CricketViewer.com

As final match of the largest and most prestigious event of Cricket World comes near, all eyes are set on Australia and Sri Lanka.

Australia, being 3 time winner, is hot favorite for the final. They haven’t lost a single match yet and by far are most professional side of the tournament. Sri Lanka, on the other hand, are all charged up to face the challenge under the guidance of their Aussie coach, Tom Moody. Incidentally Sri Lanka has defeated Australia in their only World Cup victory, back in 1996.

While most people would have their money on Australia, here is a list of why Sri Lanka should be a winner (courtesy SimpleMonk):

- To provide a grand finale to the least-watched cricket World Cup in history. TV viewership dropped nearly 40 percent compared to the 2003 edition, according to industry estimates.

- To delight the rest of the cricket world and billions of passionate fans from Kingston to Karachi and Manchester to Mumbai who support their own teams or anyone that plays against Australia.

- To justify pre-World Cup boasts by most rivals, including minnows Ireland, that Australia were a beatable side. They have not only won all their 10 matches so far, but Matthew Hayden scored more runs and Glenn McGrath claimed more wickets than anyone else in the competition.

- To prove that Australia’s five consecutive losses against England and New Zealand before the World Cup were not a flash in the pan. Even though the champions were resting star players like captain Ricky Ponting and Adam Gilchrist.

- To prevent cricket from becoming a yawn. After all, even the die-hard fans get tired of watching one team win all the time. Australia have not lost a World Cup match since May, 1999 and now chase their third consecutive title.

- To justify the age-old saying that cricket, especially the limited-overs variety, is an unpredictable sport. There is nothing more predictable in the game than an Australian win.

- To bring joy, solace and peace to their strife-torn nation. The Tamil Tiger rebels called a truce for the duration of Tuesday’s semi-final against New Zealand so that everyone could follow the match on television. It may happen again on Saturday.

- Do it for Bob. Slain Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer spent a lifetime, first as England batsman and then as South Africa’s coach, plotting Australia’s downfall without any success. His widow, Gill, wanted South Africa to win the semi-final. The grief-stricken lady deserves a better deal.

- Finally, Sri Lanka must win it for themselves. They have played outstanding cricket and deserve to be in the final - as the second-best team in the tournament.