Sri Lanka Were 20-30 Runs Short In 2011 World Cup Final: Angelo Mathews

The 2011 World cup final ensured the prestigious trophy remained in the sub-continent as India and Sri Lanka faced-off. India, at their home, were a side to beat and Sri Lanka had done well in their run to the final clash. However, they were beaten comprehensively in the match which mattered the most after India lost their key players early.

Opting to bat, Sri Lanka posted a total of 274/6 with Mahela Jayawardene starring with the bat. In the chase, India lost the wickets of Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar early but some composed batting from Gautam Gambhir and MS Dhoni helped India cross the line with 10 balls to spare.

Sri Lanka all-rounder Angelo Mathew, who missed out on the final due to injury, said that their side were 20-30 runs short. If they had got the total of 320 runs on board then it could have been a competitive final. He also said that India had a gun batting line-up which was capable to chase down any target.

“I still feel that if we had gotten about 320, we could’ve given a good fight even against India’s strong batting lineup. Indian wickets are flat as roads and when a batsman gets going, it can be really tough to stop him. India had a gun batting lineup as well. Wankhede is not a massive stadium, but the ball stays hit when you hit it and the pitch was also good,” Angelo Mathews told CricTracker.

“We were short by about 20 to 30 runs. We had our chances, but Gautam (Gambhir) and Virat (Kohli) batted really well. Then, MS Dhoni joined them and finished it off. All in all, it was a good game,” he further added.

India lifted the World Cup after 27 years. Under the captaincy of Dhoni, India had earlier clinched the 2007 T20 World Cup and later went on to bag the 2013 Champions Trophy.