Shock for Warwickshire as Sanath Jayasuriya pulls out

May 22 2008

WARWICKSHIRE'S hopes of winning the Twenty20 Cup for the first time received a major blow last night when Sri Lanka batsman Sanath Jayasuriya withdrew from his short-term contract with the county.
Jayasuriya, 38, retired from international cricket earlier this year but he has now re-considered his decision after impressing in the Indian Premier League Twenty20 competition.
He has now been named in Sri Lanka's squad for the Asia Cup in Pakistan, which clashes with the Twenty20 Cup, and pulled out of his contract with Warwickshire.
"This has come out of the blue and it is a big disappointment for us," said Ashley Giles, Warwickshire's director of cricket.
"Sanath had retired from international cricket to play for us but it now seems that he has enjoyed his cricket so much that he has reconsidered his decision to retire at international level.
"He has told us that he made his decision at the request of the sports minister which probably means the prime minister.
"But it leaves us without an over-seas player for the Twenty20 and with not much time to find a replacement.
"When you look at the teams that are involved in international cricket during the Twenty20 Cup there aren't too many options."
Warwickshire might also have to find a replacement for South African fast bowler Monde Zondeki who limped out of the attack against Middlesex yesterday with a groin strain.
As Zondeki was awarded a central contract by South Africa on Monday and he is likely to be included in their squad for the tour to England in July and August, Warwick-shire expect him to be recalled to South Africa as a precaution.
If Zondeki's first stint in county cricket is cut short Warwickshire are expected to seek two overseas players to cover the rest of the season,a Twenty20 specialist and an experienced seam bowler.

Jayasuriya: The bowler is finished once I get to`know his weak point

Exclusive Interview

Mumbai Indians are riding on a high these days with the entry of master blaster Sachin Tendulkar. If one talks about the top order of the team, it hasn’t been able to perform very well in the initial matches. But, the way Jayasuriya has made a comeback in the last three matches, it has stunned everyone. Iplnewsonline network spoke to Sanath Jayasuriya:

So, finally you have got your form back?

A: (laughingly) Yes, I got it back and got it at the right time. I got it at a time when my team needed me the most and that’s a big achievement for me. When Sachin wasn’t playing, there were a lot of expectations from me as a senior player. Unfortunately, I couldn’t live up to their expectations at that time. But, now everything is fine.

Where did all this energy come from?

A: See, every player needs time to settle down in the tournament. I agree I just took a longer time than others. But, I came back in my form at that point of time when my team needed me the most. Teams like Chennai and Kolkata have shown their brilliant performances in the tournament so far. Sachin has just entered the team so it would be wrong to expect a big score from him at such an early stage. Keeping in mind the strategies of the opponent teams, we practiced at the nets and the result is in front of you.

Is your spectacular performance a result of your meeting with your family?

A: Yes, you have got it right. We had got a week off after the match against Jaipur. At that time I had flown back and caught up with my family. It felt so good meeting them. I got into my proper senses, with a new kind of energy I came back to India. I guess it was the inspiration from my family that made me perform so well.

Watching your innings against Chennai, it seemed like you were playing in the nets.

A: (laughs) Yeah, even I felt like as if I am practicing at the nets. Chennai had an excellent bowling attack. And, Balaji was full of confidence after scoring a hat-trick. So, pressure was bound to be on us. But, Chennai’s bowlers didn’t bowl in the right areas that day. They seemed to be deviating from their target and I had got to know that. I have just one mantra, that if I get to know the weak point of the bowler, I don’t let him return in the match that day.

What do you have to say about that innings where you hit century?

A: Till now, I have only been able to score 20-30 runs in all the matches that I have played so far. In the match against Chennai I was happy opening with Sachin. I had thought that from one side Sachin will deliver his excellent shots and from the other end I’ll be at my attacking best. The moment I hit the first six that day, I knew the day belonged to me. Then, there was nothing that could stop me. When I completed my century, I cannot explain the happiness I felt. At last I was relieved, when the team won because of my crucial contribution.

And Sachin?

A: He is incredible!After the win he hugged me in such a way as if we have achieved a huge milestone. We had decided to give him a win as a welcome gift in his first match and seeing it coming from me he was quite happy.

