It was a brilliant performance indeed Sri Lanka’s greatest ever-cricketing achievement was winning the World Cup in 1996. Until another such victory is savoured, that status will not change. In between they have won many other tournaments and series and have come close to such achievements too. Reaching the World Cup finals last year was one such occasion. For a nation that has been in international cricket for just over twenty five years, the achievements of the national team have been phenomenal. Last Sunday’s win in the Asia Cup final in Karachi was up their with the best, behind the 1996 triumph.

From the first game of the tournament, against Bangladesh in Lahore, the team displayed commitment and professionalism. They were also a cohesive unit, playing well under pressure and in the difficult situations. Teams adopt tactics and game plans and at times, the best laid out ploys do not work. India came into this game having worked out a strategy considering the nature of the pitch, lessons learnt from the tournament and their playing strength. They opted to play seven batsmen and four bowlers, leaving it to the part timers to fill in ten overs.

With their strength being in batting they also wanted to bat second. The win chasing Sri Lanka’s 308 in the Super Four’s game gave them confidence in chasing a total of three hundred plus. The pitch for the final looked no different from the others prepared at the National Stadium for this tournament – a better of a batting surface. The Indians also played Pakistan on this very same pitch, on the centre of the square, during the two previous weeks. Theoretically it all sounded that the decisions taken were correct.

The run out of the in form and brilliant Kumar Sangakkara for four runs did not help Sri Lanka’s cause. When Ishant Sharma bowled a deadly first spell and dismissed Mahela Jayawardena, Chamara Kapugedara and Chamara Silva, the score read 66 for 4 wickets. M.S. Dhoni and the Indians were in the box seat. Cricket it is said is a game of glorious uncertainties!

On June 30, Sanath Jayasuriya celebrated his birthday in style smashing 130 runs against a helpless Bangladesh attack. If that was a cleberation then his innings in the final was a wild party! Having being involved in the run out of Sangakkara, Jayasuriya must have had it in his mind to get his mates share of runs as well. With the new ball coming on to the bat he ripped Irfan Pathan and R.P. Singh.

The advent of spinners Ojah and Shewag pushed the rate back, as Jayasuriya and T.M. Dilshan repaired. Dilshan made 54 valuable runs, but both he and Jayasuriya went just when they were needed more and Sri Lanka were finally all out for 273 in the last over of the innings. With the average score on the Karachi pitch being 290, for the team batting first, 273 runs did not look adequate.

It certainly did not look enough when the dashing Virendra Shewag started with a flurry of boundaries. His inform opening partner Gautham Gambir departed early for six. The runs kept flowing and the captain had to turn to spin and to Mendis. In his first over he dismissed Shewag and then Yuvraj Singh. The manner in which they were dismissed indicated that they could not read him. A good omen for the Sri Lankans.

From that point there was no looking back. Jayawardena used Mendis sparingly in short spells, being cautious, in the event a partnership developed, to bring back the mistery spinner. Particularly, as the dangerous M.S. Dhoni was still at the crease. Once Muttiah Muralitharan also joined the attack, the Indians lost regular wickets. Each time Mendis was brought back to bowl he obliged. The Indian innings ended midway in the fortieth over when Nuwan Kulasekera knocked back Ishant Sharma’s middle stump.

In the end skipper, Jayawardena said the entire team contributed towards winning the championship. He refered to the contributors, Kulasekera, Thushara, Kapugedara. The big guns fired and Ajantha Mendis emerged as Sri Lanka’s latest find and giant killer. Congratulations to the team and support staff, it was a brilliant performance.

• Ranil Abeynaike is a former Sri Lanka cricketer and curator of SSC