Sri Lanka takes the cup as India fumbles at the final hurdle

Sidelights – ICC World T20 | Final | India Vs Sri Lanka

Let us accept it! Sri Lanka was a far better team on the day and was deserved to win the game. India on the other hand did exceptionally well to win all the matches they played in the tournament but fumbled horribly when perhaps mattered the most. Sri Lankans bowled according to a plan which was to ball just wide outside the off stump and full and suddenly in the last five overs India lost the plot from which they never recovered till Thissara Perera hit the winning six.

ICC World T20 | Final | India Vs Sri Lanka

Venue: Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur

Toss: Sri Lanka and elected to field first

Playing XIs:

India: Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Suresh Raina, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Amit Mishra, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohit Sharma

Sri Lanka: Kusal Perera, Tillakratne Dilshan, Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara, Lahiru Thirimanne, Thisara Perera, Angelo Mathews, Nuwan Kulasekara, Suchitra Senanayake, Rangana Herath, Lasith Malinga

Mini Score Card:

India 130/4 (20) Virat Kohli 77 (58) | Rangana Herath 1/23 (4)

Sri Lanka 134/4 (17.5) Kumar Sangakkara 52* (35) | Suresh Raina 1/24 (4)

Result: Sri Lanka won the match and ICC World T20 tournament 2014

Man of the match: Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka)

Player of the tournament: Virat Kohli (India)

Umpires: Ian Gould and Richard Kettleborough (Both England) | Rod Tucker (3^rd – Australia) | Bruce Oxenford (Reserve – Australia)

Match Referee: David Boon (Australia)

How they played the game

Powerplay: India 31 runs, 1 wicket | Sri Lanka 41 runs, 2 wickets

First 50 runs: India 54 balls | Sri Lanka 49 balls

50-100 runs: India 37 balls | Sri Lanka 43 balls

Best Partnership

India 2^nd Wicket – 60 runs off 54 balls | Contributors: Virat Kohli 31 (29) and Rohit Sharma 28 (25)

Sri Lanka 5^th Wicket – 56 runs off 32 balls | Contributors: Kumar Sangakkara 29*(18) and Thissara Perera 23* (14)

Fours

India – 8 (Virat Kohli – 5, Rohit Sharma – 3)

Sri Lanka – 16 (Kumar Sangakkara – 6, Tillakratne Dilshan and Mahela Jayawardene – 4, Kusal Perera and Lahiru Thirimanne – 1)

SIXES

India – 4 (Virat Kohli)

Sri Lanka – 4 (Thissara Perera -3, Kumar Sangakkara – 1)

Important facts about the match

• India’s score of 130/4 was the lowest first innings total in all ICC World T20 finals.
• Virat Kohli became the leading run scorer in any World T20.
• This is Sri Lanka’s 1^st ever ICC World T20 wins in 3 trials.
• Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara have retired from the International T20s.

In the pic: Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene bidding adieu to T20I in style

Picture Courtesy: ESPN Cricinfo