It146;s Judgement Day

Jayasuriya isn8217;t the one to back out of such battles. 8220;Whatever they bowl, we will have to adapt and play according to that. If they bounce we have to pull or hook, if they bowl in the right areas we will respect that and work on it. When you8217;re an opening batsman you are always a target and I8217;ve been playing long enough to handle the pressure and am ready to face any of their bowlers on Saturday,8221; he said.

But on the eve of the net session, the Aussies seemed to be bothered by a certain Lankan bowler. Yet to face Lasith Malinga in an ODI and impossible to find a bowler with a slingy action, they adjusted the bowling machine to get the angle that the Lankan bowler gets when bowling round the wicket. And Ponting had no problem in admitting that he and Matthew Hayden had spent some time at the net under the stimulated conditions.

In between the hard match talk, Ponting spoke about his last game when he had the luxury of throwing the ball to one man who had answered his several SoS. 8220;There is no denying that I will miss him and I am not ashamed to say that I shed tears when he played his last Test at Adelaide,8221; he said.

While McGrath said that right now it seemed like just another day at the office and, maybe, only when the Aussies play next time around he might actually miss the game. And when it actually happens, and in case they are playing the Sri Lankans, the game too will miss this intriguing duel.

EMERALDS ON ISLE AND DOWN UNDER

SRI LANKA

Mahela Jayawardene

After winning the ICC ODI Captain of the Year award last year, Mahela has only climbed from strength to strength. With support from Tom Moody, he has truly emerged as the best leader of the 2007 World Cup. Even his bat says so 8212; 529 runs from 10 matches with an average of 66.12 including that epic hundred against the Black Caps in the semi-final.

Sanath Jayasuriya

The grand old man of Sri Lankan cricket has had a renaissance of sorts in the Caribbean. After making a comeback from retirement the Matara Mauler is well on the verge of guiding his team to a second World Cup title in just over a decade. At the World Cup 8212; 404 runs from 10 matches at 44.88 at a strike rate of 99 is just what the Islanders require at the top.

Chaminda Vaas

The left-armer is truly an epitome of swing bowling. Focused and a team man to the core, Vaas is another stalwart from the batch of 8216;96. He can spell big trouble, without appearing to be doing so. At the World Cup 8212; Clinical as usual, with 13 wickets from 9 matches at 17.84, with an economy rate 3.33 better than even Glenn McGrath8217;s.

Muttiah Muralitharan

Calling him the old fox would be an understatement. The wiliest cricketer of all time is one man who can take it away from the Aussies single-handedly. Has not put a foot wrong so far. At the World Cup 8212; 23 wickets from 9 matches at 13.34.

Lasith Malinga

The surprise package, as the South Africans will tell you. His colourful presence and the slingshots he hurls, is what you live for during a cricket match. At the World Cup8212;16 wickets from 7 matches at 14 runs apiece, he takes them in heaps at time even four in one go.

Kumara Sangakkara

The smart deputy and wicketkeeper is yet to make his mark in the Caribbean, but what better stage than the final of the World Cup against the Aussies? The Aussies won8217;t want that. At the World Cup8212;296 runs from 10 innings at 32.88 with 3 half centuries.

Chamara Silva

The rock-solid Silva has been a Godsend solution to Lanka8217;s middle-order woes. Has surprised many with his stoic show at the CWC. At the World Cup 8212; 329 runs from 10 matches at an average of 47 with four 50-plus scores.

Upul Tharanga

Proclaimed as an under-study to Sanath Jayasuriya, the rookie already has six ODI hundreds to his name. The Aussies would underestimate him at their own peril. At the World Cup 8212; 292 with three 50-plus scores at an average of 29.20.

AUSTRALIA

Ricky Ponting

Leading from the front, the Aussie skipper is a step away from taking Oz to heights that even Clive Lloyd8217;s all-conquering Caribbean star-cast team failed to achieve. At the World Cup 8212; 502 runs from 10 matches at 72.71 with a ton and four 50-plus scores.

Matthew Hayden

In the form of his life-time, this burly man is just 52 runs short of breaking Tendulkar8217;s record of most runs in a single edition of the World Cup. The resistance offered in his journey to the top of the run pyramid has been as strong as a water pistol in front of fire hose. At the World Cup 8212; In 10 matches 621 runs, at an average of 77.62 with a mammoth strike rate of 104.2, not to forget his fifty and three hundreds at the edition.

Adam Gilchrist

It8217;s time for the Gilly show. The stage is set and, as they say, bigger the stage, bigger the threat. No team can breathe easy till the time this man remains at the wicket. At the World Cup 8212; 304 runs from 10 matches at 33.77 and that can only go up.

Michael Clarke

The young veteran in a team of champs. Being an exponent of classic style batting in the company of brute power is not easy, but if you can score as he does, who cares. At the World Cup 8212; 428 runs from 10 matches at the top average of 85.60 to go with a strike rate 94.56.

Andrew Symonds

A smoking volcano, waiting to erupt. On his day he can win it with bat or ball or even without either. May be the final could be just the right stage for the aborigine sensation. At the World Cup 8212; 166 runs from 8 matches at 55.33.

