Sri Lanka plan fond farewell for Murali

Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara has called on his team-mates to rise to the occasion in today's World Cup final and give legendary spinner Muttiah Muralitharan the perfect send-off.

Injury-permitting, Murali is set to play in his final international in the showpiece match at the Wankhede Stadium and Sangakkara is desperate to help bring the curtain down on his career in appropriately triumphant fashion with victory over favourites India.

Muralitharan, who has taken 800 Test and 534 one-day wickets in a glittering career, is playing through a variety of injuries but, such is the 38-year-old's importance to the side, he is expected to feature in Mumbai.

Sangakkara said: "Murali's presence is always important. He's a big-match player, he has been amazing for us. If he is fit, he will take the field for us.

"It's hard to shut Murali up, he is always upbeat, always talking and laughing with the other players in the dressing room and today has been no different.

"It's great to have him in the side and it would be great to have him on the field and to have him play this World Cup final with us because there is no other way we can have it. Whatever happens we want to play for him, and play for each other and do the best that we can do."

Sri Lanka have drafted in Suraj Randiv in place of all-rounder Angelo Mathews for the final. Mathews has failed to shake off a right thigh strain suffered during the semi-final win over New Zealand earlier this week.

Randiv has played 21 one-day games for Sri Lanka, taking 22 wickets at an average of 33.5 The 26-year-old off-spinner has also played in three Test matches and six Twenty20 internationals.

Sangakkara's men had the luxury of home advantage in the previous knockout rounds, eliminating England and New Zealand at the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, but he hinted the Indians may not see an expectant home crowd as an entirely positive influence. "It cuts both ways," added Sangakkara.

"Playing in front of your own crowd adds to the excitement and the passion and the pride that you feel but also the weight of expectation - when you feel that entire crowd looking at you - to do everything right is also tough. For us the final is going to be about controlled aggression, not being too emotional about anything, trying to stay grounded and in the moment."

Sangakkara, while playing up India's status as favourites, said Sri Lanka's war-torn recent past would serve as an inspiration for the team to pull together. "It means everything," he said of the prospect of winning the tournament. "We have come through a very tough period and a lot of people have laid down their lives for our country and in this new future hopefully we can take home the World Cup."

Muralitharan's likely swansong is not the only story in town, though, and India's star batsman Sachin Tendulkar is chasing the 100th hundred of a stunning 21-year career at international level. He fell just short of the landmark with a charmed 85 against Pakistan in the semi-final, but Tendulkar could now reach it in the sport's showpiece match, in his home city, today.

India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni yesterday hailed the unique qualities that have enabled his team-mate to stay at the very top since 1989. "He has a love and passion for cricket," the wicketkeeper-batsman said of Tendulkar. "Every time he turns up for a practice session or a game he is 100 per cent there, he never turns up just for the sake of it. He gets there with a purpose in mind and until that gets resolved he is one person who won't leave the field. With Sachin, I think God just made him to play cricket."

And Dhoni doesn't think the 100th century will be a distraction for Tendulkar. "There is no point thinking about what milestone you're supposed to achieve - he has achieved a lot and he doesn't need to prove anything to anyone, it's just about himself. He will just prepare well, have a good night's sleep and turn up on the field and be at his best."

Opening batsman Gautam Gambhir is expected to be available for India despite being forced off the field with a hamstring problem against Pakistan but paceman Ashish Nehra is injured.