Mahela Jayawardene: A touch of class
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| After forgettable early forays, Mahela Jayawardene showcased his true class in the 2007 and 2011 World Cup tournaments, Sri Lanka finishing runners-up in both. |
ONE-DAY WORLD CUP BATTING: Matches 40, Innings 34, Not Out 3, Highest Score 115*, Runs 1100, Average 35.48, Strike-rate 85.93, 100s 4, 50s 5, Catches 16
Stylish and classy, Mahela Jayawardene is one of the finest batsmen to emerge from the Emerald Islands. He made a moderate start in the 1999 World Cup, and had a horrific time in 2003, but in the manner of the true champion that he was, Jayawardene put his pedigree on display in the next two tournaments. Having retired with nearly 12,000 exquisite runs in Test matches at an average of nearly 50 and 34 hundreds, and over 12,500 runs in One-day Internationals too, his place in history is guaranteed. In terms of pure statistics, a highest Test score of 374 and the highest-ever Test partnership of 624, with another compatriot of the highest class Kumar Sangakkara for the third wicket, bring Jayawardene’s temperament, concentration, application, discipline and dedication into sharp focus. He also held the record for the highest fourth-wicket partnership of 437 in Test matches with Thilan Samaraweera. Amazingly, the Test record of 351 for the sixth wicket in alliance with Prasanna Jayawardene also stood to the name of Mahela until eclipsed by a run in 2014. He has another 300-plus runs partnership to his credit at that level, once again in tandem with Sangakkara, raising 311 for the third wicket. Certainly, in terms of Test match partnerships, Mahela Jayawardene has been Bradmanesque.
On World Cup debut in 1999, Jayawardene walked into a crisis at 31 for five as the South African pacemen wreaked havoc. He added 35 with Roshan Mahanama before being dismissed for 22, and Sri Lanka collapsed to 110 all out, suffering a heavy defeat. In the next game he put on 42 with Marvan Atapattu, scoring 31 in a four-wicket victory over Zimbabwe. As Sri Lanka brought up a consolation win over Kenya in their last group match before bowing out, Jayawardene hit up 45 runs off 33 deliveries with 7 boundaries. He shared a hurricane 64-run eighth-wicket stand with Chaminda Vaas in 7.3 overs. It was not a happy tournament for the reigning champions, and Jayawardene sparkled briefly.
The 2003 World Cup was a nightmare for Jayawardene with a scoreline of 1, 5, 9, 1, 0, 0 and 5. Sri Lanka advanced to the semi-final where they lost to an invincible Australian team.
Putting behind this aberration, Jayawardene performed splendidly as he led his country in 2007. There was a no-contest first-up, with first-timers Bermuda in no position to put up a challenge. Jayawardene joined hands with Sangakkara in a huge partnership of 150 runs at almost 6 runs per over. He left after scoring 85 off 90 balls with 6 fours and 2 sixes. Sri Lanka registered a 243-run win.
Next, Bangladesh capsized easily, with Jayawardene up knocking 46 runs, facing 70 deliveries and striking 2 fours and 2 sixes. It was another easy victory. India found themselves in a desperate situation, having been upset by Bangladesh in their opening match. Sri Lanka did well to log up 254 runs but Jayawardene fell early. India faltered in their chase and were knocked out, just as Pakistan too were.
The super-eight match at the Providence Stadium, Guyana, turned into an edge-of-the-seat affair thanks to Lasith Malinga’s hat-trick. Eventually South Africa scraped through by one wicket. Earlier, Jayawardene managed just 12 runs.
Hosts West Indies prised out two early Sri Lankan wickets at the same venue. Jayawardene joined Sanath Jayasuriya with the total at 35 after 8.4 overs. They were watchful till the 16th over, after which Jayasuriya turned Ian Bradshaw to the fine-leg fence and then bludgeoned him over mid-off for another boundary. In the next over Jayasuriya slammed Dwayne Smith for 3 fours and a six. The floodgates were open. Jayasuriya continued to attack but Jayawardene had still not struck a boundary in 68 balls, with 33 runs to his name. He then went down the wicket to Dwayne Bravo and lofted him on the leg-side for a six to raise the hundred of the stand in 112 balls. Jayasuriya hoisted his century off just 86 deliveries. He was finally out for 115, having taken on 101 balls and blasted 10 fours and 4 sixes, another Jayasuriya special. The partnership tallied 183 runs in 30 overs. Jayawardene was yorked for 82, carved out in 113 deliveries, strangely hitting only 2 boundaries besides that six. The match turned one-sided as the West Indies could not mount a challenge.
