SHARJAH, OCTOBER 29:
Sanath Jayasuriya hit a swashbuckling 189 off 161 balls to lead Sri Lanka to a massive 299-5 against India in the final of the triangular one-day series here today.
Electing to bat, Jayasuriya came close to bettering the all-time best individual score in limited overs cricket as he thrashed the Indian bowlers all over the ground hitting 21 fours and four mighty sixes in his scintillating knock.
He was just five runs short of Pakistani Saeed Anwar's 194 and well on course of scoring the first individual double century in One-day cricket when he was stumped off a wide ball from Saurav Ganguly.
Russel Arnold, who gave his captain fine company with an unbeaten 52 runs, was left being a spectator as Jayasuriya plundered runs from the other end.
None of the Indian bowlers, with the exception of Sachin Tendulkar and Sunil Joshi, had any clue to the battering they received from the master blaster.Jayasuriya made his intentions clear right from the word hitting Zaheer Khan for a boundary off the very first ball of the innings. Romesh Kaluwitharana responded hitting him for another four as 10 runs came off the opening over.
Kaluwitharana, however, could not stay for long as he played on a Zaheer Khan delivery to his stumps to be out for 15 with the score on 44.Jayasuriya thereafter carried the innings single-handedly totally unmindful of few fall of wickets at the other end racing to his 50 off 53 balls with the help of nine fours.
He reserved his worst punishment for Venkatesh Prasad who was hit for five fours conceding 24 runs in two overs. Sachin Tendulkar brought a dramatic change with his slow off-spinners giving away just 13 runs in his first seven overs and also was instrumental in two dismissals.
A firm straight drive by Jayasuriya saw the ball brush Tendulkar's hands and hit the stumps finding Maravan Atapattu (9) out of his crease.
Tendulkar then bowled Kumara Sangakkara (8) off a low delivery to have Sri Lanka 116-4 after after Mahela Jayawardene was caught by Yuvraj Singh off Sunil Joshi for 3.
Jayasuriya then combined with Arnold in a 166-run stand off just 123 balls to take the wind out of Indian bowlers.
Jayasuriya was lucky to survive a caught and bowled chance off Joshi when on 93 in the team total of 157-4.
He never looked back and compiled the highest innings ever seen in 17 years of international cricket at Sharjah.
For the Sri Lankan captain it was his first hundred from 40 matches in Sharjah, his ninth overall, as he also crossed 6,000 runs in One-day internationals.
Electing to bat, Jayasuriya came close to bettering the all-time best individual score in limited overs cricket as he thrashed the Indian bowlers all over the ground hitting 21 fours and four mighty sixes in his scintillating knock.
He was just five runs short of Pakistani Saeed Anwar's 194 and well on course of scoring the first individual double century in One-day cricket when he was stumped off a wide ball from Saurav Ganguly.
Russel Arnold, who gave his captain fine company with an unbeaten 52 runs, was left being a spectator as Jayasuriya plundered runs from the other end.
None of the Indian bowlers, with the exception of Sachin Tendulkar and Sunil Joshi, had any clue to the battering they received from the master blaster.Jayasuriya made his intentions clear right from the word hitting Zaheer Khan for a boundary off the very first ball of the innings. Romesh Kaluwitharana responded hitting him for another four as 10 runs came off the opening over.
Kaluwitharana, however, could not stay for long as he played on a Zaheer Khan delivery to his stumps to be out for 15 with the score on 44.Jayasuriya thereafter carried the innings single-handedly totally unmindful of few fall of wickets at the other end racing to his 50 off 53 balls with the help of nine fours.
He reserved his worst punishment for Venkatesh Prasad who was hit for five fours conceding 24 runs in two overs. Sachin Tendulkar brought a dramatic change with his slow off-spinners giving away just 13 runs in his first seven overs and also was instrumental in two dismissals.
A firm straight drive by Jayasuriya saw the ball brush Tendulkar's hands and hit the stumps finding Maravan Atapattu (9) out of his crease.
Tendulkar then bowled Kumara Sangakkara (8) off a low delivery to have Sri Lanka 116-4 after after Mahela Jayawardene was caught by Yuvraj Singh off Sunil Joshi for 3.
Jayasuriya then combined with Arnold in a 166-run stand off just 123 balls to take the wind out of Indian bowlers.
Jayasuriya was lucky to survive a caught and bowled chance off Joshi when on 93 in the team total of 157-4.
He never looked back and compiled the highest innings ever seen in 17 years of international cricket at Sharjah.
For the Sri Lankan captain it was his first hundred from 40 matches in Sharjah, his ninth overall, as he also crossed 6,000 runs in One-day internationals.
Scoreboard Sri Lanka:
S Jayasuriya st Dahiya b Ganguly 189
R Kaluwitharana b Khan 15
M Atapattu (run out) 9
M Jayawardene c Yuvraj b Joshi 3
K Sangakkara b Tendulkar 8
R Arnold (not out) 52, C Vaas (not out) 1;
Extras (nb6, w5, lb7, b4) 22; Total (for five wickets in 50 overs) 299Fall of wickets: 1-44, 2-90, 3-98, 4-116, 5-282Bowling: Khan 10-1-53-1, Agarkar 10-1-67-0, Prasad 7-0-73-0, Joshi 9-2-33-1, Tendulkar 10-0-28-1, Yuvraj 1-0-6-0, Robin 2-0-13-0, Ganguly 1-0-15-1
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Jayasuriya could not have given a better birthday gift to his wife Sandra than a magnificent innings of 189 against India in the coca cola cup final at Sharjah on Sunday to take the islanders to a massive victory.''Yes, it is a grand birthday present for me though I don't think I inspired him,'' Sandra was quoted as saying in 'Khaleej Times'. It was virtually love at first sight for Sandra, a former Sri Lankan airlines employee, when she met the Sri Lankan captain. ''I have been a cricket fan and I liked him a lot after first seeing him,'' she admitted.This is Jayasuriya's second marriage, with the first lasting less than a year. This time, however, Sanath and Sandra opted for a quiet wedding in January and for the two of them, the marriage seems set for a long innings.Sri Lankan coach Davenell Whatmore, elated over the team's huge victory over india, smiled and said "behind every great player, there is a wife". A blushing Jayasuriya agreed with his coach and said "yes, what Davenell says is true". Jayasuriya's wife was present at the Sharjah Stadium to cheer the Sri Lankan team during all their matches. "I have watched all the matches in Sharjah but I miss him a lot when he goes on tours," she said.
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