India vs Sri Lanka 2011: the road to Cricket World Cup final

THE FINALISTS of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, India and Sri Lanka will play for the World Cup trophy at Mumbai's Wankhede stadium on Saturday, April 2. During the group league stage of the Cricket World Cup 2011, both India and Sri Lanka finished second in their respective groups.
The Indian team, which exited in the first round of the 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup, started its 2011 campaign against co-hosts Bangladesh on February 19 at Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur, in the inaugural match of the Cricket World Cup 2011. India won that match by 87 runs.
In the next match on February 27 at Bangalore's M. Chinnaswamy stadium against England, the two teams played out a tie despite India setting a massive target of 338 runs for the visitors. In the next two matches of the Cricket World Cup 2011, against the qualifiers, Ireland and Netherlands respectively, at Bangalore and Ferozshah Kotla, Delhi, India won by five wickets each.
In the most difficult match for the "Men in Blue" against South Africa at VCA Stadium in Nagpur on March 12, India lost by three wickets. India lost their last nine wickets just for 29 runs in this match. In the final group league match of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, MS Dhoni and his men won against West Indies by 80 runs.
In the second quarter final match of the Cricket World Cup 2011, India ousted world champion since 1999, Australia, by five wickets at Sardar Patel Stadium, Motera in Ahmedabad on March 24.
India marched to the grand final of the tenth edition of the Cricket World Cup after beating arch-rival Pakistan by 29 runs in the second semi final of the tournament at PCA Stadium, Mohali on this Wednesday, March 30.
Sri Lanka, who lost to Australia in the final of the 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup, started ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 against Canada with a 210-run margin victory. The home team lost its second match against traditional opponent Pakistan by 11 runs in a low-scoring match.
In the third match against a non-test playing team Kenya at R. Premadasa stadium in Colombo on March 1, the Lankans won by nine wickets. In the next match against the 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup winner Australia, the match was washed away due to rain.
Sri Lanka won its fifth and sixth group league match against Zimbabwe and New Zealand at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy and Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai by 139 runs and 112 runs respectively.
Kumar Sangakkara and his team reached the semi final of the tournament with a 10-wicket victory against England in the last quarter final match at R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo just a week ahead of final match.
Sri Lanka, who has played the final of the Cricket World Cup twice in 1996 and 2007, once again reached in the final in 2011 after a victory over New Zealand in the first semi final of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011. The Lankans won by five wickets at Colombo's R. Premadasa Stadium on Tuesday, March 29.