Were you afraid while facing Murali?

A: Very much, Murali is a kind of bowler whose bowling is very difficult to understand by most of the batsmen. We may have been playing together for many years but I am still unable to read his wrong ‘uns.

What would you say about Pollock''s captaincy?

A: The best captain in today’s time. He knows all the traits of modern cricket. In the absence of Sachin, the responsibility of captaincy was upon Pollock. I used to help him in the distribution of the players in the field. It was because of the good understanding between the two of us that we were able to put up a good show. Now, that Sachin is back as the captain we both are enjoying the cricket.

T-20 is a game of youngsters. Do you agree?

A: No, I don't think so, as players of thirty-plus have put up an equal challenge with the youngsters. Yes, I think that the time as well as the definition of the cricket is changing but if you concentrate on running between the wickets and shot selection then you can be the champion in this game. The game is all about timing.

All the equations are going right so far. What are the plans ahead?

A: We were loosing the initial matches. Our franchise owners Reliance showed trust in us and supported us through our difficult times. It is now our duty to live up to their expectations. Every player in our team is now aware of his responsibilities. Our only goal is to play good cricket and lead our team to the semi-finals.

What is your message for the other teams in the coming matches?

A: Jayasuriya has woken up after eight matches. The other teams should definitely watch out.

Mumbai Indians on roll - 6th consecutive win in IPL

Mumbai Indians notched up their sixth win on the trot to continue to be in hunt for a semi-final place after pipping Deccan Chargers by 25 runs in their Indian Premier League encounter on Sunday. The Mumbai team first scored a competitive 178 for seven, thanks to some sensible batting by Abishek Nayar and Dwayne Bravo, and then restricted hosts to 153 for seven in 20 overs. The win was a sweet revenge for the visitors as they had lost by comprehensive 10-wickets margin against Chargers at the home-tie. Bravo, who was playing his last match in the tournament, ended the tournament on a high note as he first collected 30 crucial runs and then took three wickets, playing a vital role in his team's victory. Jayasuriya (36) looked unstoppable from the word go as he began the proceedings with a fine-leg boundary off P Vijaykumar and then hit him for a six on the fifth ball. The Sri Lankan then hit compatriot Nuwan Zoysa for three boundaries and one six in his first over to give a rollicking start to the visitors. This forced Adam Gilchrist to introduce Y Venugopal Rao, who did not disappoint his skipper and sent packing Jayasuriya, bringing relief for the hosts. After hitting Rao (2/25) for a couple of boundaries, the Sri Lankan swept the spinner for a big shot but could manage to find RP Singh in the deep. The left-handed opener took just 15-balls to score 39 and hit six fours and two sixes in his cameo.

A new day, a new start is Sanath’s motto

The moment that the cricketing fraternity was waiting for came on Wednesday night when Sachin Tendulkar and Sanath Jayasuriya walked out together to open the innings for Mumbai at the Wankhede Stadium.

All eyes were on Tendulkar, who was making his IPL debut and playing a competitive match after more than six weeks. But it was Jayasuriya, the Matara Marauder, who walked away with the accolades in his whirlwind manner.

He faced only 45 balls, but sent almost one-fourth (11) of those over the fence during his unbeaten knock of 114 to help Mumbai cruise to a comfortable nine-wicket win over Chennai.

In the seven matches Mumbai played before Wednesday, Jayasuriya had failed to make his mark with the bat. It appeared as if he was waiting for Tendulkar to join him at the crease.

It was one of the rare occasions when Tendulkar was outdone. When Joginder Sharma foxed the Mumbai skipper in the eighth over, the scoreboard read 82 of which Tendulkar's share was 12.

“Not just him (Tendulkar), the whole dressing room is very happy,” a relaxed Jayasuriya said on Thursday afternoon. “We are only talking about this – if someone scores 80 or a hundred, we will win. That's what happened. Yesterday, it was me, in the future it could be someone else.”

From the moment he hit his first of the 11 sixes – a flick off Albie Morkel – it appeared as if it was going to be his day. “It wasn't as if I was in bad nick. I was getting the 20s or 30s quickly so I didn't realise that it was my day till I reached fifty,” said the former Sri Lanka captain.

