Asia Cup, 2013/14 / Photos

Mar 9, 2014 Thisara Perera hoists the Asia Cup into the air on an open-top bus © Associated Press		Mar 9, 2014 Kumar Sangakkara with the Sri Lankan sports minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage © AFP		Mar 9, 2014 Angelo Mathews at the reception for the Sri Lanka team to mark their Asia Cup victory © AFP		Mar 9, 2014 The Sri Lanka team on an open-top bus to celebrate their Asia Cup triumph © Associated Press
Mar 8, 2014 The Sri Lankans celebrate their victory © AFP		Mar 8, 2014 Angelo Mathews raises the Asia Cup © AFP		Mar 8, 2014 Shahid Afridi congratulates Angelo Mathews after Sri Lanka's win © AFP		Mar 8, 2014 Chaturanga de Silva erupts in joy after Sri Lanka win the Asia Cup © AFP
Mar 8, 2014 Lahiru Thirimanne celebrates his third ODI hundred © AFP		Mar 8, 2014 Lahiru Thirimanne pushes one to the leg side © AFP		Mar 8, 2014 Shahid Afridi appeals unsuccessfully © Associated Press		Mar 8, 2014 Umar Gul and Lahiru Thirimanne exchange words © AFP
Mar 8, 2014 Mahela Jayawardene pulls one away © AFP		Mar 8, 2014 Lahiru Thirimanne brings up his fifty © AFP		Mar 8, 2014 Kusal Perera looks back after playing a shot © AFP		Mar 8, 2014 Lahiru Thirimanne plays a one-handed drive © AFP
Mar 8, 2014 Saeed Ajmal is congratulated after dismissing Kumar Sangakkara © AFP		Mar 8, 2014 Saeed Ajmal exults after a wicket © AFP		Mar 8, 2014 Kumar Sangakkara survived only one ball © AFP		Mar 8, 2014 Shahid Afridi and Fawad Alam walk back after the innings © AFP

Asia Cup / Records / Trophy/Cup records

Team records Series results List of match results (by season) Result summary Highest totals Lowest totals Highest match aggregates Lowest match aggregates Largest victories Smallest victories (including tied matches) Most extras in an innings

Batting records Most runs High scores Highest averages Highest strike rates Most hundreds Most fifties (and over) Most ducks Highest strike rates in an innings List of hundreds Most runs in a series

Bowling records Most wickets Best bowling figures in an innings Best averages Best economy rates Best strike rates Most four-wickets-in-an-innings (and over) Most five-wickets-in-an-innings Best economy rates in an innings Best strike rates in an innings Most runs conceded in an innings List of four-wickets-in-an-innings (and over) List of five-wickets-in-an-innings Most wickets in a series

Wicketkeeping records Most dismissals Most dismissals in an innings Most dismissals in a series

Fielding records Most catches Most catches in an innings Most catches in a series

Partnership records Highest partnerships by wicket Highest partnerships by runs List of hundred partnerships

Individual records (captains, players, umpires) Most matches Most matches as captain Most matches as an umpire

Sri Lanka return to heroes' welcome

"Four World Cup finals, four heartbreaks, but this is what it feels like to finally win something," one Sri Lanka fan was overheard saying, as the open-top bus carrying Sri Lanka's cricketers came into view near SLC headquarters. She was one of thousands who lined the streets, waving flags, decked in blue, tooting horns, and occasionally breaking out in a baila-flavoured jig as they awaited the Asia Cup-winners.

Cricket lovers in Sri Lanka are an apathetic bunch by South Asian standards, and on Sunday even the beaming players appeared surprised by the masses that had turned out for them, on 18 hours' notice. The joy in the whoops, the whistles and the waves could not be mistaken, but equally palpable was the relief. Sri Lanka's public had waited a long time to shower adulation on their players like this. The players, many of them accustomed to a relatively throng-free existence, lapped up the attention.

Angelo Mathews and Kumar Sangakkara were in predictably high demand from the masses, with many calling out their names in desperate hope for a wave or smile they could boast was directed at them alone. 'Sanga' and 'Anji' are not just the team's captain and best batsman, they are also the nation's biggest heartthrobs. Both men know it too.

