Wankhede Stadium Mumbai

General Information About Wankhede Stadium Mumbai:

* Location: D Road, Churchgate, Mumbai
* Established: 1974
* Seating Capacity: 45,000
* Floodlights: Yes
* Specialty:International Cricket Matches
* End Names: Garware Pavilion End, Tata End
* Home Team: Mumbai
* Owner: Mumbai Cricket Association
* First Test: India vs. West Indies – Jan 23-29, 1975
* First ODI: India vs. Sri Lanka – Jan 17, 1987
* First Match Played: January 23, 1975 – West Indies beat India by 201 runs
* Last Match Played: March 18, 2006 – England beat India by 212 runs
* Matches Played: 21
* Matches Tied: 0
* No Result: 6
* Most Successful Team: India
* Wins by Team Batting First: 10
* Wins by Team Batting Second: 5
* Most Prolific Batsman: Sunil Gavaskar (1122 Runs)
* Highest Individual Score: 242 by Clive Lloyd
* Most Prolific Bowler: Anil Kumble (38 Wickets)
* Best Bowling Analysis: 7/48 by Harbhajan Singh

More Information About Wankhede Stadium Mumbai:

Wankhede Stadium is the largest cricket stadium in Mumbai. Wankhade Stadium was the outcome of some disputes over ticket allocations that arose between the Cricket Club of India, the owner of Brabourne Stadium and Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA). In 1973, after the Test between India and England, the dispute became severe and at the initiative of S.K. Wankhede, a politician and the Secretary of MCA, a new stadium was built near the Churchgate in South Mumbai. Wankhede Stadium got test status in 1974, when it hosted a match between India and the touring West Indies. It is the largest cricket stadium in Mumbai. Wankhede Stadium was born out the dispute between Cricket Club of India and Bombay Cricket Association. Wankhede Stadium has seen some wonderful display of both batting and bowling. It was here that Sunil Gavaskar made his fighting 205 against the fearsome West Indian bowling attack in 1978-79 series. In 1980 Ian Botham won the admiration of the fans in Wankhede Stadium by his wonderful display with a century and three wickets. Also an integral part of these wonderful memories is Ravi Shastri six sixes in first class cricket. Today, Wankhede Stadium has taken over Brabourne Stadium in all respect; with a whopping sitting capacity of 45,000 audiences the stadium offers a top-end cricketing spectacle. Wankhede Stadium is a cricket stadium that was established in 1975. Nobody knew that a dispute between the Cricket Club of India (CCI) and Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) would result into the largest cricket stadium in Mumbai. In 1973, a dispute over ticket allocations cropped up, after the test match between India and England. It became so severe that S.K. Wankhede (a politician and the Secretary of MCA) instantly took the decision of making a new stadium at Churchgate in South Mumbai (or Bombay). One of the two major cricket grounds in the city of Mumbai, Wankhede stadium was established in 1974, in a record time of 6 months. It is barely a few kilometers away from Brabourne stadium, the next cricketing venue in Mumbai. Before the establishment of Wankhede stadium, Brabourne stadium used to host all the Test matches allocated to Mumbai. The Bombay Cricket Association had a dispute with the authorities (the Cricket Club of India) of Brabourne stadium. Consequently, it decided to build its own stadium, which is now called Wankhede stadium. In the present time, Wankhede stadium is the venue for a number of important Test and ODI matches. Read on to know more about the stadium. Wankhede stadium has been hosting international cricket matches since 1975, the first being the Test in the 1974-75 season, when the West Indies toured India. Since then, it has taken over from Brabourne as the main cricketing venue in the city. In 1995, Wankhade stadium underwent an up-gradation drive, during which, floodlights were installed to provide excellent lighting for the day and night cricket matches hosted by it. The stadium holds a special place, because no other India cricketing venues have produced as many legendary cricketers as the Wankhede stadium has. Wankhede stadium has seen some classic