JULY 29: The mood in the Indian camp is upbeat. The side has finally managed to get its first points on the board, staying in contention for the Coca-Cola triangular series by the skin of its teeth. The team management that earlier decided to send back Laxman and paceman Zaheer Khan to tend to their injuries has a change of mind. The side now has given itself an opportunity to qualify for the final and Laxman and Zaheer are considered vital to India's chances. They will now stay back till the end of the competition. India manager Anant Mate tells the media that the players themselves have made a request to this effect. It is a brave decision. We catch up with V. V. S. Laxman, who has conjured a heroic innings for India against Lanka the previous day. The knee injury hasn't doused his spirits, although the fact that he will be missing the Test series must have come as a crushing blow to this committed performer. We then meet Rahul Dravid in the Taj Samudra lobby. "Two more matches to go, two more matches to win," he is optimistic. The local media blames Lanka for a complacent performance, and coach Dav Whatmore too doesn't mince his words. However, with India back in the hunt, the tournament is hotting up. Meanwhile, the Indians are entertained during the evening to some catchy folk music at the hotel. The drummers are in their element and it's good fun for the cricketers whose stress levels during a one-day tournament are quite high. And Ganguly relaxes playing a game of pool, with his wife Donna, catching all the action.
July 30: We come face to face with Roshan Mahanama, the batsman of wristy elegance, who has a couple of good years left when he is eased out by the powers that be. Past is gone, and the man now presents a cheerful exterior, his ready smile masking a sense of hurt. The former Lankan captain, who has made a brief visit to the Taj Samudra Hotel with his children, is still astonishingly fit, and when we tell him this, he smiles. He says he will be releasing his autobiography, Retired Hurt the next day. The book is an introspective journey into Mahanama's cricketing career, and he has quite a few things to say about the controversial Australian tour of 1995-96, easily the turning point in Lanka's cricket history. The provocative incidents during the tour hurts the Lankan pride and the islanders emerge from the ordeal a much tougher lot. And they go on to script the brightest phase in Lanka's cricket - the World Cup triumph.
July 31: At last we get to experience the famous Lankan rain. The cricket caravan has now moved to the pretty Sinhalese Sports Club ground, but the duel between Sri Lanka and New Zealand appears a doubtful starter due to the wet ground conditions following the downpour. The chances of the match resuming appears dim. The hard-working ground staff has other ideas. The super-soppers are put into use too and against all predictions the match resumes after a delay of nearly three hours. In the middle, the out-of-form but supremely talented Mahela Jayawardene finds his bearings with a superlative half century, but equally captivating is the music emanating from the brass band. The SSC ground, with its hill and attractive stands, has an old world charm about it and the Lankan batting is charming on this day too. Later in the day we come to know that Desmond Fernando's enquiry into the allegations of match-fixing against two of Lanka's foremost stars, Arjuna Ranatunga and Aravinda de Silva, has cleared the cricketers of any wrongdoing. A press release signed by Vijaya Malalasekara, Chairman, Interim Panel, Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka (BCCSL), and Michael Tissera, Member, Interim Committee, says, "It is with great pleasure that we issue this release, in view of the tremendous contributions made by Ranatunga and De Silva to Sri Lanka cricket." De Silva is now in the running for a Test place and that's not good news for the Indian bowlers. For long, he has been their bugbear.
August 1: It's a day when the much maligned Yuveraj Singh signals his return to form with a stroke-filled unbeaten 98 in adverse conditions, enabling India to win its second successive game. However, there is some cause for concern in the Indian camp. Ganguly is once again in trouble with the match referee. The Indian captain cannot quite hold back his emotions after trapping Russel Arnold leg-before - off the earlier ball his confident shout for caught behind has been negated by the umpire. The television cameras are quick to catch Ganguly losing his cool again and Cammie Smith has a busy time ahead. He calls the Indian captain, Russel Arnold and Jayawardene, the non-striker at the time of the incident. What transpires in the meeting is a closely guarded secret. The verdict will be announced only the next day. In the evening we come across Yuveraj going across to the pool table. The spring in his steps is back. The youngster has gone through a tough ordeal and does deserve his share of success.
August 2: A star, at least in the limited overs format of the game, is born. Virender Sehwag cracks a 70-ball hundred to catapult his way into the headlines, a knock that fires India to the final. Sehwag is a shy, hard-working lad, who has had to fight for his success. He is not a part of the team for the Test series, but hardly reveals his frustration. "I will have to work harder to make it to the Test side," he says modestly. Earlier in the day, Ganguly gets away relatively lightly, Smith docking 75 per cent of his match fee besides reprimanding the Indian captain severely. The Bengal cricketer is treading on dangerous territory. In the evening all the teams attend the official party at the hotel. The league phase is over and the cricketers appear relaxed. The Kiwis may have lost out by a narrow margin, but they are in a cheerful mood. The disappointments in the cricket field are not carried off it. Isn't that how things should be? It's a game after all.
August 3: Yuveraj and Sehwag share their time with boys from the Ratmalana School for the Deaf. It's a fine gesture and the kids are loving it. The two Indians give the boys catching practice, and then are locked in a little duel with them. Close by, the Kiwis are involved in a 'battle' with a group of boys from a Colombo orphanage. Cricket can cut across barriers, put a smile on the faces of the young ones. Meanwhile, the India-Sri Lanka final has rekindled the enthusiasm among the fans, whose response to the league phase of the tournament had been lacklustre. Now, everyone wants to be 'there' when the titans clash. The Indians use the free day following two tiring back-to-back matches for some shopping. And Colombo, a bustling modern city with impressive buildings, well-constructed roads and plenty of shopping complexes, has a bit in it for everybody. The security is tight in these parts, but that is only understandable after the incidents of violence. The people are friendly, go out of their way to help the foreign visitors, and one is rarely ever 'lost' in these parts.
August 4: There is tension in the air. It is the eve of the summit clash and both teams are busy preparing for the final showdown. It's also the Raksha Bandhan day and those Indian players missing their sisters back home have a pleasant surprise waiting for them. Brahmakumaris (the daughters of the Lord) are waiting in the hotel lobby to tie Rakhis to the cricketers. The Indian boys leave for practice in a happy frame of mind. Later in the evening, we come across a confident Lankan supporter. Recognising the Indian journalists, he is quick to voice his feelings. 'It's in black and white man. Lanka is going to win.' During dinner, one catches up with Rahul Dravid. The Indian vice-captain appears optimistic too that the Indians will break the run of seven defeats in the final since 1998. We have a very interesting day on the cards.
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