Cricket T20 World Cup final 2014: Sri Lanka v India – live!

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• Sri Lanka v India – live!

  
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    • • John Ashdown
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      • theguardian.com, Sunday 6 April 2014 13.50 BST

    
    

    

    Cricket T20: India v Sri Lanka: Virat Kohli and Mahela Jayawardene will be hoping to star. Photograph: Prakash Singh/AFP/Getty Images

    1.50pm BST

    Rainy-day reading

    With play still an hour away, can I direct you to some classic cricket writing in the shape of some vintage Joy of Six pieces:
    
    

    • Cricket innovations: featuring the scoop, pinch-hitting and the googly
    • Sixes: featuring Ian Botham, Kapil Dev and Mark Greatbatch
    • Great forgotten innings: featuring Javed Miandad, Kim Hughes and Mark Ramprakash
    • Unfulfilled talents: featuring Graeme Hick, Mike Atherton and Narendra Hirwani
    1.45pm BST

    COPY  http://www.theguardian.com/uk

    The toss

    Hasn't happened yet – but it will be coming in about 30 minutes. It has now stopped raining. We're hearing we might see some play in about an hour.
    

    Given strong hint that game will start in an hour - 7.40 local, 2.40 UK
    — Simon Mann (@Cricket_Mann) April 6, 2014

    1.35pm BST

    The bad news …

    … is that it's raining, it's raining tears from my eyes. It looks very, very wet out there.
    

    1.30pm BST

    Also on theguardian.com …

    While we're waiting for the toss (in a couple of minutes) why not call in on the county cricket live blog, a cult favourite up there with Oldboy or the Big Lebowski, and/or read up on Australia's crushing victory over England in the women's final?
    

    Updated at 1.31pm BST
    12.29pm BST

    Preamble

    It's time. No, not Vader Time. But, after 34 matches, time to find out the identity of the best T20 side in the world. Yes, yes, it's probably India. But hold your horses. This Sri Lanka side have been in a state of evolution throughout the tournament and might have finally stumbled upon the right combination of huge hitting and crafty spin just in time for the final.
    The problem, other than the powerhouse they're playing against, is their track record of failure in world finals. The 2007 World Cup final? Lost. The 2009 World T20 final? Lost. The 2011 World Cup final? Lost. The 2012 World T20 final? Lost. Indeed the Sri Lankans have not been successful in a showpiece occasion since the 1996 World Cup, Aravinda Da Silva and all that.
    India, meanwhile, are on for the grand slam. They're reigning 50-over world champions and reigning Champions Trophy holders. This is for a clean sweep. And given the way MS Dhoni's side have played thus far in the tournament, you wouldn't bet against them …
    

    Road to the final

    India won four out of four in their group, Sri Lanka three from four, with the solitary defeat coming, weirdly, at the hands of England. Sri Lanka, having ditched their squad captain Dinesh Chandimal, Duckworth-Lewised their way past West Indies in the semi-final, while Virat Kohli was in majestic form as India chased down a daunting 172 to beat South Africa with five balls to spare.