Mahela Jayawardene, a masterful technician oozing class, has been the batting lynchpin of the Sri Lankan team for the last decade and more. He heralded a seamless transition to the new era of the Sri Lankan middle order. Along with Kumara Sangakarra, he ensured the absence of yesteryear greats Aravinda de Silva and Arjuna Ranatunga was hardly felt. A prolific run scorer always pleasing to the eye, a shrewd thinker of the game and a sharp fielder, Mahela is one of the finest cricketers the island nation has produced. His achievements have been recognized by the international cricketing fraternity when in 2006, the ICC named him the Captain of the Year and the captain of the World ODI team of the year. In 2007, he was named one of Wisdens five cricketers of the year. Mahela made his debut in the historic 1997 Test match between India and Sri Lanka, in which the Lankans posted the highest ever total in history of 952/6 declared. Being a part of this gargantuan effort perhaps multiplied his appetite for runs - he has scored six double hundreds including a triple, after scoring his first century in only his fourth Test on a wickedly turning Galle track against New Zealand. He has had his share of rough patches - being dropped from the side in 2003 due to lack of form in the ODIs, particularly in the 2003 World Cup. However, he rebounded strongly thanks to a good series against England followed by a solid 2004. In 2006, the year in which he was made captain for both Tests and ODIs, he scored a majestic 374 against South Africa, the highest individual score in tests for a Sri Lankan. His record breaking effort came while being involved in a partnership of 624 with Kumara Sangakarra, the highest for any wicket in first class cricket, a landmark that stands undimmed by the passage of time. His greatest moment as a captain was the 2007 World Cup, where he led Sri Lanka to the final on the back of one century and four half centuries. However, his overall ODI stats dont match up to his Test match numbers. He averages a mere 32.21 in ODIs, but in excess of 54 in Test matches. In a somewhat surprising decision, Mahela relinquished the captaincy following a 4-1 ODI drubbing to India in February 2009. Since then, he has been ruthless in amassing runs. Jayawardenes batting is a thing of beauty and is a joy forever. The princely drives and dexterous flicks continue to evoke awe and envy in generous measures. He became the first Sri Lankan batsman to tally 10000 Test runs in addition to joining the slim, yet elite list of batsmen, who have compiled a ton in each format of the game. He has also ransacked 10000+ runs in ODIs. Believe it or not, the fact is that Mahela is the only cricketer after Sachin Tendulkar to have made 600 international appearances. With his glorious batting hogging the limelight, Mahelas agile fielding and catching skills slip under the radar. Having snaffled as many as 413 grabs across all formats, Mahela tops the catching list. With Sri Lankan cricket finding itself in dire straits following the departure of Muttiah Muralitharan, Mahela took over the reins from Tillakaratne Dilshan in the 2011-12 season in the aftermath of losses in England, UAE, South Africa with the most painful of all being the defeat at home against Australia. Mahela celebrated his return to captaincy with a typically silken 180, his 21st Test ton, which knocked England off the perch. He also led the Emerald Islanders to the T20 Cup final at home in 2012. Just when one thought they would shed that eternal bridesmaids tag that had become an albatross around their necks, Sri Lanka again faltered at the final hurdle. Soon after, expressing his reluctance to carry on as captain, Jayawardene passed the baton over to heir apparent, Angelo Mathews. Notably, Mahela has a penchant for the big occasion. If any doubts resurface over the aforementioned point, cut back to the 2007 World Cup semi- final, 2011 World Cup final and the 2014 Asia Cup final. In an era of freelance clubbers of the ball, Mahela proved that proper batsmanship could be equally effective, if not more, in T20 cricket. Having suffered heartbreaks in several finals of World events, Sri Lanka finally shrugged off their bridesmaids tag on a fairytale night in Mirpur in April 2014, beating India to claim their maiden T20 Cup title in Mahela and Sangas T20I swansong. Fittingly, the Sri Lankan ace signed off as the highest run-getter in T20Is. More than the plethora of records, the biggest contribution of Mahela has been the rich values he has showered on Sri Lankan cricket. He is a thorough gentleman to boot and is a perfect role-model for aspiring cricketers. Lesser known facts about Mahela: 1. Mahela had a younger brother Dishal, who passed away at the tender age of 16 because of a dangerous brain tumour. 2. Mahela is a big fan of Tom Hanks with his favourite movie being Saving Private Ryan. 3. Mahela is extremely fond of sea food. 4. Joining hands with close friend and team-mate, Kumar Sangakkara, who is also a big foodie, Mahela launched a sea food restaurant called Ministry of Crab in the capital city of Colombo amidst much fanfare in September 2012. 5. Mahela is married to Christina Mallika Sirisena, a travel consultant. by Assad Patankar 14-08-2014 NAYARI, RATNAGIRI, MAHARASHTRA, INDIA.
Posted on: Thu, 14 Aug 2014 09:23:28 +0000
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