MUMBAI – Sri Lanka lost all-rounder Angelo Mathews to injury yesterday and are monitoring Muttiah Muralitharan’s fitness before they take on India in today’s World Cup final.
Mathews strained a thigh muscle in the semi-final victory over New Zealand and his absence for the final at the Wankhede Stadium weakens the 1996 champions in all facets of the game.
He is a lively medium-pace bowler who can take over from Lasith Malinga at the start of the innings, an outstanding fielder, and the closest Sri Lanka have to a finisher with the bat.
Despite the injury, Mathews batted with a runner when Sri Lanka looked in danger of losing their way chasing a modest New Zealand total, relieving the pressure with a six and a four.
Muralitharan, the only survivor from Sri Lanka’s 1996 World Cup winning team, is determined to take the field in what will be his final international. He carried a hamstring and knee injury into the semi-final but still bowled his full quota of overs and provided he can stand on two legs he seems likely to play.
“He’s pretty upbeat, annoying the other players in the dressing room, that’s no different, it’s great to have him in the side, it’s hopefully great to have him tomorrow,” captain Kumar Sangakkara told a news conference yesterday.
India look certain to take the field without left-arm paceman Ashish Nehra, a surprise choice in the semi-final against Pakistan.
Nehra fully justified his selection with two for 33, although captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni admitted later he had misread the pitch when he opted to play with three seamers rather than three spinners.
However, Nehra fractured the middle finger of his right hand attempting a catch and Dhoni said he was unlikely to play.
Dhoni hinted yesterday he might still play three pace bowlers rather than return to off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who opened the bowling in the quarter-final against Australia.
“The Mumbai pitch has pace and bounce,” he said. “If there’s reverse swing, then a seamer can have an impact on the game.
If you have three spinners then you don’t have that room to manoeuvre.”
India’s only remaining pace option, though, is Shanthakumaran Sreesanth who has not played since he conceded 53 runs from five overs in the tournament’s opening match against Bangladesh.
Sangakkara said the pitch, a uniform brown with no hint of green as it baked in the sun yesterday, was “fantastic”. (Reuters)
