MAHASANGRAM ??

Finally, can we expect to see the grand battle that this World Cup never gave us ? Can we expect to see to champion teams go head to head, not a quarter given, none asked for ? Not a close encounter between two no-hopers like England and West Indies, nor an upset which South Africa caused over Sri Lanka in the Super 8, not even an admirable yet evidently insufficient fight by a lesser opponent in the England-Sri Lanka game ... this World Cup has given us these three good matches - but none of them has been a battle among equals like this one, one would hope to be. For when can one expect a battle between two powerhouses going at each other with full gusto if not in the decider of the most prestigious trophy in the World ??

History however shows that World Cup finals have seldom been such grand contests. In fact in my cricket-watching memory, never can I remember a classic World Cup final - semifinal, yes, Birmingham 99, but not a final. In the last three finals Australia played an Asian team and only way back in 1996, when they actually lost did the game come close to being a contest.

One can always hope, however. On paper, the teams seem to be well-matched though even here Australia clearly have an edge. Here is a look at the respective strengths and weaknesses of the teams.

1. Explosive Keepers: Adam Gilchrist v Kumar Sangakarra
Neither has had a World Cup to write home about by their own lofty standards. I would say neither team shares an advantage in this respect. Gilchrist has scored 304 runs at an average of 34 with 2 fifities while Sangakkara has scored 296 at the marginally lower average of 33 with 3 fifities. Both have done well in the keeping department.

2. Vintage Baldies, Goldie Oldies: Matthew Hayden v Sanath Jayasuriya
Both have had excellent tournaments. Hayden is the leading run-scorer with 621 and all set to break Tendulkar's World Cup record. He averages a mammoth 78 at better than a run-a-ball with 3 hundreds. Jayasuriya has done well but nowhere close to the lofty Hayden. He averages a "mere" 45 at almost a run-a-ball with two hundreds. Australia will enjoy the clear advantage in this battle.

3. The Senapatis: Ricky Ponting v Mahela Jayawardene
Hayden and Jayasuriya may be the destructors at the top of the order but these are the players who control the direction of the battle, not just on the field but also with their bat. Jayawardene's hundred in the semi-final was an all-time classic and enough has been written about Ponting's innings in Johannesburg 2003 to be convinced that these are the players who can rev it up when it matters most. Ponting has scored 523 runs at 71 at a rate of almost a run-a-ball with a hundred and four fifties, while Mahela almost matches him - he has scored a few more runs at a slightly lower average of 67 and lower strike rate. But essentially I don't think either leader has a weakness that will let one team get the advantage over the other.

4. The Young Guns: Michael Clarke v Upul Tharanga
Clarke clearly enjoys the advantage being in better touch throughout the World Cup without really looking like he was threatening to make the tournament his own. Tharanga went through a pretty lean patch mid-series, however he has scored in some of the most crucial games including the semi-final. He has this tendency of never looking as if he is out there to dominate yet surprisingly often goes on to play the big innings. I'm going to stick my head out and say this will be an even contest despite the contradictory information provided by the figures. Clarke averages 86, Tharanga a mere 29.

5. The Hitters: Andrew Symonds v Chamara Silva
This might sound like a bit of a mismatch but make no mistake, when Silva first came into the Sri Lankan side he was in there for his big hitting. He can hit some huge sixes. We all know of course what Symonds is capable of, sometimes painfully so, but fact of the matter is he hasn't had much of a hit in the Cup, Silva has had a very fruitful one so I shall stay even on this one too.
Symonds 55, Silva 47

6. The Finishers: Mike Hussey v Russell Arnold
Ditto 4 and 5. In almost every situation a clear-cut no contest, except perhaps this one. Hussey has had a surprisingly subdued World Cup in large part because he hasn't had much to do, yet fact is he hasn't really had much of a feel for the conditions. Mr. Cricket he might be and we all know his obvious calibre especially in comparison to Arnold, this will make me say he only has a slight advantage in this particular scenario. Arnold averages 39 at a strike rate of 82. Hussey, make sure you hear this correctly, averages 17 at a strike rate of 75.

7. The All-Rounders: Shane Watson v Tillekaratne Dilshan
Watson hasn't been dismissed in the tournament scoring 142 runs in just 82 balls overall in the 5 innings he has been in. Dilshan has a more modest strike rate of 82 and an average of 34 but on the plus side he has been in more situations and worked his way out unlike Watson who missed half the thing and had to basically do a blasting job alone in the other half. It is as a bowler however that Dilshan completely outshines Watson, though differing very much in style. Plus, he is a brilliant fielder. I believe Watson could be the one man Sri Lanka should look to target in what is clearly an attack with hardly any loopholes. On the other hand Dilshan could be the man who will do a lot of bowling especially if the fourth bowler (a major weakness for Sri Lanka, as we shall see later) flops. So all in all, I'd say a decisive vote in favor of Dilshan here.

8. The Battle of The Spinners: Brad Hogg vs Muttaiah Muralitharan
This has been discussed in detail in an earlier post. This should have been one advantage Sri Lanka could have easily exploited and mind you, Murali has done nothing wrong, contrarily he has been outstanding. It is just that Hogg has also bowled really really well and though he will never be a Murali he has done enough to negate Lanka's edge here. So, only a slight advantage to the Lankans in this case. Hogg has picked up 20 wickets at an average of 16 at an economy rate of 3.9. Murali obviously has bettered that - 23 wickets at 13 with about the same economy rate.

9. The Support Bowler: Nathan Bracken vs Dilhara Fernando
No contest whatsoever. Australia win this hands down and I predict that this will be the key difference that could decide the outcome of the match, on a close par with the Hayden difference. Figures should be enough to settle this - Fernando 4 wickets at 51 apiece and an economy rate of 5, Bracken 15 wickets at 15 at a rate of would you believe it 3.4 !!!

10. The Whacky Slingers: Shaun Tait vs Lasith Malinga
Again a very close one with Sri Lanka perhaps edging it. Both are young, both are new, both are fast and have slinging actions and have that X-factor about them. Both have had brilliant tournaments. Tait - 23 wickets at 18 at a slightly high rate of 5.4, Malinga 16 wickets at 16 and a more economical 4.7

11. The Metronomes: Glenn McGrath vs Chaminda Vaas
What fantastic bowlers both have been over the years - both would have a legitimate right to include the word accuracy in their names, although in Warnakulasuriya Patabandige Ushantha Joseph Chaminds Vaas' case that would be rather cruel to add another one in there. But McGrath I believe has that little bit of extra edge more than just the accuracy and that would help him edge out this contest. McGrath has been slightly expensive at 4.4 runs per over this series by his own lofty standards but he has been more attacking - the leading wicket-taker with 25 at an average of 14 breaking the World Record of who else but WPUJC last time, Vaas has been miserly as ever with the runs 3.3 the rate but has been less wicket-taking this time - he has picked 13 wickets at 18