What If!

Argh, for some reason, I can’t get this feeling I have in my head that had Kumar Sangakkara (pictured above like some long-locked Indian god) not been given out, he would have gone on to win the game for Sri Lanka. I know, I know, it’s ridiculous; when he did get out, his team was still 150 runs short, and Lasith Malinga — though unbeaten — could not have survived that long.

But still! Did you see the way he batted out there? After Fernando did himself in, Kumar went on to hit 1 Six and 11 Fours, jumping from 134 to 192 in about 50-odd balls. Amazingly, apart from one or two miscued pulls, none of these boundaries was particularly risky or flashy; there was a certainty — judging from the commentators’ words, at least — that Kumar was on to bat and bat, well past another double-century. And, to top it all, Malinga was giving him more than ample support, hitting a few boundaries himself.

I understand that it would have been amazing if Sri Lanka had reached 507 even if they hadn’t lost their lower-middle order for 25 runs. The fact that they even reached 400+ was astonishing. But think — what if they had done it with 2 wickets to spare, riding on the shoulders of one of their best and brightest? A law student never looked this good!

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