sports and it has been witness to great innings like Gavaskar’s 205 against the Windies and Kallicharan’s 187 in the same game in the 1978-79 series. It was the same ground where all round heroics like Ian Botham’s century and thirteen wickets in the Jubilee Test unleashed complete mania in 1980 when England won by ten wickets. The highest score by an Indian at Wankhede remains Vinod Kambli’s 224 against England in 1992-93 in only his third Test. Incidentally Ravi Shastri’s six sixes in an over off Baroda’s Tilak Raj en route to the fastest double-hundred in first-class cricket was on this ground in 1984-85. Mumbai, the cricket capital of India, has seen Test matches played at three different grounds. The Bombay Gymkhana ground hosted the first ever Test in India, in 1933-34 against England. After WW-II, the Cricket Club of India’s Brabourne Stadium was used for 17 Tests. However, due to a dispute between the CCI and the Bombay Cricket Association, the BCA built the 45000-capacity Wankhede Stadium, less than a mile away from the Brabourne Stadium. It staged its first Test in the 1974-75 season when the Windies toured India. Clive Lloyd scored an unbeaten 242 and in Pataudi’s last hurrah, India lost by 201 runs. The Test also featured a crowd disturbance after a fan who rushed onto the ground to greet Lloyd was treated roughly by the police. India’s first victory here was posted against the New Zealand two seasons later. The stadium has been witness to great innings like Gavaskar’s 205 against the Windies and Kallicharan’s 187 in the same game in the 1978-79 series and all round heroics like Ian Botham’s century and thirteen wickets in the Jubilee Test in 1980. which England won by ten wickets. The highest score by an Indian at Wankhede remains Vinod Kambli’s 224 against England in 1992-93 in only his third Test. Incidentally Ravi Shastri’s six sixes in an over off Baroda’s Tilak Raj en route to the fastest double-hundred in first-class cricket was on this ground in 1984-85. The home ground of Sachin Tendulkar, no other Indian venue has produced as many legendary cricketers as the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai has. Barely a few meters away from the Brabourne Stadium, the Wankhede was constructed in a record 6 months time. Hosting internationals since 1975, the Wankhede Stadium, with a capacity of close to 50,000 has been witness to some epic performances –Ian Botham’s century and 13 wickets in the Jubilee Test in 1980 – the first time anyone had done the double of a century and 10 wickts in the same match – perhaps the stand out moment among many. The Wankhede was also the host to Ravi Shastri equalling Sir Gary Sobers’ feat of six sixes of an over in a First Class match. The stadium, now home to the IPL team Mumbai Indians, will undergo a reconstruction, so as to accommodate many more people for the Final of the 2011 World Cup, which it is scheduled to host. The seaside situation of the Wankhede stadium means that the swing bowlers get a fair amount of assistance during the early part of each day. The pitch has traditionally been full of runs, but it does help the spinners during the last couple of days, and in the last Test played on the ground, against Australia in 2005, the ball spun viciously from early on and this, coupled with low bounce, helped India win in under three days even though almost a whole day was lost to rain. The Wankhede stadium has stands named after famous Mumbai cricketers like Vijay Merchant, Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar. The cricket pitch of Wankhade Stadium is bowler’s favorite with spinners having an edge. It has also pace friendly track. Proximity to the sea ensures spin and bounce to the spinners on the ground. In the year 1995, Wankhede Stadium was upgraded to host day and night matches as well. Wankhede Stadium has adequately honored India’s cricket’s legend and hence the main gates to the ground are named after Polly Umrigar and Vinoo Mankad. The stands are named after famous Mumbai cricketers like Vijay Merchant (West stand), Sunil Gavaskar (East stand upper) and Sachin Tendulkar (North stand).