“There was more bounce and carry through the wicket. So when I got a start, I thought I should not throw it away and keep on batting.”

But the veteran seemed to have moved on from his first century in the shortest form of the game. “I am very happy with the hundred. But that's gone now. Tomorrow is a new game and I look forward to some different things.”

Just like youngsters in the team, he is not untouched by Tendulkar's aura. “He gives a lot of confidence to everyone. His sheer presence is enough to motivate everyone, including the youngsters,” said Jayasuriya.

“He always keeps on talking to everyone, discusses cricket at length, comes up with innovative ideas. Obviously, he is very experienced and passes on his experience to the younger generation.”

Even though Jayasuriya is a fan of T20, he signs off with a message for the youngsters who aspire to play the game seriously. “Some of the shots we play, should not be followed. They should play normal cricketing shots at the start of their careers.”

Jayasuriya makes ODI comeback through IPL

Sanath Jayasuriya makes a return to the Sri Lanka squad for the Asia Cup in Pakistan after having been dropped for the one-dayers in the West Indies last month. Jayasuriya, who has retired from Tests, was included in the 15-member squad following the intervention of Gamini Lokuge, the country's sports minister, after selectors had left him out of the original squad.
His unbeaten 114 for Mumbai Indians in an Indian Premier League match has brought Sri Lanka's Sanath Jayasuriya back into the one-day international fold with selectors including him in the Asia Cup squad announced here on Friday.

The veteran all-rounder was dropped from the squad following his poor form, which saw him hitting a highest score of 41 runs in his last 20 ODI innings.

The 38-year-old swashbuckling batsman, who has retired from Tests and was dropped from ODI team for the West Indies last month, was included in the 15-member squad on last moment recommendation from Sports Minister Gamini Lokuge.

The selectors had met on Tuesday but the minister delayed ratifying the squad, which helped Jayasuriya make his case with an unbeaten 114 for the Mumbai Indians against the Chennai Super Kings.

The sports minister summoned the four-member selection committee headed by Ashantha de Mel, the former Sri Lanka fast bowler, and asked them to reconsider and include Jayasuriya.

Jayasuriya picked in Sri Lanka squad for Asia Cup

Sanath Jayasuriya was on Friday named in the Sri Lanka squad for next month's Asia Cup in Pakistan after having been dropped for the one-dayers in the West Indies last month.

The left-handed batsman, who has retired from Tests, was originally not considered for selection but picked later at the behest of the country's sports minister Gamini Lokuge.

"I had a meeting with cricket selectors this morning and one of the things we discussed was to recall Sanath Jayasuriya in to the team," Lokuge told AFP.

Jayasuriya, 38, had cracked a fine century in a domestic Indian Twenty20 tournament in Mumbai on Wednesday.

Jayasuriya, who has made 12,310 runs from 411 one-day internationals, made it into the side at the expense of opener Upul Tharanga.

Shaun, Sanath walk all over Kolkata - Match in Pictures

It's five in-a-row now - Jayasuriya, Pollock rout Kolkata Knight Riders

It's five in-a-row now



Led by the redoubtable Shaun Pollock, the Mumbai Indians routed Kolkata Knight Riders for the lowest ever total in the Indian Premier League before racing to a comprehensive eight-wicket victory, their fifth in a row, at the Wankhede Stadium on Friday night.

Pollock snapped up 3 for 12 in four devastating overs to virtually flatten the visiting team before the other pace bowlers in the home team's attack provided the great South African all-rounder, retired from international cricket, some splendid support to skittle out the Sourav Ganguly-led Knight Riders for a pathetic-reading 67 in 15.2 overs.

Form of his life

Sanath Jayasuriya, who lashed Chennai Super Kings' attack while making a splendid 114 not out with eleven sixes and nine fours, continued in the same vein after being dropped off the first ball to make 48 not out (17 balls with six fours and three sixes) to help the hosts surge to a thumping win in only 5.3 overs.

Sachin Tendulkar (0) failed for the second match running, but Jayasuriya, who struck three sixes in one over off danger man Shoaib Akhtar, killed off any slender hopes of the visitors.

The comprehensive win brought the resurgent Mumbai Indians level on points (10 each) with the Kolkata team.

