Leave Jayasuriya out at your peril

Sanath Jayasuriya is the icon of Sri Lankan cricket.

When the swashbuckling left-hander first came on the scene it was clear he would develop into the colossus the rest of the team would be built around. The quick pace with which he scored was thrilling for its technique and grit.

As the years went by the way in which he wielded the willow brought recognition and triumphs at the highest international levels. His team, and it was his team, was something to be reckoned with.

The World Cup win in 1996 will go down in Sri Lanka history and it was Jayasuriya – who rose to global prominence at this time – who led the way with his dashing stands as an opening batsman.

Sri Lankans go crazy whenever the “Matara Mauler” walks into the pitch but there is a fear creeping in that, comparative to the glory days, he is failing to show as much drive as he once did.

There are two things it would appear to be: either age or, as all cricketers go through at some point, an extended bad patch that he must surely turn around in the near future? But the burning question, and one that burns brighter by the day, is whether this Sri Lanka cricketing idol should be overlooked for the 2011 World Cup?

With so many young cricketers either in the team or knocking on the door, the Sri Lanka selectors must start to get clear in their minds just who they will task with bringing back the trophy.

Jayasuriya was always the all-rounder they could depend on. A spin bowler, a remarkable power batsman and a brilliant fielder: this was a men who you would never leave out of a line-up.

His failure during the recent one-day series and Twenty20s is of grave concern but should it really matter? Would the responsibility of leading the way at a world tournament not bring out the best of him and the team? On one side of the coin, his retirement from Test cricket did not make a dent in the overall performance of the team. The flip side is that even his biggest critics would admit that when he is not plating well he stil brings out the best in others. This is vital in the short form of the game.


There is no doubt Jayasuriya hasn’t been his usual self in T20s and ODIs for a while.

The slippery slope began when he was demoted from the opener’s slot to play as a middle-order batsman.

It is not just with bat and ball. In a recent T20 againt India, Jayasuriya misjudged a high catch off Virender Sehwag, which cost Sri Lanka dearly. India won by successfully chasing a score of 206.

He has made no significant contribution with the bat in the last few months and has been in and out of the side.

But there is nothing that any retiring sportsman wants more than a decent farewell and it is my opinion that Jayasuriya will be so determined to make that happen he should be given the chance to go to the 2011 World Cup.

Even if he makes 30 with the bat it will be done so rapidly it will lift the side. These emerging cricketers need experienced leaders to help them along and he has done it all.

Some of the class of ‘96, including Arjuna Ranatunga and Aravinda de Silva, faced scorn from fans and the media for their subsequent performance and the same fate shouldn’t befall Jayasuriya

At 40 he is the oldest of the gladiators in the cricketing world and he could solve the selection problems by retiring before the World Cup.

But I’m sure none of his fans would thank him for that and them, and myself, are hoping he will be the anchor of the side from this year and into next.

( Article by Amith Passela - Source)

Jayasuriya & Murali - Two precious stones losing their lustre

There is no delicate way of putting this. Two of the finest cricketers of this age, two match-winners, two game-changers, Muthiah Muralitharan and Sanath Jayasuriya looked in the recent series in India to have come to the end of the road. When such phenomenal performers with property rights over 22 yards of turf begin to look like journeymen two thoughts dominate.

One, gratitude for the many hours of pleasure they have provided with their varied skills, and two, a deep sense of loss. The feeling that the magic might never be seen again, certainly not over a five-day Test match, the real test of the great player.

By pushing him down the order in the one-day series, Sri Lanka were sending a message to Jayasuriya, who at 40 showed he was still good enough for the Twenty20 game but even on the placid wickets in India struggled in the one-day international. That he was not asked to open, and even kept on the bench are hints enough. Jayasuriya had retired from cricket three years ago, but returned when he was asked to by the country’s sports minister.

He is a game-changer, bringing to the international arena the cockiness that superior alley batsmen bring to their calling when boys. A quick eye, strong forearms and a big heart made up for the shortcomings in technique. Yet that technique was good enough for a triple century in Tests. Fast bowlers got used to the idea of seeing their best deliveries being picked out from the audience at cover point or fine leg. It began in the 1996 World Cup when Jayasuriya, born in Motera, outside Colombo the traditional nursery, brought to the game the unaffected, free flowing approach only those outside the pale of the coaching manual can bring to their efforts.

That he was able to continue this unorthodox approach through all forms of the game, at all times and through all the political upheavals that are a part of cricket in the region is a measure of the uniqueness of the man.