But this time, the public was unusually sweet on another young player. Lahiru Thirimanne's stock rose exponentially during the tournament, in which he had hit two hundreds. Some in the crowd screaming his name were big enough to admit they had not thought much of him before the Asia Cup. He had been staring down Umar Gul about 20 hours ago, wearing that determined scowl evoking Gregory Peck's driving face in 'To Kill A Mockingbird', but he exchanged kinder pleasantries with his new legion of followers on Sunday.

Thirimanne was a favourite for photographs when the team disembarked at Maitland Place. At first he would oblige with a grin, but after about three dozen snaps, the slightest hint of that scowl returned. That was not to say he did not enjoy the adulation, because he would engage willingly in conversation and happily acquiesce to every request, but perhaps he is not as comfortable in the limelight as his role-model Sangakkara had been, even at that age. Not everyone has to be a public darling. Thirimanne will know, however, that if he continues to be this good at his job, he will have tens of thousands more photographs to pose for before his career is out.

Paul Farbrace was generous with his time too, keen to please the public, just as he has been with the team. Sri Lanka have played 12 matches under his watch and are yet to lose a game. His pronunciation of the players' last names leaves something to be desired, but given even his Sri Lankan-born predecessor Dav Whatmore had never really got his tongue around them, it is an easily forgiven foible.

There was relief at winning a final for now, but there was another vibe bubbling up from the multitude. "Here's a little something to show we appreciate you," they seemed to say, "but really, you ain't seen nothing yet."

"If you bring back another winners' trophy on April 7, we'll make it a day you'll never forget."

It's a steep demand, but that's the nature of Sri Lanka's cricket public. If the team didn't want to ratchet expectations so high, they shouldn't have been so damn good in this tournament.

Kohli reclaims No.1 ODI ranking

Virat Kohli has climbed past AB de Villiers to the top of the ICC ODI rankings for batsmen. Kohli achieved a career-best rating of 886 points after his centuryagainst Bangladesh in the Asia Cup. However, a subdued showing thereafter against Pakistan and Sri Lanka resulted in five points being shaved off, though he is still nine points ahead of de Villiers.

Kohli was last at the summit before the ODI series against New Zealand in January and had come into the Asia Cup two points behind de Villiers. In the past 12 months, Kohli amassed 1580 runs at 60.76 in 31 innings with six centuries, four of which were away from home and three of which were as captain. In the same period, de Villiers scored 1156 at 52.54 in 25 innings with three centuries.

The other Indians in the top ten are MS Dhoni at sixth and Shikhar Dhawan at eighth places. Lahiru Thirimanne, who struck two centuries in the Asia Cup including a match-winning 101 in the final, jumped 29 places to his best spot at 39th.

Lasith Malinga ended as the joint-highest wicket-taker in the Asia Cup, which helped him leapfrog 11 places into 22nd position in the bowlers' rankings.

Asian champions Sri Lanka are still ranked third with 112 points, one point below India, in the ODI team rankings. Australia claimed the top spot with 117 points.

Asia Cup, 2013/14 / Statistics

Team records Match results Highest totals Highest match aggregates Largest victories Most extras in an innings

Batting records Most runs High scores Highest averages Highest strike rates Most hundreds Most fifties (and over) Most ducks Most sixes Most sixes in an innings Most runs from fours and sixes in an innings Highest strike rates in an innings

Bowling records Most wickets Best bowling figures in an innings Best averages Best economy rates Best strike rates Most four-wickets-in-an-innings (and over) Most five-wickets-in-an-innings Best economy rates in an innings Best strike rates in an innings Most runs conceded in an innings

Wicketkeeping records Most dismissals Most dismissals in an innings

Fielding records Most catches Most catches in an innings

Partnership records Highest partnerships by wicket Highest partnerships by runs

Misbah bemoans ineffective bowling

Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq has attributed his team's Asia Cup final defeat to his bowlers' inability to put pressure on Sri Lanka's batsmen. Chasing 261, Sri Lanka, led by a century from Lahiru Thirimanne, cruised to a five-wicket win to take their fifth Asia Cup title.

