Sri Lanka's batting strategy won World Cup in 1996

By A.C De Silva

CRICKET: By the time the 1996 World Cup began in February of that year, the world had finally caught up with the cup - never before had so many teams participated in a cup (12 in all - the nine Test countries, plus three teams from different corners of the globe - UAE, Holland and Kenya), never before has so many countries been hosts to the Cup (three - Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka). There was also some black marks - never before had World Cup matches been forfeited (three in all - the West Indies and Australia refused to play in Sri Lanka) because of concerns over security, and the semi-final between India and Sri Lanka went to the Lankans when match referee Clive Lloyd decided that crowd interference merited the match being called off.

There also had never been quarter-finals played in the World Cup so many times (three again by Asia when Sri Lanka took the cup in 1996 beating Australia). Sri Lanka played in the group that India played and came off a very competitive, controversial tour of Australia - a tour which really toughened up the Lankans and made winners out of Jayasuriya, Muralitharan, Arjuna Ranatunga, Aravinda de Silva and Kaluwitharana.

Sri Lanka's dynamic batting strategy, which pleased the entire cricket world won the World Cup in 1996 may well have had its start in 1985. Batting fourth in the third Test against India at Asgiriya, Sri Lanka were set the stiff task of scoring 377 runs to win. Many people thought that Sri Lanka would lose. As it happened, the match ended in a narrow draw with the home team Sri Lanka finishing at 307 for 7 wickets but not before a fine double hundred partnership between the stylish Roy Dias (106) and the hard-hitting batsman Duleep Mendis.

Before 1996 too, the Sri Lankans had been very aggressive in the one-day game. In the 1975 World Cup, it is on record that Ian Chappell - the Australian captain ordered Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson to stop the onslaught by Sri Lankans Sidath Wettimuny, Duleep Mendis and Roy Dias with bouncers as the Lankans chased a big Australian total with a mixture of fine batsmanship and courage.

Try as they did, Sri Lanka's chance came in 1996. The Lankans had a batch of experienced players with good credentials and the impetus to excel came at a certain time when the Australians, Englishmen and the West Indians refused to play in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka found the rhythm well in time and when they reached New Delhi for the game against India they were well prepared. There was Sanath Jayasuriya and Kaluwitharana to takeover from Indians pair of Sachin Tendulkar and Mohammed Azharuddin.

India made 271 for 3 wickets with Tendulkar making 137 and Azharuddin 72 not out, but Sri Lanka went on to win that match scoring 272 for 4 wickets in 48.4 overs with Sanath Jayasuriya making 79 and Hashan Tillekeratne 70 not out while skipper Arjuna Ranatunga made 46 not out. Earlier, opener Sanath Jayasuriya set the pattern with his usual swahbukcling play with 79 not out.