His teammate Muralitharan is just eight wickets short of 800 in Tests, and sentiment might see him play long enough to achieve that remarkable landmark. His impact on Sri Lankan cricket has been enormous, and it is no exaggeration to say that he is the single most important player from that Island ever to have played the game. The statistics alone are mind-boggling. He has played a role in 53 of Sri Lanka’s 60 Test wins, with 430 wickets at an average of 16. Forty of his 66 five-wicket hauls have come in those games.

If batsmen could not decipher the rotations of his wrist they could not be blamed – it took teams of scientists to work out that he propelled the ball legitimately without recourse to a bent arm. The International Cricket Council, forced to go deep into the vexed question of chucking came up with a definition that implied Muralitharan was a genius for being able to do what he could. If the definition of genius is, equally, the capacity for taking infinite pains, then Muralitharan qualified on that count too. A mild-mannered, gentle soul, he was barracked mercilessly in Australia and condemned by ex-players around the world. Yet his strength of character withstood the attacks that might have felled a lesser man.

The doosra, which he mastered, was one of the two technical advances in bowling in the latter half of the last century (the other being the reverse swing). Muralitharan expanded the possibilities in the art of spin bowling, adding to our enjoyment of a craft that is one of the game’s most intriguing. A dropped catch deprived him of a ten-in-an-innings feat, and occasionally a batting failure rendered his own bowling efforts futile but he remained the old faithful, inspiring a nation both by the intricacies of his bowling and the toil he put in to retain his place as one of the greatest bowlers of all time.

He said after the India tour that his body is no longer able to take the five-day game, although he would like to continue in the shorter version (he has 512 ODI wickets). The decline has been noticeable in the last two years. Since 2007, he has taken 73 wickets in 15 Tests, but 39 of them were against Bangladesh in five. He was 37 this year, and the enormous workload over so many years was already beginning to take its toll.

(Article by Suresh Menon - Source)

Farewell Jayasuriya, Hello Perera!

Sanath Jayasuriya was rightfully given another go in this series. It was however sad to see the great batsman fail once again.

Consistency was never Jayasuriya's forte, his style of play and the risks involved inevitably meant that Jayasuriya would fail more often than not.

There was a time in the Sri Lankan line up when his failures were overlooked. Because of his ability to blow away the opposition and win matches on his performance alone, Sri Lanka could afford the failures. Those days are long gone now and Sanath's role has been taken up by a new generation.

Tillakaratne Dilshan's performances in 2009 as an opener meant there was no room for an inconsistent pinch hitter.

As an ardent fan of the man, even I now see that Jayasuriya's time in the Sri Lankan team is up.

As hard as it is to digest, ODI# 2935 at the Eden Gardens, Kolkota may be the last time we see Sanath Jayasuriya in ODI colours for Sri Lanka.

But as we bid farewell to a legend, the same ODI match has presented us with possibly one of the most hardest hitters Sri Lanka has seen in recent times.

Thissera Perera's whirlwind 37 runs off just 14 balls today appears to have launched the young man's career and guaranteed a place in the team, all in his very first game.

As we bid farewell to one master blaster, another appears to have been born.

( Article on Island Cricket by Hilal Suhaib )

I would any day play Jayasuriya in my team - Saurav Ganguly

‘I never picked or dropped players after one match’
- Sourav says he would play Jayasuriya


Calcutta: Sourav Ganguly, who really needs no introduction, spoke to 'The Telegraph' at his Behala residence on Wednesday afternoon.


Q : Sri Lanka, it appears, can’t handle the real pressure situations...


Saurav : They need to rethink... It’s a top-heavy line-up, with the lower middle-order very weak... Left to me, I’d pick Sanath Jayasuriya... Even if he isn’t to open, he could bat at No.3... Plus, he bowls and is still agile on the field. I don’t know why he’s not getting picked... In my view, in this team, only Dilshan is a better ODI player than Sanath..

(Source)

Future tense for Sanath Jayasuriya ?

TROUBLED TIMES : Sanath Jayasuriya is attended to by a doctor in Cuttack on Sunday

Cuttack: The last time Sri Lanka faced India in an ODI at the Barabati Stadium here was on December 28, 1990. Nineteen years on, cricket may have undergone a sea-change, but two characters remain constant: Sanath Jayasuriya and Sachin Tendulkar. 