Only Saeed Ajmal posed a threat to Sri Lanka, as Pakistan looked to defend a hard-earned total. Ajmal took 3 for 26 in 10 overs, but apart from him and to an extent, Mohammad Hafeez, the rest of the attack - Umar Gul, Junaid Khan, Mohammad Talha and Shahid Afridi - were all ineffective.

Misbah had to take Ajmal off after the offspinner had taken two quick wickets in his first spell of four overs. He had given away just ten runs, having delivered two maiden overs as well. The Sri Lankan batsmen opted against attacking Ajmal, prompting Misbah to switch bowlers to try and wrestle a wicket.

"They were just consuming his [Ajmal's] overs, just blocking him," Misbah said. "I thought I would take a chance with someone else, to get the wicket. But I think it was a bad day for all the bowlers. They couldn't really put pressure, and you can't win matches with just one bowler. You need to bowl well as a unit."

Gul and Talha have now had two poor games back-to-back after bowling ordinarily against Bangladesh. Junaid went for 56 in nine overs, only picking up Ashan Priyanjan's wicket very late in the game.

"We sought early breakthroughs which Saeed Ajmal finally provided us. Bowling too requires partnerships but none of the bowlers could build that sort of pressure on the batsmen. I think it became easy for them, and they won the game.

"We didn't bowl wicket to wicket, and build pressure. Sri Lankan bowlers did that. It was a slow wicket so you had to bowl straighter. Our lengths were quite short too. And we gave a lot of width too, which made it easy for them."

But Pakistan's real problem, as the captain recognised, was their start with the bat. Sharjeel Khan, Ahmed Shehzad and Hafeez all got out in 4.3 overs, leaving the middle- and lower-order far too much to do in a final.

Lasith Malinga was the man responsible for Pakistan having a poor start, picking up a five-wicket haul just as he did in the tournament opener against the same team in Fatullah. Incidentally, Thrimianne too had scored a century in that game.

"Thirimanne played really well and Malinga's first spell was a good one as he swung the ball. He put us under pressure, but we did play some bad shots.

"It was our plan not to give Malinga wickets, but we failed to execute that. He again took five wickets and put us under pressure."

Despite losing the first and last game of the tournament, Pakistan will leave with a happy batting line-up after the wins against India and Bangladesh. They successfully chased 245 and 327 respectively, the latter having broken the record for their biggest chase.

"The team really played well, especially the batting department. Ahmed Shehzad played well. Fawad Alam played two very good innings. Shahid Afridi finished two games. Hafeez and Umar Akmal are in good touch. These are positives. We chased well in two games. Before the World T20s, we are in good shape and are confident."

Thirimanne century could prove career-defining

When he looks back on his match-winning 101 in the Asia Cup final, the highlights reel in Lahiru Thirimanne's head is unlikely to include the single that took him to 39. The shot Thirimanne played, moreover, was that banal middle-overs staple: the push, with the spin, for a single. That particular single, though, was significant. It nudged Thirimanne's batting average from 29.9761904761905 to 30.

An ODI average of 30 isn't a massive deal, you might think, but it's probably the equivalent of a Test average of 40. In most cases, the difference between averaging 29 and 30 in ODIs - and between 39 and 40 in Tests - is usually the difference between feeling like you still need to prove yourself and feeling secure about your place in the side.

It's slightly different for Sri Lankans, though. Throughout their history as a cricket team, their batsmen have been slow starters in ODIs. It took Sanath Jayasuriya till his 235th match for his average to stabilise itself above 30 - that is, for it to never dip below that mark again.

It took 102 matches for Kumar Sangakkara, 149 for Mahela Jayawardene, 111 for Aravinda de Silva, 155 for Tillakaratne Dilshan and 86 for Arjuna Ranatunga. The quickest of Sri Lanka's top seven ODI run-getters to achieve a stable 30-plus average was Marvan Atapattu, who got there in his 23rd match. He, of course, began his Test career with five ducks in his first six innings.

