Tuesday, February 4, 2025

Battle for glory

India-Sri Lanka WC final today
The curtain will fall on cricket’s biggest event today.
Besides some fortunate ones who have got the precious tickets to watch the match from the stands, billion of cricket-mad people around the world will stay glued to their TV screens when India lock horns with Sri Lanka in the all-Asian final of the ICC Cricket World Cup at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
The journey began with a gala opening ceremony in Dhaka on February 17 and everybody is now waiting for a grand finish to a successful World Cup in the subcontinent.
The question was all around: Is it MS Dhoni after Kapil Dev or is it Kumar Sangakkara after Arjuna Ranatunga? Whoever takes the trophy in the end would make it their second success for their country. But while India are looking forward to put an end to their twenty-eight year wait, rivals Sri Lanka are looking forward to lift it after fifteen years.
Everybody was expecting a great final match at the sporting wicket of the Wankhede Stadium as the best two teams qualified into the final. India might be tagged as a favourite in the final encounter but Sri Lanka proved themselves as the most professional team in the tournament though it would be a big challenge for the Lankans to play against the partisan crowd and conditions that are unlike their home ones.
Without any doubt, a final match itself was good enough to bring all the excitement and hype but still there has been something more for the cricket lovers. Two great characters in the world cricket in Sachin Tendulkar and Muttiah Muralidaran have hogged the spotlight in the lead-up to the final. It seems that there will be another battle within the final although both the captains tried to focus only on the team effort for success in the last battle.
The focus will be on the spin wizard Muralidaran, who is expected to play his last international match today although there has been some uncertainty with his participation in the last game due to injury.
Indian skipper MS Dhoni however firmly believed that the highest wicket-taker would not miss this opportunity.
“Murali is a very special individual. He will definitely play the game unless he is on one leg,” quipped the Indian skipper during a pre-match press conference.
Praising Murali all the way, Sri Lanka skipper Kumar Sangakkara however was not ready to focus only on one player. “Our cricket has never been about individuals. We never had a tournament where it’s been one person’s tournament, always had collective efforts. World Cup or any other match, victory is only possible if everyone contributes,” said a toned down Sangakkara.
On the other hand, master blaster Sachin Tendulkar has achieved many things in his 21-year long career but has yet to be part of a World Cup winning team. But it is set up perfectly and nothing can be better than if India wins this at his home ground. And it would definitely be a special occasion for the Little Master, if he also gets his hundredth international century in the final in front of his home crowd.
“God made him (Sachin Tendulkar) to play cricket. He is an amazing character,” said Dhoni while his attention was drawn with the special occasion.
“We’re not here to spoil anything. Everyone understands the importance of scoring runs in a final, whether it be Sachin or anyone else. One hundred 100s it’s the first time a player is going to get there. All of that adds to the expectations for a World Cup final.” “Our job is to ensure that the India team doesn’t score too many runs,” Sangakkara responded on the Sachin issue.
The Sri Lankan skipper however was more interested with the tournament.
“It’s been a great tournament. I always say that the sub-continent is the place to play cricket in. There’s no other place that can match the buzz, the excitement, the hype around the game, the passion and the love for the game as well. When you play a tournament of this magnitude here, it kind of lifts the entire occasion and makes that occasion a lot more glorious,” said the experienced campaigner.
In terms of quality of matches, interest of the fans and successful arrangement the tournament has really been a great success, a fact that ICC president Sharad Pawar did not fail to mention prior to the final. Now all we need is a quality final that can give a fitting farewell to the 40-day tourney.

 

Courtesy of The Daily Star

Related News

Fog disrupts flight operations at Dhaka airport

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Six international flights were diverted to Sylhet and Kolkata airports today due to dense fog at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA). Of the six flights, Jazeera Airways was arriving from Kuwait, Salam Air from Muscat, two US-Bangla Airlines from Dubai, Qatar Airways from Doha, and a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight from ... Read more

St Martins under travel restrictions for 9 months

News Desk : dhakamirror.com A nine-month restriction on tourist movements to St Martin’s Island, the only coral island in Bangladesh, will take effect on Saturday, February 1. Tourists can visit the island until Friday, January 31, as per a decision made by the environment, forest, and climate change ministry. Residents and tourism operators on the ... Read more

Seven Colleges Split from DU

News Desk : dhakamirror.com The administration of Dhaka University on Monday decided to separate the seven government colleges from their affiliation with the university. This decision was made during an emergency meeting between the vice-chancellor of Dhaka University and the principals of the affiliated government colleges on Monday in the vice-chancellor’s meeting room. Following the ... Read more

New trains launch on Ctg-Cox’s Bazar route February 1

News Desk : dhakamirror.com On 1 February, the Chattogram-Cox’s Bazar route will witness the launch of two new intercity trains, the Saikat Express and the Prabal Express. The announcement followed a directive from Bangladesh Railways, which called for the allocation of essential resources such as locomotives, coaches, and personnel. Both trains will feature a combined ... Read more

Uniform revamp for police, RAB, Ansar

News Desk : dhakamirror.com On Monday, the government announced the introduction of new uniforms for the police, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), and the Bangladesh Ansar and Village Defence Party. The police will don iron-colored uniforms, while the RAB will wear green olive, and the Ansar will sport golden wheat, as stated by home adviser ... Read more

SC acquits Khaleda, Tarique, others, labeling the case as an act of malicious prosecution

