Herath, freakishly effective in finals

Rangana Herath spent the first half of Sri Lanka's World T20 campaign watching the mystery spinners operate. Finally picked against New Zealand, he spent the first half of the virtual quarter-final watching his team-mates collapse for a woeful 119. Then he sprung off the dugout, ringed the opposition top order with catchers, and delivered perhaps the greatest spell of bowling T20 cricket has yet seen.

Even now, two years on, Herath's dominance of New Zealand that night is difficult to comprehend. Brendon McCullum was virtually bullied into a charge, then promptly stumped. Ross Taylor looked like he wouldn't have made contact if he had been holding a door instead of a bat. James Neesham had the ball wriggle between bat and pad, and Luke Ronchi nailed by one that straightened.

It is also difficult to underestimate the importance of Herath's performance, because following an unconvincing run in the group stage, this was the spell in which flint struck metal, and Sri Lanka's campaign caught fire. Eight days later, the team was receiving its triumphant open-top-bus welcome in Colombo's packed streets.

That Chittagong performance was not without foreshadowing. In the 2012 World T20, Herath had been left out in three of Sri Lanka's five opening matches, then brought in for the semi-final, which he helped dramatically turn. Defending 139 on a dustbowl, Herath had Shoaib Malik bowled for 6, but it was in the 15th over that he provided a telling double blow. He had Pakistan's top-scorer Mohammad Hafeez stumped for 42 and flummoxed Shahid Afridi with a carrom ball, which the batsman played onto his stumps. Herath finished that 16-run win with the game's best figures. He was then dropped for the final, which Sri Lanka went on to lose.

Having bowled himself into form through the back end of the one-day tri-series, Herath was both miserly and menacing through each of his spells in the final. He first had Dinesh Karthik caught at slip, then worked on the man who was leading India's chase of 202. Rohit Sharma faced a maiden from Herath in the 27th over, and was bowled by the first ball of the 31st for 58.

Herath's final trip to the crease seemed to have swung the match for Sri Lanka. He had Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin trapped in front with successive deliveries, and at the end of that double-wicket maiden, India were 152 for 7. The other bowlers should have sewed up the tri-series for Sri Lanka, MS Dhoni provided one of his great finishes instead.

In the third, and deciding, final of another one-day tri-series, Herath imposed himself on the match as soon as he was brought on. First ball, he had Matthew Wade caught behind, cutting. Next over, he got the ball to grip off a length, and took out Peter Forrest's off stump. Through the day, he delivered 10 parsimonious overs, and conceded only three boundaries. Clint McKay holed out to deep midwicket off Herath's penultimate delivery, and Australia were kept to 231, which Sri Lanka failed to chase down.

The figures may not seem all that impressive, but never let it be said that this big-match player didn't contribute in the biggest match he has ever played. His first ball should have dismissed Virat Kohli, but his captain Lasith Malinga dropped the catch at midwicket.

Herath moved on though, and began stifling Kohli's team-mates. He had Rohit hopping about and mistiming the ball, before eventually having him caught at short cover. Even Kohli played out five dot balls in the 13 Herath bowled to him - though he did also advance and smoke two sixes. Despite those big blows, Herath conceded less than a run-a-ball, which is particularly impressive, given he only got to bowl three at Yuvraj Singh.