Sangakkara column: Windies, Kiwis look the best sides in first week

The first week of World Twenty20 has finished and we have seen some fantastic cricket and plenty of surprises. We have had interesting low-scoring matches where the spinners have been a real handful, then glorious run-fests where records have tumbled and bowlers have finished with bruised egos.

We have also seen the tournament underdogs, Afghanistan, play some wonderfully brave and spirited cricket. They have contributed greatly to the tournament already, pushing both South Africa and Sri Lanka with their fearless and entertaining brand of cricket.

West Indies and New Zealand have been the star performers and look really good at this stage. The West Indies did not have the best preparations with all the controversies over their contracts, but they have looked the side to beat on the field, playing with confidence and flair. New Zealand have also had a great start, winning really tough games against both India and Australia. They are well-organised and well-balanced. I expect them to qualify with West Indies for the semi-finals.

India had a terrible start to the tournament in Nagpur, but showed great character with their fightback against Pakistan. They now have a tough week with a huge game against Australia in Mohali this Sunday that is likely to decide their fate.

Virat Kohli, the best T20 batsman in world cricket right now, is their talisman and he was the difference between the two sides at Eden Gardens. The way he calmly marshalled a potentially tricky chase in difficult batting conditions was outstanding. What is so special about Virat right now is the way he always seems to be able to adapt. While others might panic when confronted with unusual or difficult conditions, he just coolly recalibrates his strategy and works out the lowest-risk way of scoring runs.

Pakistan should be kicking themselves for their selection. Leaving out their specialist left-arm spinner on a surface that turned square was a big error. They will also be disappointed that in yet another big ICC game they have failed to rise to the occasion.

Sri Lanka will be disappointed by their defeat on Sunday night. They would have hoped for a score around 160 to 170 at Bangalore, but things did not go their way. The positives, though, were the batting of Thissera Perera and the leg-breaks of young Vandersay.

We now have to pull things together for big games with England and South Africa this week. It won’t be easy against two strong teams, but we can be a nuisance and push hard for a semi-final berth if we play our best cricket.

(Gameplan)