Owing to the proximity to the sea, Wankhede Stadium has ample sea breezes blowing through it; this aids the faster bowlers with early swings. Wankhede Stadium has a wonderful batting pitch and usually produces high scoring matches.When it comes to test matches, the Wankhede generally offers assistance to swing bowlers, during the early part of each day. However, as the Test match progresses, precisely during the fifth day of the match, the stadium becomes a vicious turner, making a fourth innings run-chase extremely difficult for a team. This is probably because of its proximity to the sea. The pitch is largely a spinner and pace friendly track. It offers spin and bounce to spin bowlers and swing to fast bowlers during the day time. This makes the matches more challenging for the team, which is on a run chase. This is the reason why some of the stadium has witnessed some of the most incredible Test innings in the history of cricket. Currently, the stadium is home to IPL team Mumbai Indians. Nowadays, Wankhede Stadium has ousted Brabourne Stadium in all respects. It has become the main cricket venue in the city and always stands in competition to host an international match in India. With a seating capacity of 45,000 spectators, the coliseum tenders a spectacular sight of cricket. The sports ground has been testimony to the great innings, for instance Gavaskar’s 205 and Kallicharan’s 187 in the 1978-79 series. It is the same stadium, which offered the grounds to the laudable events like Ian Botham’s century, thirteen wickets in the Jubilee Test and the win of England by ten wickets in 1980. Vinod Kambli is the highest scorer amongst Indian players, with 224 runs at the stadium, while Ravi Shastri had six sixes in an over on this ground in 1984-85. Its fine cricket pitch has been the favorite of spinners with its pace friendly track. As a fitting tribute to the famous test cricketers from Mumbai, Wankhede Stadium’s stands have been named after Sachin Tendulkar, Sunil Gavaskar and Vijay Merchant. Being close to the sea, the ground proffers spin and bounce to the spinners and swing to fast bowlers. In 1995, Wankhede Stadium was upgraded with lights, to host day and night matches. Subsequently, it made the venue for an India-Australia match in the 1996 Cricket World Cup. The coliseum has been assigned to host the finals of 2011 Cricket World Cup; due to this it would undertake a major renovation. livescore.warofcricket.com provides information on Wankhede Stadium Mumbai and other Grounds around the World.

Records at Wankhede Stadium Mumbai:

* The highest Test total at the Stadium is 604/6 declared by the West Indies against India in the 1974/75 season.
* The lowest Test total at the Stadium is 93, scored by Australia, when it played against India in the 2004/05 season.
* India scored the highest ODI total at the Stadium. The team scored 299/4 against Sri Lanka in the 1986/1987 season.
* Bangladesh scored the lowest ODI total at the Stadium. The team was 115 all out, when it competed with India in the 1998 season.
* Ravi Shastri’s six sixes in an over off Baroda’s Tilak Raj en route to the fastest double-hundred in first-class cricket was on this ground in 1984-85.
* The highest partnership scored at the Wankhede stadium is 298. D.B. Vengsarkar and R.J. Shastri partnered to put the score on the board, for India against Australia in the 1986-87 season.

How to Reach Wankhede Stadium Mumbai:

One can easily reach Wankhede Stadium by boarding buses or trains, or by hiring autos or taxis from the city.This stadium is very near to Churchgate station, just walkable distance of 10 to 15 minutess. But if you are coming from outside India (i.e coming from Mumbai Airport) then the distance is long and need to catch a local train heading towards south of Mumbai (Western Railway) Churchgate Station. Alternately there are options for cool cabs and taxi from Airport.This is one of the most prestigious stadiums of the country. It is located at Mumbai, in Maharashtra. Airway serves as a heavy mode of transport because the Mumbai International Airport lies close to the Stadium. The Church Gate railway station is at around 30 minutes driving distance from the stadium which helps the people visiting here to come by trains. People can also come by buses, cabs and private cars. Board a local or hire a taxi/auto or bus

Cricket Recoard At Wankhede Stadium Mumbai

Wankhede Stadium is the largest cricket stadium in Mumbai. Wankhade Stadium was the outcome of some disputes over ticket allocations that arose between the Cricket Club of India, the owner of Brabourne Stadium and Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA). In 1973, after the Test between India and England, the dispute became severe and at the initiative of S.K. Wankhede, a politician and the Secretary of MCA, a new stadium was built near the Churchgate in South Mumbai. Wankhede Stadium got test status in 1974, when it hosted a match between India and the touring West Indies. It is the largest cricket stadium in Mumbai. Wankhede Stadium was born out the dispute between Cricket Club of India and Bombay Cricket Association. Wankhede Stadium has seen some wonderful display of both batting and bowling. It was here that Sunil Gavaskar made his fighting 205 against the fearsome West Indian bowling attack in 1978-79 series.

