Former Sri Lanka captain, Kumar Sangakkara, feels the World Cup 2011 final result could have read differently if Angelo Mathews, key performer of the Semifinal and throughout the tournament, would not have sustained an injury just before the final.
Speaking on the show ‘Reminisce with Ash’ Sangakkara also revealed the reason behind a second time toss in the all important World Cup 2011 final. He said the crowd at Wankhede was so enthusiastic that it had created confusion between the two captains and forced to flip the coin again.
Forced change cost us the final
Remembering the World Cup 2011 journey, the former skipper said he was forced to make a change in the side and had to go with a 6-5 combination which cost Sri Lanka the World Cup.
“In that WC final, that’s the biggest thing I look back and think…You can talk about drop catches and all of that happens. But the composition of the side and the fact that we were forced to make the change was to me the turning point,” Sangakkara said in the latest episode of Instagram series.
He hailed Mathews’ ability to bat and bowl which had given the side a balance in its World Cup journey before missing out the D-Day against India on April 2.
“If you take our entire campaign, whatever we did Mathews’ overs and his ability to bat with the tail and read situations was an incredible bonus to us,” added Sangakkara.
We would have chased with Mathew in the side
Speaking further on the show, the Sri Lankan who lead the team in World Cup 2011, says he would have chased in the final rather than batting first if Mathews could have made it into the side.
“But for 100 per cent, if Angelo (Mathews) had been fit, I know for sure we would have gone for chase… I’m not sure whether the result would have changed. That balance of team that Mathews would give at seven really was a bonus,” added the wicket keeper batsman.
Remembering the twice-toss incident, Sangakkara said the confusion was due to the enthusiastic crowd.
“The was crowd was huge. It never happens in Sri Lanka. Once I had this at Eden Gardens when I could not talk to the first slip and then of course at the Wankhede. I remember calling on the toss then Mahi wasn’t sure and said did you call tail and I said no I called head,” Kumar Sangakkara recalled the moment.
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