Struck form at the right time - Sanath

Man of the match Sanath Jayasuriya warned his opponents that the best of his batting is yet to come after slamming his 26th one day international century against Bangladesh in the six nation Asia Cup tournament Super Four match played under lights at the National Stadium in Karachi on Monday.

The veteran opener celebrated his 39th birthday by stroking an aggressive 130 runs as Sri Lanka went on to book a place in the final with a most comprehensive 158 run victory. Jayasuriya noted that he has struck form at the correct time after a lean period where he was struggling for runs soon after the 2007 World Cup in the Caribbean.

The dashing left hander has comeback with a vengeance and his outstanding performances in the high profile inaugural Indian Premier League Twenty20 tournament prompted the national selectors to include him in the squad at the eleventh hour.

Jayasuriya has certainly not let down the selectors who recently gave an assurance that he could play until the 2011 World Cup in the sub continent depending on his form and fitness. The manner in which he plundered the Bangladesh bowlers gave a clear indication of his determination and the hunger for runs.

Jayasuriya who has played in 414 one day internationals said that he was keen to make a big hundred in this game after missing out a golden opportunity against the same opposition in a preliminary round match at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.

Jayasuriya was rested for the match against the United Arab Emirates team but failed in the Super Four opening clash against Pakistan on Sunday. But he said that he had to make an impact somehow to gain his confidence back which he did in the most spectacular manner.

Sri Lanka will take on India in their last Asia Cup Super Four match on Thursday before the final on July 6. Jayasuriya said that the support he received at the other end from vice captain Kumar Sangakkara was excellent and that really inspired him to push for a big score.

Jayasuriya has now accumulated a total of 210 runs from his three outings and also became the first batsman to complete one thousand runs in the history of the Asia Cup tournament. His performance was even more significant considering the fact that he became the second oldest player ever to score a century in one day internationals.

Jayasuriya commended the excellent support and corporation rendered by the entire team towards his success and vowed to bring back the Asia Cup back to Sri Lanka by winning the final on July 6. KARACHI, Tuesday.