The fervent supporters behind India and Pakistan may disagree, but the perfect final of the World Twenty20 would pit South Africa against Sri Lanka. It could easily happen and what a contrast in styles that showcase would be: the power, athleticism and attention to detail of one versus the mystery, improvisation and flair of the other.
This was not a flawless performance by Sri Lanka. They were pegged back by the Pakistan spin bowlers after being given a sprightly start by Tillekeratne Dilshan and Sanath Jayasuriya, while their own slow men have enjoyed more productive afternoons. But they still managed to open group F with a resounding success.
Dilshan epitomises the adventure in the team. He is not one of the better-known players to English spectators, but he kept Paul Collingwood and Owais Shah out of the Delhi Daredevils team in the Indian Premier League and is the leading run-scorer in this competition, having fallen four runs short of a third half-century in a row.
Through history, batsmen have been synonymous with shots — the Ranjitsinhji leg glance and Wally Hammond cover drive are two — but Dilshan, 32, is believed to be the first to have a stroke named after him: the “Dilscoop”. He goes down on to one knee and uses the pace on the ball to flick it directly over his head behind the wicketkeeper.
A good agent would be on his way to the patenting office before the end of the tournament, because it may well catch on. The nearest equivalent is the “Bosie”, named after B. J. T. Bosanquet about a hundred years ago to describe the ball spinning from off to leg. But even that has alternative names, the googly in England or the wrong ’un in Australia.
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Otherwise, innovations have been christened after descriptions. Kevin Pietersen’s one-legged flick through the leg side became known as the “flamingo shot”, while Saqlain Mushtaq’s ball spinning from leg to off has entered the lexicon as the “doosra” — literally translating from Urdu as “the other one”.
It takes a combination of bravery and audacity to play the Dilscoop and the capacity crowd drew a collective gasp when Dilshan stooped to work Mohammad Aamer, who is no slouch, over his head early in the innings. At that pace there is little margin for error; an inch or two wrong and the ball will crash straight into the helmet.
Jayasuriya, who did not invent the role of pinch-hitting but brought it to prominence, looked on approvingly and contributed to the opening partnership as 65 runs came from the first six overs, during which fielding restrictions apply. The turning point arrived when Shahid Afridi joined the attack, striking in his second and third overs, and Sri Lanka managed only five fours in the last ten overs.
Saeed Ajmal, the off-spin bowler, proved no less effective and if Sri Lanka have a weakness it is in their lower middle order. Opponents may be well served in opting to attack in the opening stages to expose the rump. Pakistan, however, had begun badly with Sohail Tanvir’s first over comprising 11 balls.
In contrast, Sri Lanka made early inroads and Lasith Malinga then struck with his first legitimate ball, a slower effort timed at 77mph that undid the impressive Shoaib Malik. There is more to Malinga than slingy pace, though that attribute did hold him in good stead when he returned in the closing stages.
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Younus Khan has spent much of the competition shoring up the Pakistan batting. Good players simply look out of touch, not least Salman Butt and Afridi, and the critical moments came in the sixteenth over when, with 50 needed, Muttiah Muralitharan had Misbah-ul-Haq and Afridi caught at deep square leg from successive balls.
Sri Lanka
T M Dilshan b Afridi 46
S T Jayasuriya c Younus b Afridi 26
*†K C Sangakkara st Kamran b Ajmal 15
D P M D Jayawardena c Afridi b Ajmal 19
L P C Silva c Kamran b Gul 8
J Mubarak run out 5
A D Mathews not out 9
K M D N Kulasekara lbw b Gul 0
S L Malinga not out 2
Extras (lb 7, w 10, nb 3) 20
Total (7 wkts, 20 overs) 150
M Muralitharan and B A W Mendis did not bat.
Fall of wickets: 1-81, 2-89, 3-110, 4-128, 5-132, 6-148, 7-148.
Bowling: Tanvir 2-0-29-0; Aamer 4-0-26-0; Gul 4-0-34-2; Afridi 4-0-23-2; Ajmal 4-0-26-2; Malik 2-0-5-0.
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Pakistan
Salman Butt b Mathews0
†Kamran Akmal run out 5
Shoaib Malik c Kulasekara b Malinga 28
*Younus Khan c Sangakkara b Malinga 50
Misbah-ul-Haq c Silva b Muralitharan21
Shahid Afridi c Dilshan b Muralitharan 0
Fawad Alam c Sangakkara b Kulasekara 12
Sohail Tanvir c and b Malinga 3
Umar Gul not out 9
Mohammad Aamer run out 0
Saeed Ajmal not out 0
Extras (b 1, w 2) 3
Total (9 wkts, 20 overs) 131
Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-34, 3-35, 4-101, 5-101, 6-108, 7-121, 8-123, 9-124.
Bowling: Mathews 4-0-23-1; Kulasekara 4-0-30-1; Malinga 4-0-17-3; Muralitharan 4-0-28-2; Mendis 3-0-24-0; Jayasuriya 1-0-8-0.
Umpires: M R Benson and R E Koertzen.