Team history at Cricket World Cup – Sri Lanka (1975-2011)

Best batsman

Having played in 5 World Cups, Sanath Jayasuriya is the leading run-scorer for Sri Lanka at the world event. The Matara-mauler scored 1165 runs with 3 centuries at a strike-rate of 90.66.

Jayasuriya is closely followed by the Mad Max who has 1064 runs. Sangakkara has the highest runs among active cricketers with 991 runs.

On the basis of batting average, Dilshan tops the list with an average of 47.80.

Best bowlers

Muralitharan has picked up more wickets than any Sri Lankan player in World Cups. With a tally of 68 wickets, no Sri Lankan has a chance to beat his record in the near future. Vaas succeeds him with 49 wickets.

Memorable matches

Sri Lanka vs India, Manchester, 1979

The fixture against India at Old Trafford is forever etched in the island’s history as the country’s first-ever victory at the world stage came to pass there. The islanders humbled the Indian lineup swanking of Kapil Dev, Dilip Vengsarkar, Sunil Gavaskar, Gundappa Viswanath and Bishan Bedi by 47 runs.

India won the toss and sent Sri Lanka into bat. Thanks to half-centuries from Sunil Wettimuny, Duleep Mendis and Roy Dias, Sri Lanka ended up scoring 238.

Batting second, India managed only 191 runs, losing all 10 wickets. Medium-pacer Tony Opatha and ace leg spinner DS de Silva picked up three wickets each, derailing the Indian innings.

Sri Lanka vs India, Kolkata, 1996

Sri Lanka were pitted against India in the semi-finals of the 1996 World Cup. Toss was to be a crucial factor in deciding the fate of the game, with teams having to deal with the dilemma of choosing between dew and a crumbling surface.

Indian skipper Mohammad Azharuddin won the toss and elected to bowl first. Arjuna Ranatunga, later admitted that it was the best toss he had lost.

Sri Lankans, batting first, lost both their trump cards in the very first over. With the thorn in the flesh for most bowlers back in the dug-out, everyone anticipated a dramatic collapse that would draw the curtains on Sri Lanka’s fairytale. But de Silva had other ideas. He single-handedly rewrote the script of the game and hauled his team back from the dead.

If rebuilding – at 1/2 in the first over – means consolidating, building partnerships and avoiding further bloodshed, Aravinda travelled the wrong way, attacking bowlers, taking undue risks and savaging balls to all parts and salvaged the sinking ship. When the Mad Max misread a googly from Kumble and heard his death rattle, he had already scored 64 runs off 47 balls. The gritty Sri Lankan middle-order propped Aravinda’s spectacle with hefty contributions. Sri Lanka ended up with 251 which was well above par, provided that they kept the little master Sachin Tendulkar in check.

Sri Lanka’s nightmare materialised and the Indian batting maestro took the Sri Lankan bowling apart on a crumbling turf. At one stage, India were cruising having scored 98 for the loss of just one wicket.

Ranatunga called on Jayasuriya to bowl his slow left-arm spin. The southpaw came over the wicket and tried to hit the footmarks to extract some invariable bounce. Tendulkar, who remained unflustered, tried to flick a ball that spun into him. He missed the flick, the ball ricocheted off his thigh into the ground and bounced into Kaluwitharana’s gloves. Sachin thought he had it fine and attempted a run, Kaluwitharana showed little hesitance and whipped the bails off in a flash.

That was the break the Lankans needed as the spinners spun yarns around the Indian batting lineup. When India were 120-8, the Bengal crowd lost their cool and set the stadium on fire. The match referee awarded the match to Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka vs Australia, Lahore, 1996

Lahore, on the 17th of March, 1996, saw an emergence of an unfancied team. From nowhere, Sri Lanka came forth as the winners of the Wills World Cup.

Australia marched into the final after beating West Indies in the semi-finals. Sri Lanka were soaring with confidence after beating India at home. Ranatunga, for a change, kicked off the mind games prior to the game branding Shane Warne as an average bowler and the Waugh brothers as being overrated.

When the expert critics believed in batting first and putting up a heavy score on the board, the Lankan captain as he had done throughout the tournament resisted conventions and elected to bowl first.

The Lankans kept the Aussies to 241 with Aravinda being the wrecker-in-chief. Chasing 241 for glory, Jayasuriya and Kalu departed early. But Aravinda combined with Gurusinghe to form an impenetrable partnership that helped the island nation sail towards safety. Arjuna with his unbeaten 47 made sure that pressure didn’t affect the run chase. Sri Lanka romped home with 7 wickets and 22 balls remaining.

Sri Lanka vs South Africa, Durban, 2003

Cricket is a game of numbers and that was further emphasised by South Africa’s exit from the tournament in 2003.

Batting first, Sri Lanka scored 268. In reply, the Proteas were 223 for 6 as the clouds started drooling down. The D/L par score at the end of the over read 229. Mark Boucher advanced down the track against Muralitharan and deposited the penultimate ball into the stands.

Boucher pumped his fist in the air as if South Africa had won. The next ball was blocked as the covers were brought in to shield the turf from the pouring heavens. Boucher was unaware of the fact that the D/L par score would only allow them to tie the match and they needed one more for victory.

The rain in the rainbow nation refused to cease and the hosts were knocked out in a dramatic fashion.

Sri Lanka vs England, Antigua, 2007

The 33rd match in the 2007 World Cup turned out to be a nail-biter as Sri Lanka edged England by 2 runs.

Winning the toss, England put Sri Lanka into bat and the Lankans limped to 235. Chasing 236, England found themselves 6 down for 133. But Ravi Bopara, together with Paul Nixon, staged a spunky rear guard taking England to 220 for 7.

Needing 12 runs off the last over, Bopara paddle swept Dilhara Fernando for four from the second ball and snatched a couple off the next. The equation came down to three off the last. Dilhara Fernando, a bowler who is infamous for his untimely no balls, bowled a quick back of a length delivery that disturbed the woodwork, disappointing the English legion that had gathered to watch the match.

Sri Lanka vs South Africa, Guyana, 2007

If late hour twists are exclusive for cinemas, cricket proved it wrong when Sri Lanka almost won a game that was bordering on a South African victory.

Batting first, the Lankans were bundled out for 209. Chasing 210, South Africa were 5 down for 206 with just 4 runs needed for a win.

Lasith Malinga of Sri Lanka slung a slow yorker at Pollock, who was bemused and was clean bowled. The wicket didn’t alarm anyone. The very next ball, Andrew Hall lobbed a yorker up in the air into the hands of the cover fielder. The Lankans smiled at the piece of consolations they were garnering when defeat was lurking behind them.

That was the over and Vaas bowled the next over, giving away only 1 run. Malinga returned with Kallis on strike. Sri Lankans were not hoping for a victory which was unlikely at that time, but they did hope that Malinga would get a hat-trick.

The Galle-born pacer ran up and slung a full-length ball at Kallis who edged it behind. Malinga had a hat-trick, and South Africa’s chokers tag was slowly starting to appear again. The next ball rattled Ntini’s stumps and Malinga seemed like he could no wrong.

South Africa needed 3 to win and Sri Lanka needed one more wicket. Malinga’s yorkers kept on eluding the stumps and Robin Peterson finally edged a ball for four, bringing a lot of relief to the South African camp. Malinga’s four in four added spark to an otherwise dying match.