Magnificent Mahela

By Elmo RODRIGOPULLE

Former Sri Lanka skipper and one of the finest batsman that the world of cricket has seen or will ever Mahela Jayawardena played a brilliant innings to score a century in a World Cup final against India.

It was his innings of a life time. Unfortunately it was not sufficient to bring the victory for Sri Lanka to be crowned as the champions of the world. Sri Lanka previously did it 1996 and they have now crowned themselves once again as the second ranked team of the world.

When Jayawardena was approaching his half century, his wife Christina could not hold back her emotions as the tension was unbearable, she was seen covering her face until Mahela got to 50.

Extolling

And once he got to 50 she was seen extolling and advising Mahela to stay at the wicket. And the dutiful husband that he is, he did just that and stayed to the end and helped his team build a match winning total.

Jayawardena thus joins a select band of illustrious batsmen who have scored centuries in World Cup finals, among them being the present chairman of selectors Aravinda de Silva in the 1996 final which Sri Lanka won in Lahore beating Australia.

Jayawardena, from the time he took strike in this must win final at the new look Wankhede Stadium, played like a champion. No bowler could bowl line or length as he just hit, glided, caressed, drove, cut hooked and flicked to any part of the field to make a match winning 103 in 88 balls with 13 fours.

Short of adjectives

While his innings was on show, commentators ran short of adjectives to describe this inning that was master class. Excellent, brilliant, magnificent were some of the adjectives that were used freely to describe Jayawardena’s knock.

Soaking in the rare innings and enjoying every stroke and every minute of this great innings was Sri Lanka’s sporting President Mahinda Rajapaksa. When Sri Lanka lost Upul Tharanga and Tillekeratne Dilshan early, Jayawardena joined his captain Kumar Sangakkara who was batting with great responsibility and began to put the innings on rail.

Well deserved

Once Sangakkara departed, missing a well deserved 50 by two runs, Jayawardena took over the pilot’s job and steered the innings through a bit of turbulence and finally to a copy book landing of 274.

He batted not only with great responsibility, but realized that he had to stay put at the wicket and guide the inexperienced batsmen who were playing in a final which can unnerve even the best of batmen.

That he stayed to the end and milked the Indian bowling in the final power play with young Thissara Perera was wonderful and together they collected 63 runs.

God’s gift

Jayawardena is a god’s gift to the game. The gentleman cricketer and captain that he is, when everyone was blaming it on him and deserting him, he stepped down gracefully and gave over the reins to Kumar Sangakkara and continued to play for game and country.

In the previous games, his form was not that impressive after a century against Canada at the newly built Mahinda Rajapaksa Stadium in Hambantota.

But before this game, he had made it known how important it was for Sri Lanka to win this final. He also promised to come good in this final and how well, cleverly and admirably he did it.

At his best

Jayawardena is at his best when the going is tough.

He always enjoys a challenge and revels in it. And in this game, the challenge was there when he lost his skipper and the Indian bowlers were threatening.

And how well he played his role.

The Indian bowlers threw everything they had at him in an attempt to unsettle and dismiss him. But he never wavered. He fought the good fight and came out with an innings that he will always remember and treasure.