From rags to riches: Reminiscence of Sri Lanka’s greatest sporting achievement 25 years ago

By Renuke Wijayawardhane

Fact No. 1

“What’s the fat bastard said about me now?” Shane Warne asks Ian Chappell. 

It was the eve of the 1996 cricket World Cup final in Lahore. Arjuna Ranatunga had just concluded an interview with Ravi Shastri. Warne may have got wind of what Ranatunga had said during the interview. Ranatunga had stated that Warne was not as good a bowler as everyone made him out to be! 

This symbolised Sri Lanka’s attitude. Ranatunga clearly knew how to get under Aussies’ skin and virtually antagonise them. While many other teams wanted to avoid playing Australia, Ranatunga kept on saying that he wanted to meet the Aussies in the final. Such was the determination and focus.

Warne was the match winner for Aussies in their semi-final against West Indies. Australia made 207 for 8 after tottering at 15 for 4. West Indies were 165 for 2 in the 42nd over before crashing to 202 all out in the final over after Warne’s magic spell of 4 for 36. He was the main threat on a turning track at Gaddafi Stadium. 

But Warne was treated with scant respect by the Sri Lankan batsmen. He went wicketless for 58 runs in the final. 

Fact No. 2

Playing at home away from home! 

When Sri Lanka team arrived at the Lahore Airport, they were given a rousing welcome by Pakistan. The team was garlanded and showered with rose petals! Pakistan fans were bitter after their loss to India in the quarter final in Bangalore. Sri Lanka’s thrashing of India in the semi-final obviously brought plenty of joy to Pakistan. Now it was their turn to extend gratitude to the Lankans. The grand welcome was just the start. 

The Sri Lankans were made to feel at home in Lahore. The entire Gadaffi Stadium cheered the Sri Lankans throughout the final. It was like playing in Colombo! 

Fact No. 3

“Do not be afraid of losing. Keep it simple.” 

This was Coach Dav Whatmore’s constant mantra. And the Sri Lankans were doing just that. 

When Arjuna walked in to have breakfast in the morning of the final, he could see the entire Australian team seated in one table. All of them were wearing the same dress and some serious discussions were going on. The entire team was focused on the game which was due to commence in a few hours. 

Arjuna wondered where his team was. Then he notices the team manager Duleep Mendis and asks him where his boys were. “There is a carpet sale going on at the lobby and they are all there,” says the manager! The entire team was busy bargaining the carpets! They were totally relaxed.

Fact No. 4

To bat first or not? 

No team had ever won a World Cup final chasing a target until then. “It’s a good wicket, so bat first if you win the toss,” Imran Khan advises Ranatunga.

Sri Lanka arrived in Lahore three days prior to the final, so they had some additional time to examine the ground conditions. When practicing at the Gadaffi Stadium, the team management noticed that there was heavy dew in the night. But they weren’t sure if it would be the same every day. They wanted to check further. 

The Pakistan Cricket Board hosted a dinner for the two teams on the eve of the final. Suddenly, captain Ranatunga and Duleep Mendis slipped out of the function, got into a car and headed to the Gadaffi Stadium to check the dew factor. To their amazement, they found that the entire ground was wet! 

This prompted Sri Lanka to bowl first after winning the toss, despite the local hero’s advice. It was a bit of a gamble in a crucial final, but the results were quite visible during Sri Lanka’s chase. There was heavy dew in the night, and the ball was like a cake of soap! The Aussie bowlers dropped return catches and struggled to grip the ball. It certainly made run making much easier.  

Fact No. 5

A lot of pundits considered Sri Lanka as the ‘Dark Horse’ of the 1996 World Cup. But only one man, Sir Richard Hadlee, predicted that Sri Lankans would win it. 

But tournaments are not won only on the day of the final. Sri Lanka’s batting was exceptional in the entire World Cup. There were seven solid batsmen and any one of them could have been a potential match winner on a given day. They had nudgers, nibblers and blasters. There was brute power at the top followed by a solid No. 3 and a classy middle order. In addition, there were two bowling all-rounders who could also chip in with useful scores. The bowling attack had much variety and had mastered the art of containing strong batting line ups. 

From 137 for 1, the Australians were restricted to 241 for 7. Then, from 23 for 2, Sri Lanka romped home in the 47th over for the loss of just one more wicket. A team that had won just four of their 23 previous World Cup matches was able to win 6 out of 6 matches in the 1996 version to become the champions. 

Today, as we celebrate the 25th anniversary of Sri Lanka’s greatest sporting achievement, let us hope that we don’t have to wait for another 25 years to celebrate a similar achievement. 

(Renuke is a cricket enthusiast. He can be reached at [email protected])