Thursday 20th, January 2011 15 Sri Lanka 1979 World Cup squad (Standing) Ranjan Madugalle, Rohan Jayasekera, Ranjan Gunatilleke, D.L.S. de Silva, Ajith de Silva, Sunil Jayasinghe, Sritharan Jeganathan, Roy Dias, Sudath Pasqual. (Seated) Gen. B. R. Heyn, Duleep Mendis, Sunil Wettimuny, Anura Tennekoon (Captain), Bandula Warnapura (Vice-Captain), D. S. de Silva, Tony Opatha and Abu Fuard. The eight teams line up ahead of the tournament’s curtain-raiser between India and the West Indies. Anura Tennekoon believes the 1979 win over India opened a lot of eyes in the cricketing world about what Sri Lanka is Part capable of. “The second wicket stand of 15 96 by Wettimuny (Sunil) and Dias off 25 overs was a joy to watch; Wettimuny excelling with stylish drives and Dias effecting many attractive wristy strokes. Mendis followed with a powerful display in which he too were keen to Zealand at Trent Bridge. Their game against the play in the tour- West Indies was rained off and as a result, they struck Ghavri, Kapil Dev and nament and thus collected two points. Amarnath each for 6. Pasqual the game’s gov- The Indians had no chance of making it to the erning body had semi-finals after they lost both their group games (Sudath), a confident left-hand- to create the ICC against New Zealand and West Indies and would ed schoolboy and the youngest Trophy, a tour- have expected to settle for a consolation win nament prior to against the Sri Lankans, but they were stunned by player at the 1979 World Cup, the World Cup a disciplined Sri Lankan outfit and the result of joined in the fun with Mendis, to determine that match may well have sealed Sri Lanka’s case who will go for ICC Full Membership. as 52 runs were added off seven through for the In the heavy loss to New Zealand only skipper overs,” Wisden commented. big event. Tennakoon was convincing and it was a huge draw- Sri Lanka’s back when he was ruled out of the Indian game hopes of qual- with a hamstring injury. Bandula Warnapura led ifying were the side in his absence to a memorable victory. “The turning-point came when Viswanath ran affected by Ranjan Madugalle made his debut in place of the himself out for 22. Afterwards, Somachandra de the fact that injured Sri Lankan captain. Silva varied his leg-breaks with such skill that he the then gov- “The Sri Lankan batsmen enjoyed themselves dismissed Vengsarkar, Patel and Amarnath, where- ernment had on a docile pitch that was of little help to a rather upon Opatha, who had done nothing with the new instructed the harmless Indian attack, but it should be remem- ball, returned with additional pace and swept board to boycott the game against Israel due bered that in 1975 Sri Lanka amassed 276 runs at through the tail,” Wisden went onto add. to political reasons. “There was some pressure as Opatha and we had to forfeit the points from our game against DS picked up BY REX CLEMENTINE Israel. Our chances would have got affected, but we three wickets played really well from thereon to qualify,” Anura each as Sri elieve it or not, it took India 20 years to win Tennakoon, the Sri Lankan captain on that tour Lanka bowled the a World Cup game against Sri Lanka. The told ‘The Island’. Indians out for Bteams’ first met in 1979 in the Prudential Tennekoon’s side beat the USA, Wales and 191 in 54.1 overs. World Cup in England and it was the Sri Lankans Holland and although their game against Israel Mendis, who who came up with an upset win on that occasion, was forfeited, they still topped the group and beat hammered 64 in at a time when they were not full members of the Denmark in the semi-finals before overcoming 57 balls with a ICC and had to qualify to play the tournament. Canada by 60 runs. four and three This also was Sri Lanka’s first ever World Cup win. The Sri Lankans were drawn with West Indies, sixes was the After Sri Lanka were allowed to play in the New Zealand and India in the 1979 World Cup and Man of the inaugural 1975 World Cup, the other ICC Associates suffered a nine wicket loss at the hands of New Match. “It was a Scoreboard great feeling. We were looking forward to the tournament and Sri Lanka vs India at Old Trafford A. Gaekwad c sub b D.L. de Silva 33 Australia’s expense at The Oval,” Wisden went although I wasn’t playing, to see the lads come up Sri Lanka D. Vengsarkar c D.L. de Silva b D.S. de Silva 36 onto comment. with such a fantastic effort was absolutely sensa- B. Warnapura c Gaekwad b Amarnath 18 G. Viswanath run out 22 “The second wicket stand of 96 by Wettimuny tional. I guess with that win a lot of eyes in the S. Wettimuny c Vengsarkar b Kapil 67 B. Patel b D.S. de Silva 10 (Sunil) and Dias off 25 overs was a joy to watch; cricketing world opened and that went a long way R. Dias c & b Amarnath 50 K. Dev c Warnapura b D.L. de Silva 16 Wettimuny excelling with stylish drives and Dias in us getting Test status,” Tennakoon recalled. D. Mendis run out 64 M. Amarnath b D.S. de Silva 7 effecting many attractive wristy strokes. Mendis “That was something that we really cherished. R. Madugalle c Khanna b Amarnath 4 K. Ghavri c Warnapura b Opatha 3 followed with a powerful display in which he India had a brilliant side and to beat them was a S. Pasqual not out 23 S. Khanna c Dias b Opatha 10 struck Ghavri, Kapil Dev and Amarnath each for 6. super feeling. It was a very good win for Sri D. S. de Silva not out 1 S. Venkataraghavan not out 9 Pasqual (Sudath), a confident left-handed school- Lankan cricket. I got a 60 odd before being run out Extras : (lb 8, w 2, nb 1) 11 B. Bedi c Jayasinghe b Opatha 5 boy and the youngest player in the 1979 World Cup, and to be part of that game was a good feeling,” Total: For five wickets: 238 Extras: (lb 10, w 3, nb 1) 14 joined in the fun with Mendis as 52 runs were Mendis recalled. Did not bat: S. Jayasinghe, T. Opatha, D.L. de Silva, Total: (all out; 54.1 overs) 191 added off seven overs,” Cricket’s Bible further The complexities of international cricket had- R. Gunatilleke. Fall of wickets: 1-60, 2-76, 3-119, 4-132, 5-147, 6-160, said. n’t still hit Sudat Pasqual, a 17-year-old schoolboy Fall of wickets: 1-31, 2-127, 3-147, 4-175, 5-227. 7-162, 8-170, 9-185. The game started on Saturday and the Indians and for him to be part of a giant killing experience Bowling: Kapil 12 -2 -53 -1, Ghavri 12 -0 -53 -0, Bowling: Opatha 10.1-0-31-3, Gunatilleke 9-1-34-0, had to wait until Monday for the run chase as was huge as well. “It was a long tour and I learned Amarnath 12 -3 -40 -3, Bedi 12-2-37 -0, Warnapura 12-0-47-1, D.L. de Silva 12-0-36-2, D.S. de there was no play on Sunday. quite a lot. I remember people like Sunil Venkataraghavan 12 -0 -44 -0. Silva 11-1-29-3 Anshuman Gaekward and Sunil Gavaskar gave Wettimuny constantly encouraging me and sup- India Result: Sri Lanka won by 47 runs them a solid start adding 60 runs for the first wick- porting me all the way through,” Pasqual, a one S. Gavaskar c Dias b Warnapura 26 Man of the Match: D. Mendis et before the captain provided the breakthrough. time ‘Sunday Island’ columnist, recalled..