1st Semi Final: A Fight in a Mismatch

Yes, as expected, Sri Lanka beat New Zealand to march to the final. However, that takes nothing away from the spirited Kiwis who have outgrown the odds to reach where they eventually did in this world cup.

Once again, New Zealand batted sensibly and very much within their limits. They were not aiming too high as the inning kicked off. Their inning demanded steadiness and they had to bat out fifty overs. Apart from the shaky end, where at one point they lost 4 wickets for 4 runs, steadiness was maintained throughout the innings although the run rate looked to be an issue. But that's the best the Kiwis could manage playing in Colombo against a spin-studded Sri Lankan attack. Nobody had given them a chance, just as nobody did when they played South Africa. They won that one but lost this. To me, this one looked much tougher for them than any other game they have played in the tournament and the reason for that is spin. Had they played Sri Lanka in Auckland or Perth it might have been a different story altogether.

New Zealand are a better fielding side than a batting side but defending 207 was always going to be difficult. Continuing his form from the previous game, Dilshan got off to a flier and scored a match-winning 73. Tharanga and Sangakara played well too. There was a little bit of panic in the Lankan camp when these three and Jaywardhane had gotten out and their untested middle-order was suddenly exposed to the hugeness of the event. Yet, in the end they sailed through and won by 5 wickets.

Sri Lanka have booked their ticket to the city of dreams - Mumbai - and the Kiwis will have to go home with a lot of respect and with memories of some great fights they have put on show in this world cup to finish among the top four.

Man of The Match: Kumar Sangakara

Pre'match'ure Take: Sri Lanka Vs Australia

One of the biggest and the most anticipated league clashes of this tournament is the game that's scheduled to start in 30 minutes as I write this. The country of Ravana will battle against the country of Jason Gillespie. I have never seen Ravana but imagine him looking similar to Gillespie.

The last time these two met in a world cup was in a mismatched final dominated by the Australians and particularly by the legendary wicket-keeper Adam Gilchrist. That, however, is a story of the past and Australia are definitely not the world-beaters they used to be back in the day. Yet, Australia are a great team, one of the best in ODIs even to this day, and shall have many reasons to believe that they can beat Sri Lanka in Colombo. Although, this time they will have to work real hard, stick to the strategies, and keep it as tight as possible when it comes to bowling. Ricky Ponting will have to get some runs and lead from the front. Shane Watson, the in-form opener, will have a lot of responsibility on his shoulders. Michael Clark must have to strengthen the middle-order. Brett Lee, Shaun Tait, and Mitchell Johnson should try and get one of the openers along with Kumar Sangakara in the first 10 overs. Australia are still the world champions and stand a superb chance to win the battle of Colombo.

Sri Lanka, too, have a fair chance of winning the game this time since they are playing at home, and, as I just saw, they have won the toss and elected to bat. I believe Premadasa is not a great cricketing venue since the results here depend too much on the toss. The team batting first invariably has an edge here. The Lankans should expect either Sangakara or Jaywardhane to bat through the innings. I tend to feel that Sangakara will play a larger role today since he is a better player of pace than any other Sri Lankan. A lot will depend on Dilshan-the gambler and Tharanga. However, the biggest factor of the match will be spin and the player to watch out for is a person who can turn even on cement let alone at Premadasa - Muttiah Muralitharan. Murali will play with all his heart since it is his lats world cup and beating Australia is something precious to every player in his generation.

The only time Sri Lanka have ever beaten the Aussies in a world cup was in the final of the '96 cup and they would be desperate to improve that. The first ball is about to be bowled and I sign off to watch the action. My prediction - since the match is at Premadasa and since Sri Lanka have won the toss - is a thriller of a game. I'd give a 55 to Sri Lanka and a 45 to Australia.