At last we have the two finalists of this world cup and it is just a matter of two days before we will come to know who the winner will be. After the semi finials only two teams are left in the fray to vie for the title of world champions. Sri Lanka was the only Asian team left in the tournament after the shock and early exit of two of the pre tournament favorites India and Pakistan. However both Australia and Sri Lanka have played very well throughout the tournament and rightly deserve a place to play in the finals. It is very apt that only the best teams play each other to bag the title of world champions. To play in the finals a team has to show their working potential over a period of time and that is why both these teams have given consistent performance throughout the tournament.
Australia is the only team that has not lost a single match, while Sri Lanka has lost two matches, but what matters is that both the teams have reached the finals. Reaching the cricket world cup final is an achievement that is not easy to earn. The semi finals promised many exciting moments to fans, but in the end both the matches were total dampeners as both Sri Lanka and Australia easily defeated their opponent i.e. New Zealand and South Africa respectively. The other teams which had entered in the Super Eight stage of the World cup and had a chance to reach the Semi Finals are England, Ireland, Bangladesh and the host West Indies. All these teams did not play to the expected levels and lost the golden opportunity to play in the cricket world cup final.
In the first final that was played between Sri Lanka and New Zealand the teams were evenly balanced on paper. So when Sri Lanka was batting first and they lost two quick wickets, it seemed that this will be an even contest. However that was not to be and Skipper Jayewardene who started on a slow note suddenly shifted gears and played the innings of a lifetime to take his team to a competitive total of 289 runs in the allotted 50 overs. The Kiwi run chase did not start too well and they never really recovered to pose a threat to the Lankan total. In the end they fell short by 81 runs and ended their campaign in this world cup. New Zealand’s jinx with the world cup continued and this is the fifth time they crashed out of the semis.
The other semi final match between current World champions Australia and serious title contenders South Africa also turned out to be a really big dampener. South Africa batting first could manage a mere 149 and given the form that they are in, Australia did not face too much of trouble in amassing the required runs. South Africa’s dismal record in the world cup continued this time too and both the losing semi finalists are probably the two teams that have so much of potential but have somehow failed to deliver at the highest levels. It is just a matter of time before the cricket world cup finals will be played and a champion will emerge. May the best team win the tournament.