A look back at all the nine World Cup finals

June 21, 1975 at Lord's

West Indies captain Clive Lloyd (102) became the first batsman to score a century in a World Cup final, helping his side post 291-8. Australia were 233-9 before the last-wicket pair of Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson added 41. The fightback ended when Thomson was run out.

Brief Scores: West Indies 291-8 in 60 overs (Clive Lloyd 102, Rohan Kanhai 55, Gary Gilmour 5/48, Jeff Thomson 2/44) beat Australia 274 in 58.4 overs ( Ian Chappell 62, Alan Turner 40, Keith Boyce 4/50) by 17 runs.

June 23, 1979 at Lord's

The West Indies rode on Richards's 138 not out to reach 286-9. England failed to force the pace and were bowled out for 194. Their last eight wickets fell for 11 runs, with Joel Garner doing the damage with 5-38.

Brief Scores: West Indies 286-9 in 60 overs (Vivian Richards 138 not out, Collis King 86, Phil Edmonds 2/40, Ian Botham 2/44, Mike Hendrick 2/50, Chris Old 2/55) beat England 194 in 51 overs ( Mike Brearley 64, Geoff Boycott 57, Joel Garner 5/38, Michael Holding 2/16, Colin Croft 3/42) by 92 runs.

June 25, 1983 at Lord's

India, who had won just one match in the previous two editions, stunned the Windies when they defended a modest 183 by dismissing their rivals for 140.

Brief Scores: India 183 in 54.4 overs (Krishnamachari Srikkanth 38, Andy Roberts 3/32, Malcolm Marshall 2/24, Michael Holding 2/26, Larry Gomes 2/49) beat West Indies 140 in 52 overs (Vivian Richards 33, Mohinder Amarnath 3/12, Madan Lal 3/31, Balwinder Sandhu 2/32) by 43 runs

Nov 8, 1987 at Kolkata

The match will be remembered for England captain Mike Gatting's ill-timed reverse-sweep that led to his dismissal at a crucial stage. The Australians did not look safe after scoring 253-5 as England were 135-2 at one stage until Gatting's hara-kiri.

Brief Scores: Australia 253-5 in 50 overs ( David Boon 75, Mike Veletta 45 n.o., Eddie Hemmings 2/48, Neil Foster 1/38) bt England 246/8 in 50 overs (Bill Athey 58, Allan Lamb 45, Mike Gatting 41, Steve Waugh 2/37 & Allan Border 2/38) by 7 runs

March 25, 1992 at Melbourne

Pakistan captain Imran Khan led from the front, top-scoring with 72 to help his side post 249 for six. England faltered against leg-spinner Mushtaq Ahmed (3-41) before being all out for 227.

Brief Scores: Pakistan 249-6 in 50 overs (Imran Khan 72, Javed Miandad 58, Inzamam-ul-Haq 42, Pringle 3/22, Ian Botham 1/42) beat England 227 in 49.2 overs (Neil Fairbrother 58, Wasim Akram 3/49, Mushtaq Ahmed 3/41, Aaqib Javed 2/27) by 22 runs.

March 17, 1996 at Lahore

Sri Lanka comfortably chased a 242-run target. Aravinda de Silva's superb 107 not out and skipper Arjuna Ranatunga's clever use of his spinners were the highlights of Sri Lanka's win.