Sri Lanka's selectors have always given their talented batsmen a long run in the side, believing they have the game and the temperament to eventually come good. Time and again, they've been proved right. Sri Lanka's current set of selectors, chaired by Jayasuriya, have given Thirimanne that sort of run in the side. The Asia Cup final was his 62nd ODI. It was the perfect stage to play what could prove a career-defining innings.

Two things worked in Thirimanne's favour during the first half of his innings. Early on, Pakistan's attentions were mostly fixed on Kusal Perera, who was worrying them no end with his Jayasuriya-esque flicks and jabs, powered by an iron bottom-hand grip. This took some pressure off Thirimanne, and allowed him to remain inconspicuous and play at his own pace.

Saeed Ajmal then came on, bowled a maiden to Kusal, and struck twice in his second over to dismiss Kusal and Sangakkara. His next over, to Mahela Jayawardene, was another maiden. When Misbah-ul-Haq took Ajmal out of the attack, he had bowled four overs, out of which Thirimanne had only faced two balls. The first of those had squirted off his inside-edge for four. Even during the opening game of the tournament, in which Thirimanne had scored a century, Ajmal had been the only Pakistan bowler to trouble him.

None of this, of course, is to knock Thirimanne's achievement. Sri Lanka were under tremendous pressure when they lost their second wicket. They still needed more than 200 to win, and their momentum had stalled to a considerable extent.

Thirimanne began the process of regaining Sri Lanka's momentum in Mohammad Talha's first over. Talha started with a deep backward square leg and a square-ish fine leg. Third ball of the over, Thirimanne bisected them with his pull. Two balls later, when Talha drifted too straight, he sent fine leg running the other way, once again in vain, with a deft flick off his hips.

Those two shots showcased Thirimanne's timing and placement as well as his ability to keep his head about him under pressure and look for scoring opportunities. He has shown those qualities right through the Asia Cup, and given credence to the comparisons that are often drawn between him and Sangakkara. It helps that they share a tall stance and a cover drive on one knee with a full flourish.

	All three of Thirimanne's ODI hundreds have come when he's batted in the top three; in those positions, he averages 49.08 in 14 innings. At No. 4 or lower, he averages 22.80 in 33 innings. Like Sangakkara, whose blossoming coincided with a move up the order - he had spent a lot of the early part of his career at No. 6 or 7 - Thirimanne will probably bat up the order in the long term

In this innings, on a slow pitch and against a group of fast bowlers who didn't pitch it up all that often, Thirimanne didn't get to play the cover drive that much. Instead, he exploited the V behind the wicket, and picked up a couple of boundaries with open-faced steers past the wicketkeeper that brought Ranatunga to mind.

After he had moved into the 70s, Thirimanne picked up a cheeky boundary off Umar Gul with one of these late dabs. Next ball, he blocked solidly, back to the bowler. Gul raised his arm, as bowlers often do, as if to throw the ball at the stumps. Thirimanne said something. Gul, moving closer to the batsman, responded with an observation of his own. Thirimanne, like Ranatunga and Sangakkara, didn't seem to mind a bit of chat.

None of this affected Thirimanne's batting. He flowed on, smoothly, content to stay within the confines imposed by the pitch and the lengths Pakistan bowled. It took until he had moved to 81 for someone to give him a wide half-volley, and he pounced on it gleefully.

The next 15 runs took a while coming, as Jayawardene took centre-stage for a while before he and Ashan Priyanjan fell in quick succession. Thirimanne didn't have too much of the strike in all that while. He had been on 85 off 85 balls at the end of the 33rd over. At the start of the 44th, he was on 99 off 105. When he finally flicked Junaid Khan to reach 100, he leaped and punched the air twice, once with helmet on, once with helmet off.

Thirimanne's century was his third in ODIs. All three of them have come when he's batted in the top three; in those positions, he averages 49.08 in 14 innings. At No. 4 or lower, he averages 22.80 in 33 innings.

Like Sangakkara, whose blossoming coincided with a move up the order - he had spent a lot of the early part of his career at No. 6 or 7 - Thirimanne will probably bat up the order in the long term. In the short term, though, with Dilshan set to return from injury, he gives Sri Lanka a bit of a headache. It isn't one they'll mind too much.