India to play Sri Lanka in a World Cup final to remember

India’s Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakarra have been by far the best tactical captains at the tenth Cricket World Cupon the sub-continent – blowing away the age-old theory that keepers don’t make good captains.

Fittingly, they clash in the decider at Mumbai on Saturday, fittingly, between two of the three hosts.

Overnight, India put the cleaners through arch-rival neighbours Pakistan in Mohali by 29 runs in the second semi – after Sri Lanka had dismissed the hapless Kiwis by 5 wickets in the other.

The Dhoni-Sangakarra successes are high compared to the carnage of three captains – Ricky Ponting, Graeme Smith, and Daniel Vettori, who have tossed their last ODI coins after long, and yeoman, service to their countries.

* Ponting – Australia’s ODI skipper since 2002 for 228 games, posting 164 wins at a win-rate of 76.38%. All three stats the best in ODI history. He’s been replaced as skipper by Michael Clarke. But Ponting will continue his one-day career as a back-bencher.
* Smith – South Africa’s captain since 2003 for 150 matches, winning 92 – 64.23%. Offie, Johan Botha, the Twenty20 skipper, is his likely replacement. Smith has played his last ODI to lengthen his Test career.
* Vettori – Kiwi captain since 2004 for 82 matches, winning 41 – 55.33%. Ross Taylor is the likely replacement, but Vettori is also considering taking the Ponting path.

It would be safe to say Vettori was the most gutted of the trio this week.

New Zealand’s reached six of the 10 World Cup semis, a track record second only to Australia with seven semis. But the Kiwis have never reached a final, and Vettori had his heart set on correcting that stat in trhis tournament, and adding another with not only winning the coveted Cup, but sitting back to watch the All Blacks take out the Rugby World Cup later in the year.

The Black Caps-All Blacks double has a nice ring to it, but it was not to be. Australia is the only country to achieve the feat, in 1999.

But was in 1983 that India won its only Cricket World Cup, beating the West Indies at Lords, while it was 1996 that saw Sri Lanka’s only success, downing the Australians at Lahore.

So the scene is set for a Sachin Tendulkar masterpiece on Saturday. He is just a ODI hundred away from a milestone that will never be matched – 100 international centuries, currently standing at 51 Test tons and 48 ODI three figures.

Phenomenal.

The closest? Jacques Kallis with 40 Test tons and Ponting with 39. The closest in ODIs? Ponting with 30, and Sanath Jayasuriya 28.

Daylight.

Tendulkar went close to his milestone overnight with 85, but was dropped four times at 27, 45, 70, and 81. Pakistan paid dearly for their folly, which virtually cost them a place in the final.

But “if” never wins anything, leaving Mumbai – a happy hunting ground for Sachin Tendulkar – awaiting one of cricket’s most historic moments.