Vintage Pollock in action


The hero of the day for Mumbai Indians was their pace attack spearheaded so well by Pollock who came up with a deadly spell on a helpful Wankhede Stadium track to rip the heart out of the Kolkata team.

Put in to bat, the Knight Riders were in dire straits by losing half their side with only 29 on the board as the top-order was undone by some exceptional seam bowling on a bouncy and pacy track by Pollock, to a large extent, and his West Indian comrade-in-arms Dwayne Bravo.

Bravo, who is to return home after this match to get involved in the Test and ODI series against Australia, had impressive figures of 2 for 13.

Later, local talent Rohan Raje and Australian Dominic Thornely grabbed two wickets apiece as the Kolkata team were shot out for the lowest total in the IPL, the previous worst being Bangalore Royals' 82 against them, inside 16 overs

Awe-struck knights


Only Salman Butt (13), Ganguly (15) and Ajit Agarkar (15) reached double figures in a shocking display from a team aiming for a spot in the semi-finals.

The visitors totally lost their bearings after starting reasonably well when Pakistani left-hander Butt and Aakash Chopra put on 16 in the first two overs.

Butt hit Pollock for a four and then slashed Ashish Nehra for a fine six over the cover region and things looked a bit rosy for Kolkata who had lost to the home team earlier in the tournament at the Eden Gardens that started the latter's winning streak after four straight defeats.

But in the third over things took a dramatic turn as the visitors lost two wickets off successive balls. Pollock removed Butt by having the batsman caught at slip by Tendulkar, trying to drive. Then Chopra was run out due to a terrible mix-up with Ganguly to leave Kolkata at a dismal 16 for two after three overs.

Pollock then dealt two huge blows by sending back in-form batsman David

Fearsome pace attack


Australian Hussey edged an intended drive to wicket keeper Yogesh Takawale while Hafeez, without getting his eye in, tried an injudicious drive to a rising delivery from Pollock and the high edge was taken well at second slip by Robin Uthappa.

Pollock's deadly spell read 4-0-12-3 and he had ripped out the heart from the visiting team's batting to make it easy for the other bowlers. It was a repeat of his splendid display that rocked Chennai Super Kings on the back foot two nights ago before being rescued by S Badrinath and captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni. There was none to do so on Friday.

Bravo struck a blow when he induced Wriddhiman Saha to edge to Tendulkar a defensive prod and Kolkata were left gasping at 29 for five.

Seeing the visiting team in disarray, Tendulkar brought into action his second-string pace attack and it paid rich dividends when Rohan Raje clean bowled all rounder Laxmi Ratan Shukla when he shaped to clip the ball off his toes.

Riders raided brutally


Ganguly watched grimly from the other end when the mayhem took place and started to assert himself in the company of Agarkar who slammed Raje for two fours in one over to bring some cheers to the struggling visitors' ranks.

At the half way mark Kolkata were 44 for six with very little batting left to bail them out of the deep hole. The seventh wicket duo added 19 runs, the highest for the innings thus far, when Ganguly was caught behind trying to guide Thornely towards the third man region and wicket-keeper Takawale took a juggling catch at the second attempt. The rest folded up meekly.

Tendulkar took four catches, most in an innings by a fielder in the IPL.

Mumbai Indians crush Kolkata by 8 wickets

Sanath Jayasuriya hammered an unbeaten 48 off 17 balls and Shaun Pollock claimed three wickets for 12 runs as Mumbai Indians humbled Kolkata Knight Riders by eight wickets in the Indian Premier League match at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Friday night.

After dismissing the visitors for a paltry 67 runs, which came off 15.2 overs, Mumbai Indians hit up the required runs in 5.3 overs, finishing on 68 for the loss of two wickets.

Click here for scores

The wickets to fall were those off Sachin Tendulkar (0) and Robin Uthappa (9).

Pollock's a deadly four-over spell, bowled on the trot on a helpful Wankhede track, ripped the heart out of Kolkata Knight Riders as they were shot out for the lowest score in the tournament. The worst score previously in the tournament was Bangalore Royals' 82 against Knight Riders, which came off only 15.1 overs.