Brief Scores: Australia 241-7 in 50 overs ( Mark Taylor 74, Ricky Ponting 45, Aravinda de Silva 3/42) lost to Sri Lanka 245/3 in 46.2 overs (Aravinda de Silva 107 not out, Asanka Gurusinha 65, Javed 2/27) by seven wickets

June 20, 1999 at Lord's

Shane Warne virtually reduced the final to a no-contest when he grabbed four wickets in what turned out to be his last World Cup appearance. Pakistan were bowled out for 132 before Adam Gilchrist smashed a brisk half-century in Australia's emphatic win.

Brief Scores: Pakistan 132 in 39 overs (Ijaz Ahmed 22, Shane Warne 4/33, Glenn McGrath 2/13, Tom Moody 2/17) Australia 133/2 in 20.1 overs (Adam Gilchrist 54, Mark Waugh 37 n.o.) by 8 wkts.

March 23, 2003 at Jo'burg

Ricky Ponting virtually batted India out of the match when he hammered an unbeaten 140 to help his side post 359-2. India were restricted to 234 despite Virender Sehwag's 82.

Brief Scores: Australia 359-2 in 50 overs (Ricky Ponting 140 not out, Damien Martyn 88 not out), Adam Gilchrist 57, Harbhajan 2/49) beat India 234 in 39.2 overs (Virender Sehwag 82, Rahul Dravid 47, Glenn McGrath 3/52) by 125 runs

April 28, 2007 at Barbados

Australia became the first team to win a third successive World Cup, thanks to Gilchrist's rapid 149, the highest in the final. Sri Lanka, chasing a rain-revised target of 269 in 36 overs, finished at 215-8 in semi-darkness.

Brief Scores: Australia 281-4 in 38 overs (Adam Gilchrist 149, Matthew Hayden 38, Lasith Malinga 2/49) beat Sri Lanka 215-8 in 36 overs (Sanath Jayasuriya 63, Kumar Sangakkara 54, Michael Clarke 2/33, Andrew Symonds 1/6) by 53 runs (D/L method).

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Ind vs SL: Nehra may miss World Cup final against Sri Lanka

MUMBAI: Left-arm medium pacer Ashish Nehra, who picked up two wickets and ended up the most economical Indian bowler following a superb spell in the semifinal against Pakistan, is learnt to be out of the World Cup with a fractured finger.

Nehra may not take part in the final, but neither the Indian team manager Ranjib Biswal nor ICC spokespersons could confirm the development. Apparently, the bowler hurt his finger while fielding against Pakistan.

In case Nehra's out, it is to be seen if India would seek a replacement. In the event they go for a replacement, then Ishant Sharma is likely to come in as Praveen Kumar, who was in the original eleven but opted out due to injury, is still recuperating.

The team could also decide against a replacement as it has enough bench strength at the moment which includes S Sreesanth and R Ashwin.

It is being seriously perceived that Ashwin is likely to make the final 11 on Saturday and, therefore, a replacement may not be needed at all. However, these aspects will unfold only after Nehra is officially ruled out.

It is also learnt that India's number three batsman Gautam Gambhir is also battling a minor injury. However, there has been no update on him either.

Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan side is grappling with its own problems. Veteran left-arm seamer Chaminda Vaas and crafty off-spinner Suraj Randiv have been sent an SOS by the team management to join the squad as cover for injured all-rounder Aneglo Matthews (hamstring) and legendary off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan (hamstring and knee).

Vaas, a member of the 1996 side that won the Cup and also part of their campaigns in 1999, 2003 and 2007, was initially included in the 30-man probables, but was left out.

Randiv is yet to play in a World Cup and is unfortunately remembered for his deliberate no-ball against India which denied Virender Sehwag a century in an ODI last August.

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India are in good shape ahead of final, says Imran

NEW DELHI: For many the semifinal is the final before the final. The summit clash is just one step away and all the hard work along the way can easily turn to a naught. Add all the hype, the politics, the history that goes into an India-Pakistan tie and what you get is a contest waiting to boil over.

