Sri Lanka arrived at the World Cup with not many thinking they could go all the way. It powered through the group stage with wins against Zimbabwe, India and Kenya – and points garnered when Australia and West Indies opted to forfeit matches because they opted not to travel to Sri Lanka – and made it to the quarterfinals.
A comprehensive win against England followed, and in the semifinal, India was outplayed, setting the stage for a summit clash against Australia.
The Moment
Sri Lanka won the toss and decided to field first on a pitch that looked like it would assist seamers early on. The decision was justified when Australia lost Mark Waugh early, but a second-wicket stand of 101 between Mark Taylor and Ricky Ponting put Australia in the driver’s seat. A stutter in the middle, however, meant that Australia only got to 241 for 7, a reasonable score but not a formidable one.
Sri Lanka had relied on its fiery opening combination of Sanath Jayasuriya and Romesh Kaluwitharana for cracking starts during the tournament, but both men fell early this time. A 125-run partnership between Asanka Gurusinha and Aravinda de Silva stabilised the innings, but when Ranatunga walked out to join de Silva, his vice-captain, there were still 94 runs required.
“That’s it. All the way the boundary for a four. What a victory for the Sri Lankan’s. A fantastic effort. Their players are charging out on to the ground. They’ve taken out the World Cup. The thing I like about these guys is that they not only win, they also win in style. They play the kind of cricket people want to watch.”
Tony Greig during commentary.
De Silva, who had starred with the ball already, was in fluent form and Ranatunga was expected to play second fiddle
but Sri Lanka was still not over the hurdle. It was still 93 runs short, and it needed De Silva and Ranatunga to finish it off.
Ranatunga was expected to take it easy and play second fiddle to De Silva, but he matched his well-set partner stroke for stroke with typical nonchalance. His unbeaten 37-ball 47 with four fours and a six complemented De Silva’s own 107 not out to perfection.
“What a moment. Sri Lanka are world cricket champions. It is a moment that they have been waiting on for years.”
Sunil Gavaskar during commentary.
What happened next:
Sri Lanka went on to win its first ever World Cup title. It also became the first host nation to win a World Cup. De Silva, expectedly, was named Man of the Match for an incredible all-round show, but Ranatunga reigned as captain supreme.
ICC | http://www.icc-cricket.com/