Put in to bat, the Kolkata team was in dire straits after losing half their side with only 29 on the board. The top order was undone by some exceptional seam bowling by Pollock, to a large extent, and his West Indian comrade-in-arms Dwayne Bravo.

Bravo, who will return home to play in the Test and ODI series against Australia, had impressive figures of 2 for 13.

Later, local talent Rohan Raje and Australia's Dominic Thornely grabbed two wickets apiece as the Kolkata team surrendered meekly. Only Salman Butt (13), Sourav Ganguly (15) and Ajit Agarkar (15) reached double figures in a shocking display from a team aiming for a spot in the semi-finals.

The visitors totally lost their bearings after starting reasonably well through Pakistan left-hander Butt and Aakash Chopra, who put on 16 in the first two overs.

Butt hit Pollock for a four and then slashed Ashish Nehra for a fine six over the cover region and things looked a bit rosy for Kolkata, who had lost to the home team earlier in the tournament at the Eden Gardens that started the latter's winning streak after four straight defeats.

But in the third over things took a dramatic turn as the visitors lost two wickets off successive balls. Pollock dismissed Butt, who was caught at slips by Sachin Tendulkar while trying to drive. Then Chopra was run out due to a terrible mix-up with Ganguly, which left Kolkata at a dismal 16 for two after three overs.

Pollock then dealt two huge blows by sending back in-form batsman David Hussey and Mohammed Hafeez, both undone by rising deliveries.

Australia's Hussey edged an intended drive to wicketkeeper Yogesh Takawale while Hafeez, without getting his eye in, tried an injudicious drive to a rising delivery from Pollock and the high edge was taken well by second slip fielder Robin Uthappa.

Pollock's deadly spell read 4-0-12-3 and he had ripped the heart from the visiting team's batting. It was a repeat of his splendid display that rocked Chennai Super Kings two nights ago before they were rescued by S Badrinath and captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni .

Bravo struck a blow when he induced Wriddhiman Saha to edge to Tendulkar a defensive prod and Kolkata were left gasping at 29 for five.

Seeing the visiting team in disarray, Tendulkar brought into action his second-string pace attack and it paid rich dividends when Rohan Raje, who replaced Bravo after the latter's two-over spell, clean bowled all-rounder Laxmi Ratan Shukla when he shaped to clip the ball off his toes.

Ganguly watched grimly from the other end as the mayhem continued and started to assert himself in the company of Ajit Agarkar, who slammed Raje for two fours in one over to bring some cheer to the struggling visitors' ranks.

At the half-way mark Kolkata were 44 for six with very little batting left to bail them out of the deep hole.

The seventh wicket duo added 19 runs, the highest for the innings thus far, when Ganguly was caught behind trying to guide medium pacer Dominic Thornely towards the third man region and wicketkeeper Takawale took a juggling catch at the second attempt.

Once Ganguly was gone, the rest folded up meekly.

Tendulkar took four catches, which is highest by a fielder in an innings in the IPL.

Sanath overlooked again, Murali returns

National selectors have once again overlooked veteran Sanath Jayasuriya for the ODI team but recalled spinner Muttiah Muralitharan for the Sri Lanka team for the forthcoming Asia Cup starting in Pakistan on June 24.

The 38-year old Jayasuriya who has represented the country in 110 tests and 411 one day internationals - most by a Sri Lankan, retired from tests last year and was dropped for the recent tour of West Indies following poor form.

The legendary all-rounder who holds several world records roared back into form on Wednesday with a blazing century in the IPL Twenty20 tournament but it came a little bit too late for the former Sri Lanka skipper, as the selectors’ meeting started at 5.00 p.m on Wednesday, prior to his epic innings.Last month, authorities decided to drop Jayasuriya from the list of annual contracts, delivering a telling blow to his career, but he is the third highest paid player of the Indian Premier League (IPL) earning a whopping 975,000 US dollars.

Muralitharan was rested for the West Indies tour by selectors who reasoned that they want to preserve the world record holder till the 2011 World Cup and would pick him selectively, only for most important assignments.

Returning to the side with Murali will be pace bowler Dilhara Fernando and all rounder Farveez Maharoof, both of whom were not available for West Indies through injuries but are fit now, playing currently in the IPL.