News Desk : dhakamirror.com The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Wednesday acquitted Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson Khaleda Zia, her son and the party acting chairman Tarique Rahman, and four others in the Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Orphanage Trust case, overturning the High Court’s decision that upheld their convictions. The court also declared the proceedings ... Read more

Bangladesh named The Economist’s country of the year

News Desk : dhakamirror.com The Economist, an influential British weekly magazine, has named Bangladesh the ‘Country of the Year’ for 2024, recognising the nation’s incredible political and social transformation. ‘The winner toppled a tyrant and seems headed for something better,’ the magazine said in its report published on Thursday. It said that the recognition was ... Read more

HC declares key provisions of 15th amendment partially unconstitutional

News Desk : dhakamirror.com The High Court on Tuesday declared several provisions of the Constitution, introduced through the contentious 15th amendment, partially unconstitutional, reinforcing the foundational principles of democracy, judicial independence, and the Constitution’s basic structure. The bench comprising Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice Debasish Roy Chowdhury delivered the verdict, addressing amendments that abolished the ... Read more

BIDS study shows 28.24% of graduates from National University unemployed

News Desk : dhakamirror.com A recent study conducted by the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies reveals that 28.24% of graduates from colleges affiliated with the National University remain unemployed. Moreover, a majority of the ones who secure employment are primarily engaged in low-paying jobs, the study further revealed. The study titled, “Understanding unemployment among college ... Read more

Begum Rokeya Day observed with call for women’s equality

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Begum Rokeya Day was observed on Monday across the country with a call for ensuring equality of women in every sector. The country marks December 9 as Begum Rokeya Day commemorating birth and death anniversaries of Begum Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain on the same day. Begum Rokeya, considered as a pioneer of ... Read more

Saudi mega projects push demand for Bangladeshi workers as other markets shrink

Kamran Siddiqui Saudi Arabia hired 83,733 Bangladeshi workers last month, marking the highest number of overseas employment in a single country in 35 months, driven by ongoing mega projects which indicate a further boost in demand for Bangladeshi labour. While overseas employment in Saudi Arabia is surging, the demand for Bangladeshi workers in other labour ... Read more

Bangladesh’s civic space broadened: report

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Civic space condition improved in Bangladesh due to steps taken by the interim government, said the People Power Under Attack 2024 report. The CIVICUS Monitor, a research consortium led by global civil society alliance CIVICUS that track civic space, unveiled the new report on Wednesday, said a press release. Bangladesh stayed ... Read more

Drastic fall in Bangladesh-India flights amid visa restrictions

Tanzil Rahaman The number of flights on different routes between Bangladesh and India has drastically fallen amid passenger shortages as the Indian government had imposed visa restrictions. The flights of Biman Bangladesh Airlines and US Bangla Airlines have halved after the fall of Sheikh Hasina government on August 5 amid a student-led mass uprising, according ... Read more

Bangladesh committed to sweeping labour reforms: Yunus tells US delegation

News Desk : dhakamirror.com The interim government is committed to carrying out sweeping labour reforms in an effort to attract more foreign buyers to the country, Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus told a visiting delegation from the United States. The chief adviser made the comments at his office in Dhaka’s Tejgaon when a United States ... Read more

Health ministry prohibits drug company reps from entering hospitals

News Desk : dhakamirror.com In order to improve hospital services and make sure appropriate treatment for those hurt during the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, the Ministry of Health has issued 10 directives. One of these directives prohibits representatives of pharmaceutical companies from entering hospitals. A directive signed by the deputy secretary of the Health Service Department, ... Read more

Over 20 injured in clash between Polytechnic, Butex students

News Desk : dhakamirror.com A clash occurred on Sunday evening in Tejgaon in the capital city of Dhaka, resulting in injuries to around 20 to 25 people. The incident involved students from the Bangladesh University of Textiles and Dhaka Polytechnic Institute. The clash broke out at about 9:00pm on Sunday at Aziz Hall of BUTEX ... Read more

Ex-chief justice Ruhul Amin dies

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Former Chief Justice Ruhul Amin died early Sunday morning at the age of 83 due to health issues related to aging. The chief justice’s office said in a condolence message that his passing occurred around 4:30 am while he was receiving treatment at the Combined Military Hospital in Dhaka. Namaz-e janaza ... Read more

Well-marked low over Bay may intensify further

News Desk : dhakamirror.com The Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) reported that a well-marked low-pressure area over the southeast Bay of Bengal and nearby Equatorial Indian Ocean is still present. This weather system is likely to strengthen further, according to BMD’s morning update. The bulletin indicates that the weather will likely be dry with some clouds ... Read more

Dhaka – Benapole train service, passing over Padma Bridge to start on December 2

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Train services on the Dhaka-Benapole route via the Padma Bridge will start on December 2. Padma Rail Link Project Director Md Afzal Hossain said it on Thursday (November 22). He said, “We are hopeful about the official start of passenger train services on the Dhaka-Benapole section via the Padma Bridge from ... Read more

475 killed in road crashes across Bangladesh in October: report

News Desk : dhakamirror.com At least 475 people were killed and 815 others were injured in 452 road crashes across Bangladesh in October, said a report published by the Passenger Welfare Association of Bangladesh on Saturday. During the time, 34.31 per cent or 163 people were killed and 29.32 per cent or 239 more were ... Read more