Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium. The mere name of the venue makes many of us cruise in the ocean of glorious memories. The venue has witnessed some of the most spectacular ODI matches ever. We Indians, have a special love for the place.
However, there is one game in particular that is etched in our memory. It was the finals of the Coca Cola Champions Trophy, held on 29th October 2000. Allow me to refresh your memory – a seasoned Sri Lankan team was playing a new look team India that day. It was when Zimbabwe had an early exit from the triangular series.
Sri Lanka won the toss and skipper, Sanath Jayasuriya chose to bat first on batsman friendly track. Both teams had an almost equal record on this neutral ground but odds were a bit favorable for Sri Lanka. Opening the batting, Jayasuriya made his intentions clear when he smashed the first delivery for a FOUR. Romesh Kaluwitharana on the other end had an idea of what was about to come. Little did Ganguly know, he was happy using Zaheer & Agarkar against Lankan openers.
Source: ESPNCricinfo
In-form Sanath Jayasuriya began tormenting the Indian bowlers. The man with the strongest wrists in the business scored an enormous 189 from 161 balls! His 21 Fours and 4 Sixes had taken the sense of aggressive batting to a whole new level. Just five runs fewer to Saeed Anwar’s 194 against India in 1996-97, and level with Viv Richards’s unbeaten 189 at Manchester in 1984. Jayasuriya’s last 89 runs came off only 43 balls and took him past 6,000 one-day runs for Sri Lanka. Not to forget Sunil Joshi dropped him on his score of 93. And because of this, Sourav Ganguly got his prized wicket only in the 49th Over. Russell Arnold’s 52 took Sri Lanka to a giant total of 299 by the end of 50 overs.
Indians had a herculean chase up ahead. 300 was very tough but not impossible after all. But all hope was lost when India had lost Ganguly, Tendulkar, Yuvraj, Kambli and Badani within the first 45 mins of struggling with the bat. We were 5 for 30. Robin Singh was the only one to score in double digits.
It was a poor batting show by the team handing over 8 wickets to the deadly duo – Chaminda Vaas (5) and Muttiah Muralitharan (3). Indians had no answer to this catastrophic attack from Sri Lankan bowling, perhaps fuelled by the inspirational batting of their captain. Everything they did was just too much for India. India was all out for 54 in 26.3 overs. The 245-run margin is India’s biggest defeat in ODI Cricket.
The figures will never tell you what had happened that day. What the team & fans experienced that day was humiliation.
On the other hand, Sri Lanka deserved this crushing victory. It was their biggest win. A more than befitting revenge for 1999 World Cup game at Taunton against India.
To sum up the game, it is my duty to inform you that Jayasuriya was adjudged the best batsman, scored the fastest fifty, scored most sixes & boundaries, the man of the match and, finally, the man of the series!
Relieve the Sanath sensation once again.
By: Shubhang Srivastava
Shubhang Srivastava, born and brought up in Delhi, always wanted to become a traveler or something. But, he is currently working as a successful professional in the advertising industry. He loves lounging on his oversized bean bag, listening to Coldplay. A complete movie buff, his knowledge can actually leave you amazed. He has an eye for detail and an unparalleled passion for Formula One, Cricket and Squash. When he’s not working, one can easily find him getting involved in some sports discussion episode with people around.
P.S.: He is a very nice guy. Trust us!
