H
aving watched the entire tournament, it is perhaps right to say that on the one side are piled the numerous negatives, the tournament’s lasting legacy, and on the other side stands tall the lone brilliance of Adam Gilchirst, the cup’s saving grace.
21 players who played the final were at par. In fact, the Sri Lankans can justly claim that they had managed to rein in butchers like Shane Watson and Andrew Symonds. The towering Matt Hayden too was not able to get away. However, none of these things mattered in the end. For at the other end a hurricane had hit Barbados, similar to the one that had last ravaged the island in 1955. This time round, however, it was a cricketing hurricane, which wasn’t meant to damage property. It was just meant to ensure that the Sri Lankan dream of winning the world cup would have to wait an agonizing four more years.
With four from the first two overs, a packed Kensington Oval was bracing itself for a contest. Some like Ranjit Fernando were even claiming that it would be a contest of epic proportions, one that would finally salvage this world cup. ComeOver #3, and the gusty Gilchrist winds had started to blow. A flick of the wrists and the Chaminda Vaas delivery had disappeared over square. And then came the stroke which might soon attain epic status like the Tendulkar hit against Shoaib Akhtar over third man atCenturion in the last world cup. Adam Gilchrist had very casually dispatched Vaas for six. The disdain was such that the Australian supporters too could not believe themselves. As chants of Gili, Gili emanated from the North Stands and reverberated across the ground, the fear of Gilchrist gradually overpowered the nimble Sri Lankans.