Both featured in that game which Lanka won by 36 runs, and are still part of the two squads — ready to do battle with rivals some of who are half their age. There is a difference in status, though. 

While the 40-year-old Jayasuriya cut a forlorn figure sitting quietly on one side, not even getting a bat, 36-year-old Sachin was the first to get a knock with the bat at nets in the afternoon.
Sachin is still an important member of Team India and will open the batting. Jayasuriya, dropped in the Nagpur ODI, may not get back his berth in the XI. 

Is it the end of the road for one of Lankan cricket’s longest-serving and most efficient soldiers? Was that the message Kumar Sangakkara and the team were trying to convey to the senior citizen? 

“It’s always tough to drop a senior player like Sanath. But whatever decisions are taken are in the best interests of the team. We have to get the combination right. I also believe its important to communicate something like this directly,” said the Lankan skipper. 

Is there any chance of Jayasuriya being in the XI on Monday? “Every player in the squad has a chanced to be there,” he said a trifle curtly. Jayasuriya’s runs have dried up, his utility as a bowler has diminished as well. He took a decision to retire from Tests two years ago, saying that he was still good enough to play the two shorter formats. 

The time may have come for the Matara Marauder to review that decision.

Out of form, out of favour - Sanath Jayasuriya fights on

Earlier, watching Sanath Jayasuriya pad up sent shivers down rival teams. On Sunday, the eve of the third one-dayer at the Barabati Stadium, it was surprising to see the veteran, in full gear, heading for the spot where the Sri Lanka reserves were training.

Jayasuriya’s face showed few signs of emotion, but the resolve to fight out the bad patch was unmistakable.

“It’s always tough to drop a player like Sanath, he is a legend. But at the end of the day, you want to have the best side and that’s the way to go forward. You look at the conditions and combination and it was tough to fit him in the last match. Every player knows how it works, whether it’s Murali (Muttiah Muralitharan), Sanath or anyone else. It’s a question of getting the combination right,” skipper Kumar Sangakkara said at the press conference.

Having changed the concept of batting when then skipper Arjuna Ranatunga promoted him from the middle order to open the innings with wicketkeeper Romesh Kaluwitharana, the 40-year-old now appears to be out of the scheme of things, despite the side losing Angelo Mathews to injury.

Tillakaratne Dilshan’s superb display as opener had opted the think-tank to push Jayasuriya to the middle-order in Rajkot. He was dropped in Nagpur and on Sunday there were few signs that he would play on Monday.

“It doesn’t matter whether it’s a senior or a junior. Whether you take it well or badly, it only goes to show what your real character is.

All our guys accept the fact that you’ve got to perform to stay and sometimes the combinations don’t allow certain players. They are great players and they take it well because we have direct communication when it comes to that,” Sangakkara said.

With 442 one-dayers to his name, Jayasuriya is a match short of becoming the only cricketer to have played at 100 venues, ahead of Rahul Dravid (96) and Sachin Tendulkar (94).


(Source)

It’s tough to drop a legend like Sanath Jayasuriya - Sangakkara

End of Happy days? - Sangakkara explains rationale behind Jayasuriya’s omission for the 2nd ODI vs India

Kumar Sangakkara admitted that it hadn’t been easy to leave out veteran Sanath Jayasuriya for the Nagpur one-dayer, but added that he was forced to make that move by circumstances.

“It’s always tough to drop a player like Sanath Jayasuriya the legend,” said the Lankan skipper. “But at the end of the day, you want to have the best side and that’s the way to go forward.

“You look at the conditions and the combination, and it was tough to fit him in the last match. Every player knows it’s the same, whether it’s Murali, Sanath or anyone else,” he reasoned on the eve of Monday’s third game here.

Admitting that it was difficult to convey the message to anyone who was going to be dropped, the left-hander pointed out that the key to dealing with such issues was direct communication with the players concerned. 

“It doesn’t matter whether he is a senior or a junior, you obviously have to tell him. But it has to be direct, and in a subtle way sometimes, depending upon how at ease that person is with himself. Whether you take it well or take it badly does go on to show what your real character is. 

“All our guys accept the fact that you’ve got to perform to stay and sometimes the combinations don’t allow certain players to play,” he explained.

Angelo Mathews became the latest player after Muttiah Muralitharan and Dilhara Fernando to return home with injury, further reducing their bowling fire-power, but Sangakkara said he would look at it as a chance for other guys to step up to the plate. 