Down the years, some of the semifinals in the World Cup have been most thrilling. In the inaugural edition in 1975, Australia bowled out England for 93 but then slipped to 39/6 before Gary Gilmour pulled them through. In 1992, Pakistan looked all but buried against New Zealand before Inzamam-ul-Haq hurricane half-century powered them into the final. It was Australia's turn again to pull off the Houdini act in 1996 and 1999 editions.

Under Mark Taylor the men from Down Under were on their way out in 1996 at Mohali with West Indies cruising at 165/2 chasing 208 to win before Shane Warne spun his team to a five-run win.

In the next edition, Lance Klusener's two boundaries left South Africa with just one run to win off three balls with one wicket standing before a maniacal run-out helped the Aussies secure a tie and entry into the final.

Out of all these clashes, only Pakistan in 1992 and Australia in 1999 went on to clinch the title which indicates not all teams have the wherewithal to recover from a draining semis encounter. Pakistan's 1992 World Cup winning captain Imran Khan, however, feels that India are in a good shape going into the final.

"The pressure of playing in a semifinal is much greater than that in the final. As India and Pakistan faced off in the semifinals the pressure just multiplied," Imran Khan said on Thursday. "India have gone through the test by fire. My advice to them will be to just enjoy the final," the former Pakistan all-rounder said.

Former Sri Lankan captain Arjuna Ranatunga, the last non-Australian to lift the World Cup in 1996, agreed with Imran. "The pressure on India will be far less as compared to what it was on Wednesday. It is good to see both the Asian favourites competing in the final," Ranatunga, who was in the capital as part of Idea's Champions of the World initiative, said.

Kapil Dev, India's only World Cup-winning skipper, believed that both India and Pakistan played well below their par in the semifinals in Mohali. "Both teams played extraordinary cricket to reach the semis but they failed to play up to their potential. India need to go out and passionately play the final. The pressure will be there but it is important to enjoy the final," he said.

The weight of expectations might have lifted after the Pakistan win but Mahendra Singh Dhoni should not settle for anything less than the title.

Captains' Pick

Kapil Dev: Being an Indian and with the final taking place here, I will definitely favour India to win. But the Lankan players are dangerous and they are playing as a team.

Imran Khan: India will go on to win with the great self-belief they have built up after the win on Wednesday. Sri Lanka though will be expected to put up a much bigger fight.

Arjuna Ranatunga: I think it is 50-50 at this stage. I am a little concerned about the Lankan middle-order, though. Tillakaratne Dilshan has been phenomenal, with his batting, bowling and fielding, Upul Tharanga has performed well and Kumar Sangakkara has been consistent, but Mahela Jayawardene has failed to fire since the Canada match and the middle-order is struggling. But my heart still says Sri Lanka will win.

Allan Border: I believe Sri Lanka have the capability to upset India. They have a strong bowling attack with three quality spinners in Rangana Herath, Ajantha Mendis and Muttiah Muralitharan. Indians showed their susceptibility in facing quality spin bowling in Mohali.

Clive Lloyd: I've always said that catches win matches - Pakistan's mistakes came back to haunt them. The team that gets all disciplines right will have the edge. I am still slightly tilted towards India.

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World Cup final tickets going for Rs 1.25L

MUMBAI: For the World Cup final, it all boils down to simple economics: demand versus supply. So, cricket fans are willing to shell out Rs 1.25 lakh for a ticket in the West Avenue stand, the actual price of which is Rs 37,500.

Blackmarketeers are making huge profits by selling tickets for a seat inside the Wankhede Stadium for Saturday. The selling price is nearly 10 times the actual price. Fans insist that the tickets are worth their weight in gold.

Prices in the black market shot up dramatically on Wednesday night when India defeated Pakistan in the semifinal at Mohali. According to sources, the cheapest ticket in the east-west stand, which is priced at Rs 1,500, is selling for nothing less than Rs 18,000. The Rs 5,000 north-stand ticket is priced in the black market at Rs 36,000.

''The Holy Grail are the VIP and VVIP tickets,'' said one source, who insisted that there are two such types of seats on sale for Rs 2.5 lakh. ''Even politicians are jostling for tickets,'' said the source.

