Cricket Classics - Part Xiii : 1996 World Cup Final – Sri Lanka vs Australia

Hello, fellow Sports Enthusiasts,

Cricket is not just a sport between two teams; it's a battle of skills, strategy, and capitalizing on clutch moments. Although the game has transformed over the decades, it has never failed to impress or leave us with unforgettable moments.

So, through this series, I will present some of the most iconic cricket matches that have made fans jump out of their seats. Let's remember those legendary games once a week. Anyway, after missing out a few weeks, I am with another iconic match.

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"That’s it! Sri Lanka have won the 1996 World Cup! What a moment for this tiny island nation. Arjuna Ranatunga, the captain, fittingly takes them to victory. They’ve rewritten the history books. A magnificent performance, and the party begins in Colombo. This is the stuff dreams are made of!" - Tony Greig at the winning moment

This is the pinnacle of Sri Lankan Cricket. Coming as the underdogs, with a nearly bankrupt Cricket Board, the team emerged as a Cricketing powerhouse against all the odds. The journey up to that day was very rough. With war at home from one side, and constant disrespect and bullying from strong teams, credit must especially go to the legendary captain Arjuna Ranathunga. At the time when Australia held the power in ICC, things heated up when Sri Lankan spin prodigy Muttaiah Muralidara was accused of chucking in 1995. Arjuna stood with the team as a true leader, and from there won the first-ever World Cup title, with a dominating performance.

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The 1996 Cricket World Cup, also called the Wills World Cup 1996 was the 6th edition, jointly hosted by India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. The Australian team was led by Mark Taylor and had a strong lineup with some legendary players like the Waugh brothers, Shane Warne, Bevan, Damien Fleming, Glenn McGrath etc. After a close match in the Finals against West Indies, they sealed a spot at the finals.

Sri Lanka coming under Arjuna, was revolutionizing the batting approach. At the time teams were used to starting slowly and accelerating at the end. But this team played aggressively in the first 15 overs using the field restrictions. The trend that was started by openers Sanath Jayasuriya and Romesh Kaluwitharana, is still used. We came unbeaten in the Group stage, and defeated England and India in the knockout stage, to the finals.

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The match was scheduled on March 17, 1996 at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, Pakistan. The two teams were rivalries at the time with earlier incidents, and they refused to play in Sri Lanka due to some security concerns.

Anyway, Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to ball first. Sri Lanka took an early breakthrough, but the captain Mark Taylor led from the front scoring 74 runs off 83 balls. He partnered with Ricky Ponting (45 runs off 73 balls) to build the innings slowly and steadily. At one point, they were at 137/1. But Sri Lankan spinners led by Aranvinda destroyed the inning to 170/5. After some good knocks from the end, the Aussies put in a total of 241/7 after their 50 overs. Sri Lankan ballers and fielders did an amazing job of restricting Aussies to that total.

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Anyhow, we couldn't have the perfect start, losing both the openers for just 23 runs. Sanath Jayasuriya who was sensational in the prior matches fell for just 9 which was a turning moment.

But Sri Lanka's greatest batter, the fearless "Mad Max" Aravinda de Silva, took the responsibility once again, playing the finest innings in the nation's cricketing history. He scored 107 runs not out, and brought back the confidence to us. He paired with Asanka Gurusinha (65 runs off 99 balls) and set a crucial partnership of 125 runs for the third wicket. After his fall Aravind paired with Arjuna Ranatunga (47 runs off 37 balls) to cross the finish line, with 7 wickets remaining.

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It was a turning point in Sri Lankan Cricket, marking our name and legacy on the map. Aravind de Silva for his all-around performance of 107 runs, 3 wickets for 42, and getting 2 catches earned the man of the match ward. Sanath Jayasuriya was awarded the man of the series.

So here's Sri Lanks's story of becoming the champions coming as the underdogs!

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See you at the next episode!! You can always suggest a match to discuss in the next episode.

src - Wikipedia
espncricinfo

Thank you.
Best Regards!