“I look at it as the opportunity for the new guys to come here and show what they can do. I know you can say it’s a depleted attack, but I look at it in a different way. 

“It’s great for these guys to get an opportunity against a tough opposition in tough conditions. You can then see what their character is and how they are going to shape up in future. These guys are fresh and hungry to perform, hopefully they will perform well,” he noted.

Source

Difficult to slot Sanath Jayasuriya in the playing XI - Sangakkara

Sangakkara was  clear, that in the present scheme of things, it would be very difficult to slot Sanath Jayasuriya in the playing XI. Jayasuriya was pushed down the order to No. 4 in the opening match in Rajkot and sat out the following ODI. "Jayasuriya is a legend but the combination we played in Nagpur, it was hard to fit him in," Sangakkara said. "Sometimes, the combinations do not allow certain players, even some great players, to get in the side. They all take it very well. We look for direct and honest communication. It's no different to anyone.

"As a player, you've got to accept decisions that are sometimes fair or sometimes unfairly done. But at the end of the day all decisions are made for the interest of the side. Be it any kind of player, senior or new to the side, it does not matter. If you have something to tell them, you have got to tell them. It has to be direct and sometimes it has to be subtle, depending on individual character.

"At the end of the day whether you take it in the right spirit or take it badly, it will show your real character. But all our guys accept the fact that you got to perform to stay in the side." 


Source

Is it the end of Sanath Jayasuriya ?

Uncertain Number :Jayasuriya gets the boot in the second ODI. Time is fast running out for the Matara marauder

Sanath Jayasuriya is just a week away from completing 20 years in one-day international cricket. The hard-hitting left-hander had made his debut against Australia at Melbourne way back in 1989, which is some achievement. 

That said, there are questions being raised if the marauder from Matara will continue his ballistic journey any further. More so after the treatment the 40-year-old is getting from the current Sri Lankan brains trust.

The veteran was dropped from the team that took on the India in the second ODI at Nagpur yesterday. Age surely isn’t on Jayasuriya’s side — the man, who along with his opening partner Romesh Kaluwitharana, changed the way teams approached the first 15 over in mid-1990’s. He keeps getting these nasty reminders that he’s outlived his welcome each time he has a bad game. 

Jayasuriya has already quit Test cricket and insists on playing the shorter version of the game. The former skipper has always maintained that it is the form which should matter and not the age. He proved that correct after thrashing a 21-ball 39 as an opener is the second Twenty20 game in Mohali.

However, in the first ODI at Rajkot he was shunted down the batting order and could only manage five as the Sri Lankan’s chased 414. 

They had cruised to 316-2 in 36 overs and the team had backed Jayasuriya to dig deep into his 441 match experience. It wasn’t to be and as a consequence he was benched in favour of a rookie bits and pieces player Suraj Randiv.

Questions on Jayasuriya’s role in the Sri Lankan set-up had been asked of captain Kumar Sangakkara ever since he landed in India. He was clear that the veteran will have to fight for his place in ODI and his future will depend on the runs he gets. 

The Islanders have trained their eye on the 2011 World Cup and Jayasuriya’s comeback depends on how his replacements in the team do. 

For now the man who’s taken his place is Upul Tharanga. Mahela Jayawardene revealed the team’s thinking behind the decision. “To be fair to Tharanga, he has been very consistent with the bat. Now Dilshan is doing Jayasuriya’s job. You need one guys who is a bit steady and the other going all guns blazing. You don’t want to be 10-2 after five overs. You need a bit of stability when someone is going the way Dilshan is going I don’t know if that’s a permanent decision but for this series its going to be Upul and Dilshan will be opening the opening the innings.” 

It is believed Jayasuriya has lost some of the support with the selectors too. They want him to win one in three games and take on the role of an all-rounder. They though know that he has a great record in sub-continent and will find this aspect tough to ignore when the look to plan fro 2011 World Cup co-hosted by India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. 

As for Jayasuriya and what he thinks about the whole debate he has just one thing to say: “When critics have nothing to say, they come start talking about my age,” he had told us during the IPL in South Africa.

Source

Sanath Jayasuriya Interview - 'Sourav was to India what Arjuna was for us'

Sri Lanka's champion batsman Jayasuriya pays tribute to former India captain

Thursday, November 06, 2008

Tributes poured in for former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly who finished his international career having played his last Test Match against Australia in Nagpur on Monday.