It's not only local politicians and businessmen who have allegedly joined the hunt for a World Cup final ticket. College students, too, form a large chunk of buyers. A student from N M College said, ''I bought a ticket in the Sachin stand worth Rs 15,000 for Rs 35,000 last Sunday.''

He got it cheaply as India had at the time not yet bagged a place in the final. The student said his faith in the Indian team helped him get a good deal. ''On Thursday, my friends wanted to purchase the cheapest tickets in the east-west stands. These cost only Rs 1,500, but the agent is asking for Rs 20,000. The agent had only one ticket to sell.''

The same ticket that the N M student purchased for Rs 35,000 now costs Rs 85,000. A marketing executive who describes himself as a die-hard cricket fan said he willingly shelled out the amount for a place in the stadium.

Police say most of the blackmarketeers were people involved in the betting racket. ''Once we started a drive against bookies, most fled to the outskirts. Those who remained behind are making a killing selling tickets,'' said police, issuing a warning to watch out for forged tickets being sold at phenomenal prices.

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Sachin vs Murali - a farewell battle to cherish

MUMBAI: Legends Sachin Tendulkar and Muttiah Muralitharan face-off in a mouth-watering duel for the last time when India and Sri Lanka clash in the World Cup final on Saturday.

The contest between the world's leading batsman and highest wicket-taker in their final appearance in cricket's showpiece event will add spice to the big game at the Wankhede stadium.

Muralitharan, who turns 39 next month, will leave international cricket after the World Cup with more Test (800) and one-day (534 so far) wickets than any bowler in history.

Tendulkar's batting skills have not diminished even as he celebrates his 38th birthday next month, but he is unlikely to make a record seventh World Cup appearance in 2015.

A World Cup title has eluded the Indian star despite being the sport's most successful batsman with a record 32,785 runs and 99 centuries in Test and one-day cricket.

Muralitharan tasted World Cup glory in his maiden appearance in 1996 when Arjuna Ranatunga's men stunned Australia in the final in the Pakistani city of Lahore.

The ageing superstars have led from the front in this tournament to carry their teams into the final.

Tendulkar's 464 runs in eight matches are just three behind Sri Lankan Tillakaratne Dilshan's record tally of 467, while the wily Muralitharan has claimed 15 wickets despite battling injuries.

Muralitharan has soldiered on bravely over the past six weeks despite being afflicted by hamstring and groin injuries, a side strain and a troublesome knee.

An appreciative Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara said winning the World Cup for Muralitharan has motivated his team.

"Murali is a legend to bowl virtually on one leg and still get wickets," the captain said.

"He is the icon of Sri Lanka, on and off the field, a fantastic human being and a great team man."

The off-spinner is the only player from either side to enjoy a World Cup triumph.

Tendulkar was 10 years old when India won the tournament under Kapil Dev in 1983, while five of his current teammates - Ravichandran Ashwin, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Piyush Chawla and Munaf Patel - were not even born.

India's South African coach Gary Kirsten, who played against Tendulkar in the 1990, regards the batting star as his hero and the "backbone" of the team.

"It has been an absolute honour and previlege to share the same dressing room as Sachin," said Kirsten, who will step down as coach after the final to spend more time with his family.

"There is nothing to teach Sachin. In fact, I have learnt a lot myself just watching him prepare for a game. He is my hero."

Win or lose, fans will relish the sight of the two old warriors battling under the hot sun. They do not make cricketers like them any more.

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India vs Sri Lanka: Bollywood gears up for World Cup final showdown

MUMBAI: All the three Khans will be going to watch India play Sri Lanka in the finals on April 2. Shah Rukh Khan, just after India's batting, said that 260 was not a bad score and if Team India wins "no one can stop me from going to the finals at Wankhede".

Salman Khan, who was partying at Poison and watching the match, said that he had no plans of going for the semifinals. But he said, "I will try and go for the finals. Cricket is a very unpredictable game and with Pakistan in the semifinals I felt India toh gayee."

