Online edition of Sunday Observer

He was a master-blaster so affectionately referred to by critics the world over. But, the way Sanath Jayasuriya left the Test cricket scene made one and all very sad indeed. Giving one hundred percent to the cause of cricket in Sri Lanka, he made a fine effort in taking the catch in the Pakistan first innings to dismiss opening batsman Imran Farhat for 23 off Kulasekera's bowling, he injured the palm of his right-hand which prevented Jayasuriya from batting his last innings in Test cricket.

The Honorary Secretary of the Kandy District Association Janaka Pathirana presents a souvenir to Sanath Jayasuriya. Pictures by S. M. Jiffrey Abdeen, Kandy Sports Corr

So thus ended his Test career. After getting Test status and after the deeds of Sri Lankan Captain then Arjuna Ranatunga, the most prominent left-handed batsman Sri Lanka has had was unquestionably Sanath Teran Jayasuriya.

Born on 30th June 1969 in Matara, Jayasuriya first played many fine knocks for his school - St. Servatius College Matara and then came over to the Sri Lanka scene and made big hitting a habit.

Though he is out of Test cricket, he will be remembered for all time. The great irony is that Sri Lanka's greatest dasher, a man famed for shredding new ball attacks with wanton disregard for occasion or reputation, will no longer be seen in the Test match scene.

In pain and sad moment - Jayasuriya comes off the field for the last time, ending his Test career.

There is some hope that his name will be called up for duty in the one-day limited-over scene and would be able to wield the bat in gay abandon so that at least a little bit of his usual self will be seen in the one-day game.

Sanath Jayasuriya has played 103 Tests, 174 innings, scored 6,618 runs with a highest score of 340 against India at the R. Premadasa Stadium, 14 hundreds, 29 half-centuries, and in bowling 92 wickets with a best bowl of 5 for 34 and taking 74 catches.

Then in One-day games, he played in 357 matches, had 348 innings 15 times not out, made 10,625 runs with highest score of 189, with 19 hundreds and 60 half-centuries, held 107 catches and took 273 wickets with a best bowl of 6 for 29. Though Sanath will be out from Test scene, he is hoping he would be able to continue with one-day international cricket for a few more years. He made his Test debut in the Second Test of the 1990-91 Test series against New Zealand in Hamilton.

In one-day Internationals, he made his debut against Australia in 1989-90 series in Melbourne. The first one-day International against New Zealand in 1994-95 series for the Mandela Cup and he scored 140.

In 1996 Wills World Cup, he was picked 'Most Valued Player' of the Tournament. In 2003 World Cup, he had 10 innings in 10 matches played and scored 321 runs with one century and two half-centuries for an average of 40.12 runs and he had a hand in five catches too.

Jayasuriya is one of a small handful of Sri Lankan players including Aravinda de Silva, Arjuna Ranatunga, and Muttiah Muralitharan - who were responsible for lifting their team on to the world cricketing map and who will, as a result, forever retain a special place in the island's cricket history.

Indeed, the rise of Sri Lanka and Jayasuriya were simultaneous affairs, as he grasped an opportunity at the top of the order during Sri Lanka's bitter 1995-96 tour of Australia and then blossomed during the 1996 World Cup.Jayasuriya's breathtaking stroke-play during that tournament defined perceptions of the Sri Lanka team; his approach encapsulating the exuberant, daring and refreshing brand of cricket that they introduced.

As he solidified his place in the side, ensuring legendary status back home for years to come, Sri Lanka announced themselves as a major force to be reckoned with. Like Sri Lankan cricket, which at the time was managed on a shoestring budget - the player's World Cup match fee was approximately US $ 60 per game - Jayasuriya hailed from a humble background, a small fishing town on the southern tip of the island. Money was in short supply and for years he was supported by the generosity of his friends.

He rose quickly, playing his first Test match in 1991 against New Zealand in Hamilton, but was not to cement a place in the team for another five years until injuries provided him with an opportunity to open the innings against Australia in the third Test at Adelaide, a match that ended a tour marred by the acrimony created by ball tampering, chucking and umpiring controversies.

Sri Lanka lost, but Jayasuriya, until then restricted to a bits-and-pieces role in the middle order, scored 48 in the first innings and a bristling 112 in the second to confirm his arrival. Since then he has become a permanent figure in the team.

Jayasuriya has never been a master technician. His batting relies heavily on a quick eye and Popeye-like forearms that allow him to hit the ball with ferocious power despite his preference for a light bat. World-class bowlers have noted his preference for width and the areas square of the wicket and discovered chinks in his armoury, especially on the greener and bouncier tracks found overseas, but no bowler has been able to becalm him forever.

Crucially, thanks to sound advice from the likes of Sidath Wettimuny, one of Sri Lanka's batting legends and a close confidante, he has never complicated his approach or become bogged down by batting theory. He knows his strengths and will never turn down an invitation to score.

By ruthlessly capitalising on any scoring opportunity he has been able to shift the pressure back onto the bowlers, thereby making it harder for them to probe his weaknesses. But Jayasuriya's value is not measured just by the volume and speed of his run scoring.

He has also played a vital role with the ball, taking 92 wickets in Tests and 273 in ODIs with his wily left-arm spin. In addition, his catching and ground fielding have been reliable.

Cricket officials from the Central Region presented the retiring 'Master Blaster' Sanath Jayasuriya with souvenirs at a function held at Hotel Hill Top in Kandy last week. It was a function at which the eyes of many were wet with tears as this great Test cricketer and former Sri Lanka captain will not play Test cricket again.