Dropped from the side are pacemen Ishara Amerasinghe and Thilina Thushara Mirando along with all rounder Malinga Bandara.

Selectors have retained promising young off spinner Ajantha Mendia of Army which means skipper Mahela Jayawardena has been given two off spinners with Murali’s inclusion.

A selection committee source said that their focus fell on struggling opener Upul Tharanga as well but finally decided to give him another go.

Controversial Left hand batsman Jehan Mubarak has also retained his place along with medium pace bowler Nuwan Kulasekara.

Star bowler Lasith Malinga has once again been not considered for selection due to his persistent bone swelling in the right leg that has remained stubborn and very slow in responding to treatment.

Age no bar in T20, it's all about performance: Sachin, Sourav

Veteran Indian players Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly on Thursday rubbished the notion that Twenty20 was a format of cricket suited for the youth.

"It has always been about performance and has never been about age. It has become a fashion to talk about it now I think," Ganguly said here.

The 36-year-old pointed out that Sri Lankan Sanath Jayasuriya and Australians Adam Gilchrist and Michael Hussey, all of whom have scored centuries in the Indian Premier League, were over 30 years of age.

The former India captain said he was also slightly taken aback by people saying he had surprised them with his performance in the Twenty20 tournament.

"After 13 years I feel bad that I still surprise people," Ganguly said in a lighter vein.

Even 35-year-old Tendulkar, who made his IPL debut on Wednesday, said he was never concerned about the age of players.

"As far as I am concerned I have never entertained this theory. It is performance that matters and not age," the master batsman said.

The day Sanath Jayasuriya erupted

For close to a month, those 975,000 dollars seemed to be a bet on the wrong horse, that too on an ageing one.

All those days, Sanath Jayasuriya’s worth as the third most-expensive player in the Indian Premier League was under the scanner.

So were his form, feet-movement and hand-eye coordination. With scores of 29, 20, 1, 18, 18, 34 and 18, Jayasuriya was running out of time to prove his prowess.

The slump would have certainly hurt Jayasuriya. More so as he was off to blazing starts, but just couldn’t produce that defining innings, like his spellbinding 140 against the Kiwis at Bloemfontein in 1994 or that whirlwind 151 not out against India at Wankhede in 1997. “Sanath was disappointed, but with his experience, he knew exactly how to convert those starts into big scores.

It was only a matter of sustaining the tempo and focus throughout,” stated Mumbai Indians’ coach Lalchand Rajput.

You can’t keep a volcano from erupting for long. How many times have we written off Jayasuriya, only for him to hit back with his ballistic willow.

On Wednesday, against the Chennai Super Kings, the simmering volcano by name Jayasuriya just erupted in sheer fury, consuming Chennai’s bowlers in its noxious lava.

Chasing 156, a modest rather than a challenging target, pressure was slightly less on his shoulders. Sachin Tendulkar’s presence on the other end rendered him the cushion to go full-throttle.

He ticked off in his typical fashion, with an onside chip. And then he unfurled that short-arm jab—a shot that has fetched him perhaps a third of his 6,973 Tests runs and 12,301 ODI runs—off to the fence.

Another shot-arm jab over mid-wicket for six off Albie Morkel and a few slashes over the third-man boundary, Jayasuriya was only gearing up. By the end of those six overs, Mumbai, at 78 for no loss, were well and truly in the driver’s seat.

What followed was sheer daredevilry. With unalloyed fluency and blithe, he clobbered, biffed, hammered and bludgeoned the clueless Chennai bowlers through the length and breadth of Wankhede.

Smacking his 50 off 25 balls, he celebrated his maiden T20 ton off his 45th ball, pulling compatriot Chamara Kapugedera over deep-square leg for a six.

Importantly, with four successive wins Mumbai’s fortunes seem rosier than ever before. And if the Marauder from Matara resumes in the same vein, rest assured that bowlers be chasing shadows.

Rampaging Jayasuriya destroys Super Kings

Riding on Sanath Jayasuriya's swashbuckling, unbeaten knock of 114 that contained an amazing eleven sixes and ten fours, Mumbai Indians outclassed Chennai Super Kings by nine wickets for their fourth straight win after four losses in the Indian Premier League at the Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday.