It was then Sri Lanka’s turn to eke out a narrow two-run win over England off the last ball of the match. Jayawardene was in fine nick once again, partnering Upul Tharanga in a 91-run stand for the third wicket. Jayawardene raised his fifty in 51 balls but was soon caught at mid-wicket for 56, having been in for 61 deliveries and stroked 4 boundaries.
The Kiwis were overcome easily by six wickets, though Jayawardene scored only 15.
He was back among the runs facing an invincible Australian side. As three wickets fell for 27, Jayawardene found an able ally in Chamara Silva. Having taken his time to settle down, Jayawardene sent two short deliveries from Glenn McGrath to the boundary in the 12th over. Silva hit 2 fours of his own off Shaun Tait in the next over. The innings was back on track. With the third Powerplay coming up in the 31st over, Jayawardene played a delicate leg-glance off Tait to the boundary and then hooked the paceman for a six to bring up his half-century off 64 deliveries. This also marked the century stand. Chinaman bowler Brad Hogg accounted for both batsmen in successive overs, the partnership worth 140 in 30.4 overs. Jayawardene was stumped by Gilchrist off a beauty, having played a typically accomplished innings of 72, and negotiated 88 balls dotted with 5 fours and a six. A total of 226 posed little problem to the Aussie powerhouse.
Ireland were shot out for 77 in 27.4 overs. Sri Lanka raced to an eight-wicket win in all of 10 overs. Jayasuriya and Jayawardene came together in an unfinished stand 56 in 6.4 overs. Jayawardene’s unbeaten 39 came off 27 deliveries, punctuated by 6 boundaries and one strike over the ropes.
Blessed with a keen sense of occasion, Jayawardene stroked his way to a brilliant century off the Kiwi bowlers in the semi-final. His partners contributed to the cause in four valuable partnerships. As against the West Indies, Jayawardene was steady off the mark, with Tharanga blazing away. When the opener was bowled for 73 (74 balls, 9 fours, 1 six), the pair had put on 44. Jayawardene was then on 9 off 33 deliveries with no boundary. This time he hit his first four off the 48th ball that he faced, a pull off Scott Styris. Another 41 runs were added with Chamara Silva. Joined by Tillakaratne Dilshan, the patient Jayawardene soon found the boundary regularly. In the 44th over Jayawardene lofted Jacob Oram for a six, and in the next got a lucky six off Jeetan Patel. Dilshan helped raise 81 for the fifth wicket. Jayawardene stepped on the accelerator after the departure of Dilshan. He hit a flurry of boundary that had everyone applauding in admiration. This was vintage Jayawardene, now totally in command. He brought up a magnificent hundred from 104 balls with an exquisite square-cut to the ropes in the penultimate over. As Shane Bond came on to deliver the final over, Jayawardene square-drove him to the boundary. He then despatched a full toss over mid-wicket for a six. Sri Lanka totalled 289 for five. Russel Arnold had helped him add an unbroken 56. Jayawardene was unbeaten with 115, having faced 109 deliveries, embellished with 10 fours and 3 sixes, an innings from the top drawer. It was his first century in 21 visits to the crease in the World Cup. At last, he had set the record straight. New Zealand seemed in the hunt for a brief while but once magical Murali had the spherical weapon in his hand, they were shot out for 208.
A scintillating hundred by Adam Gilchrist virtually settled the issue in the final. Jayasuriya and Sangakkara did brighten up Sri Lanka’s chances with a second-wicket century stand but as darkness fell over Bridgetown it was the Australian team that lifted the ICC World Cup for the third successive time. Jayawardene scored just 19, but it was a fine tournament for him. He was the second-highest run-getter in the event after Matthew Hayden, and just ahead of Ricky Ponting, with 548 runs at an average of 60.88 with a century and 4 half-centuries in 11 matches. Class had finally shown up on the big stage.
The captaincy passed to Sangakkara for the 2011 tournament, but Jayawardene used the opening fixture with Canada to score his second hundred in the World Cup. Joining the skipper in a 179-run third-wicket partnership in just 22.5 overs, the accomplished duo put the hapless part-timers to the sword. Sangakkara was unlucky to miss his century, falling for 92, but Jayawardene hoisted an even 100, having faced just 81 balls and struck 9 boundaries and a six. Sri Lanka triumphed easily by 210 runs.
There was a narrow 11-run defeat at the hands of Pakistan in a high-scoring encounter as Shahid Afridi spun his magic. Jayawardene lost his middle stump to the fiery Shoaib Akhtar for just 2. His early dismissal might have made a crucial difference at the end.
Kenya were overcome easily, with Jayawardene not called upon to bat. The rain-marred match against Australia saw him run out for 23. Zimbabwe were overcome easily but Jayawardene fell for just 9.
