The coastal breeze of Dambulla usually brought relief, but on June 22, 2010, it brought only a sense of lethargy. The final group stage match of the Asia Cup between India and Sri Lanka was technically a marquee clash, but in reality, it was a glorified practice session. Both teams had already booked their tickets for the grand finale on the 24th.
Match 1: The Group Stage
Date: June 22, 2010.
The Indian dressing room was relaxed—perhaps too relaxed. MS Dhoni, wary of burnout before the final, had made the call to rest his trump card, Siddanth Deva. "Put your feet up, Sid," Dhoni had said. "We need you fresh for Thursday."
Gautam Gambhir stepped back into the XI, but the rhythm was missing.
Batting first, India looked disjointed. Gambhir scratched around for a 23 before nicking behind. Virat Kohli, usually so dependable, fell for a cheap 10.
Only Rohit Sharma showed resistance, compiling a fluid 69, his drives piercing the off-side field with lazy elegance. Dinesh Karthik chipped in with 40, and Dhoni made 41, but once the captain fell, the tail refused to wag.
Jadeja (0), Zaheer (0), and Praveen Kumar (0) formed a 'telephone number' on the scorecard.
India crumbled to 209 All Out.
Sri Lanka treated the chase like a walk in the park. Without the pace and aggression of Deva to break partnerships or the intensity in the field, the Lankans cruised. Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene played glorious strokes, chasing down the target in just 37.3 overs.
India lost by 7 wickets.
It was a wake-up call.
---
Date: June 24, 2010.
Venue: Dambulla.
The stadium was packed. The Papare bands were playing their rhythmic drums, creating a wall of sound that vibrated in the chest.
Ravi Shastri (Pitchside): "Welcome to the Grand Finale! It's the Men in Blue against the hosts. India has brought the heavy artillery back. Siddanth Deva returns. The pitch looks like a belter, hard and brown. The grass has been shaved off. It's a batting paradise."
---
MS Dhoni and Kumar Sangakkara walked out. The tension was palpable.
Dhoni flipped the coin. Heads.
Dhoni: "We will bat first. It's a final. Scoreboard pressure is the 12th man. We want to put a big total and squeeze them."
Sangakkara: "We would have chased anyway. We chased well two days ago. We just need early wickets."
1st Innings
The Openers: Deva and Karthik
Siddanth Deva walked out with Dinesh Karthik.
Lasith Malinga took the new ball. His slingshot action was the biggest threat.
Deva didn't wait.
Over 2 (Nuwan Kulasekara): Deva stepped down the track first ball. He lofted it over mid-on for four.
Over 4 (Malinga): Karthik played a beautiful square drive.
They weren't just surviving; they were dominating.
Commentary Box (Tony Greig & Sunil Gavaskar):
Tony Greig: "Oh, look at that! He's punched that off the back foot with sheer arrogance! This young man Deva, Sunny, he reminds me a bit of a young Viv Richards with that swagger. He doesn't just hit the ball; he dismisses it."
Sunil Gavaskar: "It's the balance, Tony. Look at his head position. Still as a statue. You know, Dambulla is known for heavy winds. It usually helps the swing bowlers, but today, Deva is using the wind to carry his shots. The average first innings score here is only 230? India is already scoring at 8 an over."
---
Deva and Karthik were running Sri Lanka ragged.
Deva was the aggressor, targeting the spinners Muralitharan and Kandamby.
Karthik was the perfect foil, rotating strike and punishing the loose balls.
They reached 100 in just 13 overs.
Tony Greig: "This is carnage! The Sri Lankans look shell-shocked. They beat this team 48 hours ago, but this is a different beast. Deva is on 60 off 35 balls!"
---
Over 18:
Karthik tried to sweep Muralitharan. Top edge.
Caught at short fine leg.
WICKET: D. Karthik c Malinga b Muralitharan 66.
Partnership: 135 Runs.
The Deva Show Continues
Virat Kohli walked in at No. 3.
Deva didn't slow down. He was in "The Zone."
He smashed Angelo Mathews for two sixes in the 20th over.
He moved to 88.
Over 22: Deva tried to hit Farveez Maharoof out of the park.
He aimed for long-off. The ball gripped slightly.
He didn't get the elevation. Caught on the boundary.
WICKET: S. Deva c Kapugedera b Maharoof 88 (53 balls).
---
Ravi Shastri: "He goes for one too many! But what an innings! He has set the platform. 88 off 53 in a final! The crowd stands up to applaud."
India was 160/2 in 22 overs. A platform for 350.
But the pitch started to slow down.
Kohli struggled to find timing, scoring 28 before being trapped LBW by Malinga.
MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma joined forces.
They realized 350 might be risky if they lost wickets. They consolidated.
They put on a smart 62-run partnership, running hard twos in the humid heat.
Commentary Box (Arun Lal & Ramiz Raja):
Ramiz Raja: "Dhoni is such a street-smart cricketer. He knows the spinners are getting grip now. He's taking the game deep."
