Sri Lanka’s Kusal Perera comes in the way of a protester during a pitch invasion, in Cardiff, on Thursday

Cardiff: Off and on, the tiger in the LTTE flag surfaced in pockets of the Cardiff Wales Stadium and also, unbelievably, on the park. But an entirely different tiger, in the form of India, was on the prowl as well.

If one was out to embarrass Angelo Mathews and his men, representing the Establishment, the other showed no mercy.

India produced a killer performance on Thursday, devouring Sri Lanka by eight wickets, to set up a Champions Trophy final clash with England.

Sunday’s final is in Birmingham, where India, playing like the world champions they are, annihilated Pakistan last Saturday.

“The match (played under lights from ball 1) seemed a well-written script,” captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni quipped at the presentation. Unbeaten, he could grin.

At a loss for words was Mathews. “India have been playing better against us... Can’t figure out what happens... It was a bad day in office, but I’m not offering excuses.”

He couldn’t have, for Sri Lanka appeared to be in a different place mentally.

Former Pakistan captain Ramiz Raja told The Telegraph: “We saw a huge difference in quality, a massive difference in class... I don’t see India losing on Sunday.”

Dhoni’s known more for losing tosses, but he’s been winning the ones that matter.

Sri Lanka, one assumes, saw it as half the battle lost when they had to bat in conditions offering much to both seam (MoM Ishant Sharma) and swing (Bhuvneshwar Kumar) bowlers.

Actually, the wicket had quite a bit for spinners, too.

A calf injury to former captain Tillekaratne Dilshan very early, which made him go off for over 43 overs, didn’t help Sri Lanka.

Not that India were complaining. In fact, with Dinesh Karthik in the XI, Dhoni exercised the luxury of bringing himself on for four overs!

Whatever be the stage, a muscular start is imperative, but Sri Lanka faltered and allowed India to set the agenda straightaway.

“Against India, we needed to score at least 250... Our total (181 for eight) was well below par... The wicket became better for batting in the afternoon,” Mathews pointed out in a tone laced with regret.

He added: “It’s a concern that our batting is dependent on seniors like Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene... The younger players, including me, need to step up.”

That’s an understatement, really.

Sri Lanka’s total included 13 extras, 11 of them wides. Even then, it was far from competitive despite the inclusion of an extra batsman.

Lasith Malinga again made no impression, making it easier for Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma to brick together another commanding start.

Both, by the way, had dinner at the same table on Wednesday — at the enigmatically-named Moksh in Mermaid Quay.

Ishant had a nice answer when asked why Malinga wasn’t effective against India: “Maybe, our batsmen are very good.”

Dhawan, who has two hundreds, one fifty and a 48 in the four matches, is set to take the Player of the Tournament award in his comeback competition.

There were three lives in Dhawan’s 68, but Virat Kohli’s 58 not out was chanceless in the cold.

Come Sunday and it will be England’s bowlers, led by the swinging James Anderson, against India’s batting powerhouse.

Ishant observed that if the India bowlers “continued bowling in the right areas” then no England batsman would be a threat.

India’s last appearance in a Champions Trophy final was 11 years ago, in Colombo. With the elements taking centre stage, the trophy was shared with Sri Lanka.

Footnote: The ICC declined to comment on the security breach, saying it’s a “police matter.” Six-seven Sri Lankan Tamils were understood to have been arrested and were to be produced before a “magistrate” on Friday.