on the big day.

Sri Lankan captain Sanath Jayasuriya said he was delighted by his team's performance, but warned against being complacent in the final.

"We have to come out and do it again on Sunday," he said. "All the effort of winning four games will go waste if we lose the final."

Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly added: "It takes one game to win a tournament and hopefully Sunday will be our day."

The Indians, who came here as the favourites after beating world champions Australia and South Africa on their way to the final of the ICC tournament in Kenya, have had a bumpy ride so far. They were twice destroyed by Sri Lanka in the league and only two hard-earned wins over lowly Zimbabwe ensured them a place in the final.

Sachin Tendulkar's 26th one-day century last week and a smashing 61 off 54 balls on Friday went in vain as the rest of the team caved in against the Sri Lankans.

Ganguly, who scored back-to-back hundreds in Kenya, has had only one half-century in the tournament.

With star players Rahul Dravid and Anil Kumble injured and the rest of the team working in fits and starts, India need a miraculous turn of fortunes to put in across Sri Lanka on Sunday.

Ganguly conceded the team had not fared as well as expected, but held out hope for the final.

"Don't write us off, because we have the talent and the desire to win," he said. "If we lose again it will not be for lack of effort. We want to win this one badly."

Seasoned medium-pacer Venkatesh Prasad, who was rested on Friday, will return for the final in place of a batsman. Either Sridharan Sriram or Vinod Kambli, who are short of runs and confidence, will make way for the lanky bowler.

Sri Lanka, meanwhile, have no reason to make drastic changes as they come closer to attaining the form that won them the World Cup in 1996.

This year has been a profitable one for Sri Lankan cricket, winning a tri-series at home against Pakistan and South Africa in July, besides reaching the final of the Asia Cup in Bangladesh in May.

Significantly, Sri Lanka have beaten India in all their three encounters this year.

Jayasuriya said his young team had adequately filled in the vaccum created by the fading away of veteran stars Arjuna Ranatunga and Aravinda De Silva, who mastermined the World Cup win.

"The team is very fit and very enthusiastic," he said. "That's what winning does to you and we want to keep it that way."

The teams for the final:

India (from): Sourav Ganguly (capt), Sachin Tendulkar, Sridharan Sriram, Vinod Kambli, Yuvraj Singh, Hemang Badani, Robin Singh, Vijay Dahiya, Ajit Agarkar, Sunil Joshi, Zaheer Khan, Venkatesh Prasad.

Sri Lanka (from): Sanath Jayasuriya (capt), Marvan Atapattu, Mahela Jayawardena, Kumar Sangakkara, Russel Arnold, Romesh Kaluwitharana, Dilshan Tillekeratne, Chaminda Vaas, Nuwan Zoysa, Muthiah Murlitharan, Kaushalya Weeraratne, Eric Upashantha.

Mail Cricket Editor