The maestro would have been keen to fire in the last league engagement with New Zealand. Two early wickets fell and there he was once again in the company of Sangakkara. Though watchful, this time Jayawardene got the boundaries flowing right from the start. They raised the century stand in a bit more than 25 overs. Jayawardene reached his fifty in 74 balls. Just as the batting Powerplay was deployed in the 37th over, Jayawardene was leg-before for 66, having faced 89 deliveries and struck 6 fours. The pair had added 145 runs in 31.4 overs. Sangakkara got his long-awaited hundred and Sri Lanka went on to post 265 for nine. The Kiwis never took flight as the mesmeric Murali cast his spell yet again.
England had provided thrills aplenty in the group matches, but not in the quarter-final. They managed a score of just 229 for six. The Sri Lankan openers Tharanga and Dilshan helped themselves to a century each as they cruised to a ten-wicket triumph in under 40 overs.
New Zealand were the adversaries again in the semi-final, and they were bowled out for 217. Sri Lanka won quite comfortably but Jayawardene fell for 1.
Came the final in a noisy Wankhede Stadium as India bid to become the first team to win the World Cup on home turf. After the early loss of Tharanga, it was Dilshan and Sangakkara who shored up the innings. When Dilshan was dismissed at 60, old mates Sangakkara and Jayawardene joined forces one more time. Again on the big occasion Jayawardene was in splendid touch, carving out some superbly timed boundaries. Sangakkara departed after a partnership of 62, and Jayawardene found useful support right down the order. Samaraweera helped add another 57 as Jayawardene continued to pace his innings beautifully, not once swinging his bat violently nor playing an ugly shot. He rung in his fifty off 49 deliveries. Though two quick wickets fell, Nuwan Kulasekera was at hand to carry forward the fight. The batting Powerplay was taken at the last possible moment in the 46th over, and the dam burst. Boundaries began to come in a torrent. In the 48th over, Kulasekera clattered Zaheer Khan over mid-wicket for a six. Jayawardene then lofted two boundaries on the off-side to post a magnificent hundred, having taken just 84 balls to reach the coveted landmark. Kulasekara was run out off the last ball of the over, the pair having added 66. Thisara Perera got most of the strike thereafter and in the last over simply waded into Zaheer Khan. He hammered two boundaries before launching the last delivery into orbit for a six over mid-wicket. Eighteen runs came in that over, and Sri Lanka had hoisted a score of 274 for six. Jayawardene was unbeaten with 103, scored in only 88 balls, striking 13 boundaries. He leapt in the air, punching his fist joyfully. No side had chased so many runs in a World Cup final. India, though, were a team inspired and the rest is history.
Jayawardene had rounded off the tournament splendidly with his bat. Over 300 runs, an average of 50-plus, a strike-rate of 100, two centuries and a fifty made a neat package. He played a vital role in Sri Lanka reaching their second consecutive final.
The 2015 World Cup was essentially about one match, the face-off against the minnows Afghanistan who gave Sri Lanka a run for their money. Jayawardene scored a round 100 as he carried his side towards a hard-earned win. In his other four innings he scored a total of 25 runs.
After a duck in the opening encounter with New Zealand, Jayawardene revelled at the expense of the Afghan attack. Chasing a target of 233. Sri Lanka were in serious trouble, having lost Lahiru Thirimanne, Dilshan and Sangakkara for just 18 when Jayawardene walked in. Dimuth Karunaratne too departed at 51. That was when Jayawardene allied with skipper Angelo Mathews in a partnership that turned around the innings. Jayawardene brought up the 1,000th run of his World Cup career. The pair put on 126 runs in 28.3 overs before Mathews was run out for 44. Jayawardene soon raised his fourth World Cup hundred off 118 deliveries, one of class and finesse that saved his team the blushes. He did not add to it, being dismissed after facing another two balls. His innings was embellished with a six and 8 fours. By this time his team need another 54 runs off 52 deliveries. A hurricane unbeaten 47 from 26 balls by Thisara Perera ensured victory with 1.4 overs to spare.
Thereafter Jayawardene was able to score just 25 runs in the three matches that he got to bat as Sri Lanka were beaten by South Africa in the quarter-final.
It was in the 2007 and 2011 tournaments that Jayawardene was at his best. Sri Lanka were runners-up in both the events. That really was the story of Mahela Jayawardene in the World Cup, not really able to touch the pinnacle as his average of 35.48 suggests, and does not do justice to a batsman of his calibre.
(Excerpt from Indra Vikram Singh’s forthcoming book ‘World Cup Odyssey').
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