Ganguly retired having represented his country in 113 Test Matches and 311 One-Day Internationals, where he made over 7000 runs in Tests and more than 11,000 runs in ODIs.

Former Sri Lanka captain and current chairman of the board Arjuna Ranatunga said that Ganguly will be remembered as a fighter and will be missed.

“He took over the Indian team at a difficult period and I have always admired him. Everyone didn’t like everything that he did, but he had his own way and succeeded and I have full admiration for the bloke,” Ranatunga said.

“Probably the presence of too many stars undervalued his contribution to the Indian team, but make no mistake, he will be missed,” Ranatunga added.

“When you announce that you are retiring at the start of the series there’s so much of pressure on you. Especially, the Australians let you know that you are on your way out. It would have been tough for many other players, but Sourav seemed to have relished the challenge. His hundred in Mohali set the game up for India and then in Nagpur, I thought he deserved the hundred. But nevertheless, knowing Ganguly, he wouldn’t worry much as India won the Test,” Ranatunga said.

Ganguly had made his debut for India in 1992, in a One-Day International against West Indies in Brisbane, but then was not considered for the national team for four more years and there were speculations about his attitude. He was recalled for India’s tour of England in 1996 and was an instant success as he scored a hundred on debut at Lord’s.

“I remember we played him at home in Test series early part of his career and he was struggling a bit as there were high expectations of him after making those back to back hundred in England. We were at the receiving end as he scored something like 145 in Colombo and then a few months later hit two big hundreds when we toured India and I remember him being dismissed for 99 in one of the Tests in that series. He had hit a purple patch and unfortunately I was the opposition captain,” Ranatunga added.

Sri Lankan opener Sanath Jayasuriya has reasons to remember Ganguly for the rest of his life as it was the Bengali who took the catch to dismissing the Sri Lankan when he was marching to Brian Lara’s then World Record of 375 when he made 340 against India at R. Premadasa Stadium in 1997.

“I haven’t thought about it in that way, but Sourav was a tough cricketer. He was to India what Arjuna was for us. He will be remembered for captaining the team for an unlikely victory against the Australians in 2001 in a highly hyped up series. No one gave India a chance, but things turned dramatically midway through the series. V.V.S. Laxman, Rahul Dravid and Harbhajan Singh may have played their parts, but I am sure the inspiration would have come from the captain. If the captain gives up, there’s not much of hope for the team. Sourav never gave up,” Jayasuriya said

“As a team, we rated him pretty highly. I wonder whether there was a better player who excelled in off-side play than Sourav. He was mentally tough too and as captain his greatest contribution was to believe in the young players who came into the team when he was leading the side.”

“Yuvraj, Sehwag, Zaheer and even Harbhajan came in when he was the captain and he provided them with regular opportunities. When the players know that their captain is backing them they become confident and you can just see what these guys have achieved for India,” Jayasuriya added.

Sanath Jayasuriya Interview - 'Kumble's contribution to cricket huge'

Sri Lanka's champion batsman Jayasuriya pays tribute to former India captain

Thursday, November 06, 2008

Sri Lanka opener Sanath Jayasuriya believes that Anil Kumble retired from the sport at the right time, but was of the opinion that he could have returned to his best had he opted to continue at the top level. The veteran batsman speaking from Hong Kong where he will represent the All Stars team at the Hong Kong Cricket Sixes that gets underway on Saturday hailed Kumble's contribution to the sport.

"As a team we have a lot of respect for Anil. The fact that he practiced a very difficult art for 19 long years speaks of his commitment and passion for the sport," the former Sri Lanka captain said.

Kumble announced his retirement during the recent Delhi Test after he split a finger that required 11 stitches.

"Earlier on in his career, we had a set plan to counter him on a theory based on Aravinda de Silva's assessment during the mid 90s, but later, we found that he had worked on a few variations and we had to adapt quickly. Anil was a quick learner and something that made him a tough opponent was his understanding that at the top level you need to keep on improving," Jayasuriya said.

Kumble struggled towards the end of his career as he picked up just eight wickets in a three Test series in Sri Lanka and then in the series opener against Australia, he failed to pick up a wicket in Bangalore and then missed the second Test in Mohali due to a shoulder injury before returning to the side in the Delhi Test where he announced his retirement with India still leading the series.

"He was struggling a bit here and the injuries weren't healing as fast as he would have liked so that would have forced him to retire. But I have no doubt in my mind that he would have returned to his best if not for the unfortunate injury in Delhi," Jayasuriya added.
"Very few people realize that he's the third highest wicket taker in the world. Warne, Murali and Anil have taken spin bowling to a different level and this will be remembered as the golden era of spin bowling."

