India needed to win its fixture against Sri Lanka to confirm their place in the finals of the Asia Cup on Sunday. All eyes were on the encounter which one could say turned out to be a one-sided affair when one looks at it in the hindsight.
Batting first the Lankans posted 308 for the loss of eight wickets in the match. It was another 300+ total in the tournament which has witnessed a slew of 300+ scores. The Lankan team was well placed for a score in excess of 300 but were restricted to 307 by the Indian bowlers as they lost steam towards the end of their innings.
Set a 300+ target, the Indian openers made the most of a second-string Lankan attack which lacked discipline and sting and took a heavy toll. Sehwag was at his ballistic best as he stroked 11 boundaries and he was ably assisted by Gambhir who made a solid 34. It was followed by Raina and Dhoni’s 50+ knocks and the Indian ship looked to sail safely. However, the loss of Dhoni’s wicket created a flutter which was laid by to rest by Yuvraj as he steered the Indian team towards victory with less than five overs to spare.
The win saw India qualify for the finals over Pakistan whose hopes were dashed with the victory. A day after the victory, a couple of Pakistan commentators have raised their concerns over Sri Lanka underperforming in the match. They felt that the match might have been ‘staged’. From the approach, they felt that Lankans could have been a little more aggressive and the Indian team could have been put under more pressure. In other words, India as the opposition would be a favorable proposition for the Lankans when compared to the Pakistanis, which could have given birth to the theories generated by the two commentators.
So, do you feel that the match was staged or such a possibility could occur? Write in with your side of the story!