KARACHI: The inaugural World Cup may have not been notable for Sri Lanka. Then still finding their feet and not yet full member of the ICC, the minnows almost came close to creating a huge upset. Pitted against heavyweights like West Indies, Australia and Pakistan, Sri Lanka were not likely to last much.

But they were applauded wholeheartedly for putting a truly brave fight against the mighty Australia at The Oval that day in June 1975. An Alan Turner (101) century saw Ian Chappell’s men reach 328-5 in 60 overs after Sri Lanka captain Anura Tennekoon chose to field first.

Pitted against arguably the most fearsome fast-bowling duo in Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson, Sri Lanka were not expected to survive for long but they not only survived to last their full innings, but their batsmen also played with great purpose.

The Australians panicked as Sri Lanka reached 150-2 in the 32nd over after withering the early thunderbolts of Lillee and Thomson. The pace bowling duo started to pepper the opposing batsmen with short-pitched deliveries.

Sunil Wettimuny and Duleep Mendis were both forced to retire to the hospital after being repeatedly struck on their bodies by Thomson. Mendis, who made 32, was pole-axed when the ball thudded onto his head and Wettimuny (53) was floored by one that hit him on the instep.

The brave Sri Lankans still managed to post 276-4 and lost by 52 runs, while the foul-mouthed Thomson was roundly booed by the crowd. There is a hilarious story attached with that game when Wettimuny — upon his arrival at the hospital — was asked by an off-duty policeman: “Sir, would you like to press charges [against Thomson]?”

Over the years, the relationship between Australia and Sri Lanka remained frosty. The situation got worse when Darrell Hair infamously no-balled Muttiah Muralitharan during the Melbourne Test in 1995 for throwing. Sri Lankans got annoyed when Australia — along with the West Indies — refused to travel to the island for pool matches of the 1996 World Cup for security reasons and forfeited points.

Sri Lanka extracted sweet revenge by winning that World Cup with a clinical seven-wicket triumph in the final in Lahore where Aravinda de Silva excelled with 3-42 and an undefeated 107 as Arjuna Ranatunga’s side reached 245-3 in the 47th over.

But overall the Australians have generally dominated their World Cup ties against the Sri Lankans, winning seven out of nine games where play was possible. Among those victories was the rain-affected final of the 2007 tournament at the Kensington Oval, Bridgetown.

In a match reduced to 38 overs after rains had delayed the start, Australia rode on a sensational 104-ball 149 — which is the highest in a World Cup final — from Adam Gilchrist to pile up 281-4. The wicket-keeper/batsman thrashed eight sixes and 13 fours.

Sri Lanka, needing 269 from 36 overs after weather intervened again, ended up totalling 215-8 despite a second-wicket century stand between Sanath Jayasuriya and Kumar Sangakkara.

Head-to-head summary

June 11, 1975 — The Oval, Australia won by 52 runs

March 7, 1992 —Adelaide, Australia won by seven wickets

Feb 17, 1996 — Colombo (RPS), Sri Lanka got walkover after Australia forfeited the match

March 17, 1996 — Lahore, Sri Lanka won by seven wickets

March 7, 2003 — Centurion, Australia won by 96 runs

March 18, 2003 — Port Elizabeth, Australia won by 48 runs (D/L Method)

April 16, 2007 — St George’s, Australia won by seven wickets

April 28, 2007 — Bridgetown, Australia won by 53 runs (D/L Method)

March 5, 2011 — Colombo (RPS), no result

March 8, 2015 — Sydney, Australia won by 64 runs

Published in Dawn, June 15th, 2019