Aamir Khan was at the semifinals in Mohali. The actor is expected to be at the finals too.

Some other celebrities like Abhishek Bachchan tweeted: "Well done India—diya ghumake."

Arshi Hashmi from Pakistan who works with Women Beyond Borders said, "Well, people are certainly sad but another side to look at it is that the cup will remain in South Asia. The Indian team played very well. It is also important that nobody was talking about Pakistan."

"Once the team started performing well, suddenly the whole country got involved and we really enjoyed the feeling of being one. I hope and pray that this feeling of unity and involvement with the country with positive approach will continue. South Asia will be the World Cup champion and that's the good part," Hashmi added.

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Deflated Pakistan fans blame Misbah for India loss

ISLAMABAD: Disappointed Pakistani cricket fans on Wednesday blamed a sluggish Misbah-ul-Haq for defeat in the World Cup semifinal thriller with arch-rivals India.


India defeated Pakistan by 29 runs in an action-packed match to set up a World Cup final showdown with Sri Lanka in Mumbai on Saturday, leaving fans across cricket-loving Pakistan dejected.

"We lost because of Misbah, as he did not score well when it was most required," angry fan Awais Shakir said on Islamabad's main Jinnah Avenue as thousands of disappointed viewers were leaving screenings of the match.

"He just wasted time on the pitch."

Fans in other Pakistani cities which ground to a halt for the game also criticised Misbah, who scored a lacklustre 56 from 76 balls. His slow play pushed the Pakistan towards defeat before the 50th over.

For schoolteacher Hazrat Ali, it was disappointing -- but not the end of the game.

"Defeat and win is part of the game. Our team will win next time," he said.

In Karachi, Pakistan's largest city, engineer Mohammad Ali said: "It was a great contest all along and the day belonged to India. However Misbah and Younis Khan were very lazy."

The government had declared a half-day holiday in offices and schools to enable the cricket-mad population to enjoy the game.

Special prayers were offered in mosques and at homes, and people recited verses from the Koran, praying to Allah to guide the Pakistani team to victory.

By the evening all major roads in several Pakistani cities were gridlocked with cars, motorcycles and jubilant revellers, but the festive atmosphere turned tense as the Pakistani batting line began to fall before India.

Power cuts sparked protests by hundreds of angry spectators who blocked a main highway in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistani Kashmir.

Motorists listened to the commentary on their car radios and shouted out the latest score to passers-by at a busy intersection in Islamabad.

Excitement reached fever pitch as shopkeepers flogged green T-shirts, caps and souvenirs, and networking sites Facebook and Twitter buzzed with comments on the wickets' falls and player's performance -- and prayers for the squad.

Young people were seen wearing the green T-shirts of the Pakistani squad, their faces painted in the nation's green and white, in the northwestern city of Peshawar, while large national flags flew from buildings, houses and cars.

In the eastern city of Lahore, which borders with India, more than 20,000 Pakistanis thronged the Gaddafi stadium to witness the match on large screens. Entry was free and people formed long queues to get in.

In Karachi residents blocked many roads and set up huge screens to watch the live broadcast from the Indian town of Mohali.

By the end of the day, 30 people were brought to hospitals across Karachi after being wounded by stray bullets fired during the festivities, hospital officials said.

Even prison authorities in the city made special arrangements for inmates to watch the match and gave Indian team shirts to some 200 Indian prisoners.

In Rawalpindi, revellers danced to drums in a market and shouted "Long live the Pakistan team", "We will win" and "Give your best, we are with you".

Whenever an Indian wicket fell, people jumped and danced in jubilation and fired gunshots into the air.

In Islamabad people gathered around screens -- including a huge screen mounted on the Stock Exchange building -- letting out screams of excitement when a player hit a four or faced a fierce delivery.

Large crowds, including women and children, gathered at the lush green Fatima Jinnah park and waved Pakistani flags in support of their team, while elsewhere, the streets were deserted after midday.

toi