Glenn McGrath

The legend is scripting his own fairytale. The leading wicket-taker at the World Cup, McGrath wants to bid adieu with another World Cup in his already jam-packed cabinet. Ample proof of that pudding was the Man of the Match award and the three-wicket haul vs South Africa in the semi-final. At the World Cup 8212; 25 wickets at 13 runs apiece and it8217;s going to be his last match. Sri Lanka beware.

Shaun Tait

Another speed sensation from Down Under. Coming in as a replacement for Brett Lee, things will be very different once the Cup is over, with the replacement might just becoming the actual spearhead of the future. At the Cup, 23 wickets at 18.47 from 74 overs is more than what was asked of him.

Brad Hogg

With Murali in the opposition it8217;s going to be the battle of a wrong 8216;un and the doosra. He might be nowhere near Murali for others, but for his skipper he is the only spinning hope. At the World Cup8212; Hogg8217;s 17 wicket at 17 apiece from 10 matches is ample proof.

ROAD TO FINAL

Australia

Semi-final:

Beat South Africa by 7 wickets with 18.3 overs remaining

SA: 149 43.5; Aus: 153/3 31.3

Super Eights:

8226; Beat New Zealand by 215 runs

Aus: 348/6 50; NZ: 133 25.5

8226; Beat Sri Lanka by 7 wickets

SL: 226 49.4 Aus: 232/3 42.4

8226; Beat Ireland by 9 wickets

Ireland 91 30; Aus: 92/1 12.2

8226; Beat England by 7 wickets

England: 247 49.5; Aus : 248/3 47.2

8226; Beat Bangladesh by 10 wickets

Bangladesh: 104/6 22/22; Aus 106/0 13.5

8226; Beat West Indies by 103 runs

Aus: 322/650; WI: 219 45.3

Group matches:

8226; Beat South Africa by 83 runs

Aus: 377/6 50; South Africa: 29448

8226; Beat Netherlands by 229 runs

Aus: 358/5; Netherlands: 129 26.5

8226; Beat Scotland by 203 runs

Aus: 334/6 50; Scotland: 131 40.1

Sri Lanka

Semi-Final

8226; Beat New Zealand by 81 runs

SL: 289/5 50; New Zealand: 208

Super Eight

8226; Beat Ireland by 8 wickets with 40 overs remaining

Ireland: 77 27.4; SL: 81/2 10

8226; Beat New Zealand by 6 wickets

NZ: 219/750; SL: 222/4 45.1

8226; Beat England by 2 runs

SL 235 50; England: 233/8 50

8226; Beat West Indies by 113 runs

SL: 303/5 50; WI: 190 44.3

8226; Lost to South Africa by 1 wicket

SL: 209 49.3; South Africa: 212/9 48.2

Group Matches:

8226; Beat India by 69 runs

SL: 254/6 50; India: 185 43.3

8226; Beat Bangladesh by 198 runs

SL: 318/4 50; Bangladesh: 112 37/46 D/L

8226; Beat Bermuda by 243 runs

Sl: 321/650; Bermuda: 7824.4

HIGHS 038; LOWS

HIGHEST INNINGS TOTALS:

Australia: 368/5 in 50 overs at Sydney, February 17, 2006

Sri Lanka: 343/5 in 50 overs at Sydney, January 9, 2003

LOWEST INNINGS TOTALS:

Australia: 162 in 48.4 overs at Colombo September 27, 2002

Sri Lanka: 91 in 35.5 overs at Adelaide January 28, 1985

HIGHEST INDIVIDUAL SCORES :

Australia: 154 Adam Gilchrist at Melbourne February 7, 1999

Sri Lanka: 122 Sanath Jayasuriya at Sydney January 9, 2003

BEST BOWLING PERFORMANCE:

Australia: 5/21 Anthony Dodemaide at Perth February 1, 1988

Sri Lanka: 5/28 Sanath Jayasuriya at Galle August 22, 1999

HIGHEST MARGINS OF VICTORY :

Australia: 232 runs at Adelaide January 28, 1985; 9 wickets Perth February 3, 1985, Perth, December 30, 1989,

Sharjah, April 14, 1994, Melbourne, January 21, 2003, Brisbane, February 14, 2006

Sri Lanka: 79 runs at Sydney January 9, 2003; 8 wickets at Colombo August 31, 1999

NARROWEST MARGINS OF VICTORY:

Australia: 3 wickets at Sydney January 21, 1985 18 runs at Melbourne January 18, 1996

Sri Lanka: 2 wickets at Colombo April 13, 1983 1 run at Dambulla February 22, 2004

TRIVIA

8226; It will be the second World Cup final between Australia and Sri Lanka. The Islanders won by seven wickets in 1996 at Lahore

8226; Sri Lankan Muttiah Muralitharan, Sanath Jayasuriya and Chaminda Vaas and Australian Ricky Ponting and Glenn McGrath are the five survivors of that 1996 clash

8226; The scores are even between the two. Both teams have won four matches each in eight title matches played before this

8226; Australia have won five and Sri Lanka just one in six matches played between the teams in this mega event. 8212;S Pervez Qaiser