Sri Lanka go into today’s Asia Cup final against Pakistan at Mirpur on a mission to remain perfect after the first two legs of their mammoth 10-week tour of Bangladesh.
Having crushed the hosts in all three formats during their bilateral series, following up a 1-0 two-Test series win with 2-0 and 3-0 sweeps in the T20I and ODI series respectively, the Sri Lankans will look to add a flawless 5-0 Asia Cup run to their record before the start of the World Twenty20 on March 16.
A victory today over Pakistan, whom they beat by 12 runs in the tournament opener on February 25 before running off three more wins over India, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, would also give Sri Lanka their fifth Asia Cup title, bringing them level with India for the most in the history of the competition, now in its 12th edition. Pakistan won the other two tournaments.
Sri Lanka last won the Asia Cups in Pakistan in 2008, which gave them back-to-back titles and three in four.
However, the Sri Lankans were convincingly outclassed in their last bilateral ODI series with Pakistan, going down 3-2 in the UAE in December. While both of Sri Lanka’s victories – including a dead-rubber fifth ODI – were narrow final-over two-wicket victories, Pakistan secured wins by 133 runs and eight wickets after prevailing by 12 runs in the opener.
Still, Sri Lanka have shown their trademark resilience since arriving in Bangladesh, surviving two last-ball thrillers in the T20 series and improbably coming back from 67-8 to reach 180 and steal victory in the first ODI against the hosts.
That toughness carried over into the Asia Cup, during which Sri Lanka managed to hold their nerve in crunch time three times to come away triumphant. In the opener, it seemed that Pakistan were poised to run down a target of 297 before a stunning five-wicket spell from Lasith Malinga stopped them short.
Against India, the Lankans made it across the line in the final over with just a couple of wickets remaining thanks to an 84-ball 103 from the in-form Kumar Sangakkara, who has two fifties and two hundreds in his last five ODIs. And in the final league match against Bangladesh, Sri Lankan captain Angelo Mathews scored a typically cool 74 not out to see his side to a three-wicket victory after they collapsed to 8-3 and then 75-5.
‘It is great to have Sangakkara in such good form, but the others will also need to step up and rally around him if we are to win,’ Mathews said ahead of today’s final.
‘Pakistan have shown how tough a side they are to beat. But we have our plans and are confident of doing well if we execute them well.’
Sri Lanka also have a potential ace up their sleeve in Mahela Jayawardene, who has been in poor form in the series and has yet to score a half-century or better in an ODI since his 107 against India last July but did score a double-hundred in the first Test against Bangladesh in January.
The veteran batsman seems due to make a mark on this series in the final given his penchant for performing in big matches, having scored an 88-ball 103 not out against India in the last
World Cup final in 2011 and a 109-ball 115 not out against New Zealand in the semi-finals in 2007.
‘[Jayawardene is] a legend of cricket. He can come back very strongly at any time,’ Sri Lankan all-rounder Thisara Perera said after the match against Bangladesh. ‘He’s our key batsman along with Sangakkara.’
-With New Age input