"He was a decent lad, but that doesn't mean he wasn't tough. Very intelligent as well and a chat on cricket with him was always interesting and I liked his company," Jayasuriya said.

Kumble was part of the Indian side as Jayasuriya mauled the Indian attack on his way to a marathon 340 as Sri Lanka posted a World Record 952 for six declared at R. Premadasa where he purchased a solitary wicket for 223 runs.

"The wicket was flat but I tell you what, it wasn't easy batting against him. Your concentration level had to be extremely high when you bat for that long and all what it takes is one mistake. I didn't get out to him, but he dismissed Roshan (Mahanama) after our huge partnership and soon I was out too to Rajesh Chauhan," Jayasuriya remembered.

So long Sanath !! | A View on Sanath Jayasuriya's Retirement form Test Cricket

Sanath Jayasuriya was not the most elegant cricketer of all time. Yet he was was great athlete. He was not classical by any stretch of the imagination, and yet he had a lot of class. Whats more, he performed one of the most specialized roles in a cricket team - that of opening the batting. This exalted position, which in Rohan Kanhai's opinion was the domain of only the very brave and slightly mad batsmen, was occupied with great distinction by this marauding powerhouse from Matara. Jayasuriya began his career as a lower middle order spin bowling all rounder. He batted at number 6 or 7, and among his early scores were half centuries against Pakistan and South Africa - two of the best bowling attacks of the early 1990's. He was soon promoted to open the batting, and made a century at Adelaide in only his 3rd Test as opener. From then on, he was a fixture at the top of the Sri Lankan order and made nearly six thousand test runs as an opener at a healthy average of 41.48. He made test hundreds in Australia, England, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. India and Pakistan were his favorite opponents and he made nearly two thousand of his 6973 Test runs against these two nations. Jayasuriya was one of the mainstays of the Sri Lankan Test line up for almost 15 years. As good as he was in Test cricket, it was One Day Cricket which gave him his stature and his fame. He was a pioneer of modern ODI batting at the top of the order. With his powerful bottom hand and brilliant eye he could loft any length anywhere at his best. He was impossible to bowl to as many bowlers around the world will testify and there was no area of the ground which he ignored. He played spin brilliantly inspite of his predominantly bottom handed method. His ability to square cut spinners and pacemen alike off a good length outside off-stump enabled him to hit good balls for four. Indeed, Jayasuriya changed the definition of a good delivery in One Day Cricket. Many other batsmen followed his lead. He had a distinctive superstitious method of preperation as he set himself to face up to the bowler. He tugged at all his equipment as if to remind to protect him as he went into battle with the bowler. Usually it was a worried bowler and even more worried fielding captain that he went into battle with. His little superstitious routine also drove many bowlers to distraction, but it was part of the Jayasuriya legend. It is difficult to pinpoint any one great innings in such a long and illustrious career. Jayasuriya's record speaks for itself. With 12,207 ODI runs and 6973 Test runs, made with the aid of 39 international hundreds, all of them at breakneck speed there is little doubt that he was one of the most important cricketers of the contemporary era. Add to this his underrated bowling which brought him 307 ODI wickets and 98 Test wickets, and it is easy to realise why Sri Lanka valued him so much, especially in the ODI game, where he gave Sri Lankan captains that extra option. His bowling was central to Sri Lanka's well oiled spin bowling strategy which caused them to go undefeated for a period of 5 years in ODI games where they had more than 250 to defend with Murali in their ranks. Jayasuriya and other bowlers would bowl around Murali. They could not match Murali's wicket taking genius, but were not easy to score off.


Sri Lanka will miss his all round prowess. That his retirement from Test cricket was eventually a happy, match winning occasion (match winning thanks largely to Jayasuriya's brilliant 78 in the Sri Lankan second innings at Kandy) is a fitting tribute to the man who by his very play confirmed Sri Lanka's place at the cricketing top table in the mid 1990's. As he walked off, escorted by Percy Abysekera, Sri Lanka and world cricket will wonder if they will ever see his type again. Actually, they may. He gave legitimacy to a belligerent method, which spawned a whole generation of batsmen all over the world who sought to play like him. But then again, may be not. The original as they say, is one of a kind.... We will miss you Sanny :(

- Sujan Rao (sanath189)