After being perfectly poised at the half-way mark of the Sri Lankan innings, a century from Mahela Jayawardene and explosive batting at the finish has seen Sri Lanka take the upper hand by posting a strong looking 274-6.
Cricket World Cup 2011 Final, India Vs. Sri Lanka: Strong Finish Puts Sri Lanka On Top
It was an innings of pure class by Jayawardene, perfectly timed and composed, his century (off just 84 balls) fittingly brought up with a wonderful strike through the covers and he finished with 103*.
India had threatened with the wickets of Sangakkara and Samaraweera, but some lusty hitting from Kulasekara and Perera late on complimented Jayawardene’s innings perfectly.
The final overs of the innings in particular were brutal, with 91 coming from the final 10 and 60 bludgeoned off the last 5. Even Zaheer Khan, so economical early, suffered in the onslaught.
A total of around 250 looked to be a challenging, but not insurmountable one, but 274 leaves Sri Lanka most definitely in charge. World Cup history shows that centurions always end up on the winning side; for India to triumph today they know that someone will need to step up and match the effort of Jayawardene.
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