'Our Batting Is A Worry'

Ranatunga said the team was heavily dependent on the top order and did notbat too deep down.

"I'm still a bit worried about the batting though not so about thebowling," said Ranatunga as he indulgently looked at Mahela Jayawardene'sside looking to emulate his 1996 feat after almost a decade.

The former batsman praised veteran Sanath Jayasuriya, who had showncommitment in terms of his performance and fitness and was still going strongeven though he is nearing 400 matches in one-day internationals.

"Sanath has really shown commitment. His batting has improved and he ismatching the youngsters in fitness. But the batting is heavily dependent on thetop order," he said.

In the bowling department, Ranatunga rated Muthiah Muralitharan and pacemanChaminda Vaas as the lynchpins of Sri Lanka's attack but said the edge came fromthe unusual bowling style of Lasith Malinga.

"He is a sharp-shooter who can take wickets with both the new and oldball. He has really added edge to the bowling attack," he said.

"They are playing very good cricket and I think they can go all theway," Ranatunga said.

He was, in particular, happy with the form of Mahela Jayawardene who played acaptain's knock on Tuesday to steer his side to the final.

Recalling the day when he persuaded a young, reluctant Jayawardene to comeback to the game he said "I saw Mahela playing school cricket and I knew hewas blessed with talent.

"He lost his brother to a brain tumour when he was young and he was notreally interested in playing cricket.

"But we dragged him in. He was very close to his brother. He said he(his brother) was a better cricketer than he was but I didn't see him play. Iinvited Mahela to come and play for my club (the Sinhalese Sports Club inColombo).

"I opened with him until we could find him a spot in the middle order.He could read the game so well and I got him to captain our under-23 side."

Ranatunga gave Jayawardene his first break in international cricket when heincluded him in the XI for a Test against India in Colombo in 1997.

Mahela did not disappoint him with a sweetly timed half century though it wasthe record total of 952 which dominated the memory.

Now, Jayawardene at the age of 29 is a game away from emulating his hero'sachievement of a World Cup triumph.