The Sri Lankan veteran flicked, slashed and pulled the short-pitched balls served to him on a platter by the visiting team's bowlers as the home team, chasing Chennai's total of 156 for six, surged to a comprehensive win in only the 14th over.

Jayasuriya finished the match with a flourish by slamming Lankan compatriot Chamara Kapugedara for 26 runs in five balls, with three sixes to boot.

It was the 'Marauder from Matara' who stole the honours of the day with clean hitting as he took the match away in the first six overs when 78 runs were made, mainly through his efforts.

He raced away to his fifty in 25 balls and his hundred came off just 45 balls, studded with seven fours and 10 sixes.

Jayasuriya and fit-again Mumbai Indians skipper Sachin Tendulkar, who made 12 in 16 balls with a six and a four, put on 82 for the first wicket in only 44 balls to consign the visitors to a comprehensive defeat, their fourth in 10 games.

The Lankan lost Tendulkar in the eighth over, bowled through the gate by Joginder Sharma when the champion batsman tried to play an on-drive, but carried on relentlessly to ensure that his side came out victorious.

Chennai new-ball bowlers Manpreet Singh Gony and South African Albie Morkel erred in trying to bounce out the great left-hander on a helpful pitch but just did not possess the much-needed accuracy and went for plenty.

Gony went for 31 in his first three overs, while Morkel conceded a whopping 44 from the same number of overs. Jayasuriya struck three sixes each in one over off either pacers.

The Lankan ace's initial pyrotechnics sealed Chennai's fate much before the end came.

Earlier, Subramaniam Badrinath and Mahendra Singh Dhoni revived the visitors with a 95-run stand after the hosts' pace attack had taken early control.

Badrinath, struggling initially before picking up pace, struck his second successive half century in the IPL when he made 53 off 32 balls with seven fours and two sixes, while his skipper Dhoni made an unbeaten 43 in 35 balls with six fours and a six as the fifth wicket pair pulled Chennai out of the hole with their 95-run stand in 61 balls.

The recovery came after the Mumbai Indians pace attack put them on the rack to leave them gasping at 46 four in the ninth over.

Put in to bat, Chennai began well by hitting a string of boundaries in the second over before they were rocked by the Mumbai attack and pushed on the back foot.

In the top-order, Stephen Fleming (26), dropped on one, and fellow-opener Vidyut Sivaramakrishnan (16), who was the first to go, got a start but failed to build on it.

Suresh Raina made only one run before edging a rising ball from Dwayne Bravo to 'keeper Yogesh Takawale to leave Chennai at 28 for two in the sixth over.

Then two wickets fell in one over of Dhawal Kulkarni, both with the total reading 46: those of Fleming, who faced 29 balls and played the cut shot well to hit four fours, and man-in-hurry Chamara Kapugedara (1 in 2 balls).

Fleming, after striking the young medium pacer for a four to square point, dragged the next ball on to his stumps when playing well away from his body.

Sri Lankan Kapugedara fell for nought, edging a rising ball from Kulkarni that left him off the pitch to stumper Takawale.

Pollock then came back for his fourth and final over, a maiden, and troubled Dhoni.

Badrinath, who played some audacious scoop shots to fine leg, and Dhoni, who hooked Rohan Raje for the first six of the innings in the 18th over, took the score past the 100-mark in the 16th over.

The last five overs fetched 67 runs for the visiting team as the pace bowlers, after Pollock had finished his quota, were punished at will.

However, the Chennai Kings' total proved inadequate against Mumbai Indians' strong batting line-up led by the rampaging Jayasuriya at his destructive best.

Simply Sanath; Chennai massacred

Sanath Jayasuriya is one of those batsmen who have destroyed many a bowling attack, and his pride must have been hurt with his pretty sedate show in the Indian Premier League so far.
He repaired all that tellingly against Chennai Super Kings on Wednesday, as he blasted 114 not out off just 48 balls to guide Mumbai Indians to a sensational nine-wicket win.
The Sri Lankan veteran hammered 11 sixes and nine fours, and scored at an astounding strike rate of 237.5.
Sachin Tendulkar's debut in the IPL was sedate, as the Mumbai skipper was dismissed for just 12 runs.

Sanath's Innings in Pictures