Arun Lal: "It's the right tactic. If they collapse now, 280 is dangerous. They need 320. Rohit looks good today. That pull shot is his signature."
---
Dhoni fell for 38 (Caught behind).
Rohit Sharma played some exquisite shots before holing out for 41.
Suresh Raina provided the late impetus with a quick 29.
Ravindra Jadeja and Harbhajan Singh scrambled the final runs.
India Finished: 322/6 (50 Overs).
---
Sunil Gavaskar: "322 in a final is a mountain. Sri Lanka needs something extraordinary. Their top order has to fire. If India gets early wickets, this is over."
2nd Innings
Target: 323.
Sri Lanka came out under pressure.
Praveen Kumar swung the new ball viciously.
Tillakaratne Dilshan went for a golden duck (Caught at slip).
Upul Tharanga followed soon after, bowled by Zaheer Khan.
Kumar Sangakkara, the hope of the nation, looked good for two boundaries but was run out by a brilliant direct hit from Virat Kohli.
Mahela Jayawardene nicked Ashish Nehra to Dhoni.
Score: 60/5 in 15 Overs.
The stadium was silent. The Papare bands had stopped playing.
None of the top 5 batsmen had crossed 20 runs.
---
Thilan Kandamby and Chamara Kapugedera joined forces.
The game was effectively lost, but they refused to surrender.
They batted sensibly, punishing the loose balls from the spinners.
They built a 50-run stand. The crowd started to make noise again. A glimmer of hope? Or just delaying the inevitable?
---
Over 29.
Sri Lanka was 110/5. The partnership was annoying Dhoni. The ball was getting old and soft.
Dhoni threw the ball to Siddanth Deva.
He walked up to Deva at the top of his run-up. The stump mic picked up snippets.
Dhoni: "Sid, look, the ball isn't reversing. He (Kandamby) is sitting on the back foot waiting for the cut. Don't give him width."
Deva: "Should I try the yorker?"
Dhoni: "No, bowl a heavy ball. Back of a length. Aim for the top of the off stump. Cramp him for room. Make him play across the line."
Deva: "Okay, bhai."
Dhoni adjusted the field. He moved the point fielder deeper and brought mid-wicket straighter. It was a trap.
The Execution
Over 28.1: Deva bowled back of a length, 142kph. Kandamby defended.
Over 28.2: Similar length, slightly straighter. Kandamby tucked it for no run.
Over 28.3: Deva banged it in short. Kandamby ducked.
Over 28.4:
Deva ran in. He hit the deck hard, exactly as Dhoni said.
The ball angled in towards the body, cramping Kandamby for room.
Kandamby, frustrated by the dots, tried to force it to the leg side—playing across the line.
The ball held its line just a fraction.
It took the leading edge.
The ball looped gently back to the bowler.
Caught and Bowled.
WICKET: T. Kandamby c & b Deva 31.
Ravi Shastri: " The trap was set, and the mouse walked right in! Dhoni had a word, Deva executed perfectly. The partnership is broken, and surely that is the Asia Cup for India!"
---
With the resistance broken, the tail didn't last long.
Ravindra Jadeja cleaned up Kapugedera.
Harbhajan Singh spun out the tail.
Sri Lanka All Out: 176 (38 Overs).
India Won by 146 Runs.
---
The Indian team stormed the field. Dhoni picked up a stump. Virat Kohli was jumping on Deva's back.
The fireworks exploded over Dambulla.
Ravi Shastri: "A dominant performance by the World Number 1 side! They were humiliated in the group stage, but they have responded like champions in the final. 146 runs is a thrashing."
Ravi Shastri: "For a blistering 88 that set the tone, and the crucial wicket that broke the resistance... the Man of the Match is Siddanth Deva."
Deva walked up, soaking in the applause.
Shastri: "Sid, you missed the last game against them, and India lost. You come back, India wins by 146 runs. Do you feel you are the lucky charm?"
Deva: "I don't know about luck, Ravi. But watching from the sidelines hurts. I was hungry today. DK (Karthik) and I got a great start, and I just wanted to capitalize. The pitch was great for batting early on."
Shastri: "Tell us about that wicket of Kandamby. Dhoni had a long chat with you."
Deva (smiling): "Yeah, Mahi-bhai is great at reading the game. He told me exactly where Kandamby would try to hit if I cramped him. I just bowled the line, and he chipped it back. Captain's wicket, really."
---
MS Dhoni collected the Asia Cup trophy.
He walked over to the team.
As always, he handed the trophy to the youngest members.
They lifted it high.
Commentary:
Sunil Gavaskar: "This is a team that is building something special for 2011. They have the batting power, they have the bowling variety, and they have the belief. The Asia Cup returns to India!"
As the team took a victory lap, Deva drove the stump into the ground at the center of the pitch and posed for a picture with Virat and Rohit.
The "Devil" had conquered Asia.
Deva looked at the trophy in his hands.
One continent down.
The World awaited.