Who would you rather be in to day’s final—Sri Lanka or India? Well, to answer this question it’ll be prudent to have a look at where these two teams stand, both in terms of their record in the knockout matches and also the problems they need to address at the eleventh hour.
Sri Lanka has a phenomenal record of making it into the final stages of ICC and it was their sixth consecutive semifinal appearance when they reached the final four of this World T20.
Obviously they know how to play together as a team, lift their performances when it matters the most and in a one-off dual, they manage to camouflage their weaknesses well too.
On the other hand, India had a torrid time in the recent past in both Test and ODI. Not only did they lose away from home but also didn’t make it to the finals of the Asia Cup in India-like conditions. But the recent record of this team has also shown that if they manage to turn the tide, break the losing streak and gain some momentum, they become unstoppable. And Dhoni’s team has done that in this tournament. They’ve reminded me of the dominance they displayed in the Champions Trophy in England. They’ve not only won all the matches but also dominated every single game.
Talking about the finals, Sri Lanka will have to look very closely at their batting order and decide if they can afford a run-a-ball Dilshan at the top, for that’s putting a lot of pressure on their two pillars in the middle—Jayawardene and Sangakarra. Both these men are playing their last international T20 on Sunday night and could do with a slightly brisker start.
If the pitch prepared for the India-South Africa semifinal is anything to go by, it’ll be another high-scoring match and that’s when you can’t have a sluggish start in the first 6 overs. The other question, which they must address is their choice of bowlers against India—two spinners plus Prasanna or bring back Perrera?
India, on the other hand, is looking really stable with not many problems to address. The only change Dhoni might want to make would be bringing back Shami in place of Mohit. Yuvraj’s form in the middle overs is a concern but Kohli and Raina on either side of him with Dhoni to follow ensures that it doesn’t hurt India beyond a point.
Purely on form and India’s record in knockouts, I’m tempted to put my money on Team India.