Published: Dec 27, 2011, 10:51 AM (IST)
Edited: Aug 23, 2014, 03:14 AM (IST)
By Nishad Pai Vaidya
Mahela Jayawardene became the ninth batsman to score 10,000 Test runs – the first Sri Lankan to reach the milestone. That’s not surprising as he – along with his best friend Kumar Sangakkara – has been the pillar of the Lankan middle order.
Jayawardene makes batting look easy. There is a silken touch to his batting in an era of bludgeoners. The secret lies in timing; the ability to consistently hit from meat of the bat. It’s an asset which he employs even in the shortest format where he bats the conventional way and still scores at a fantastic rate.
One of the qualities of a great batsman is the time he gets to essay his strokes. Even while facing quicks, Jayawardene has loads of time to pick his areas.
Captaincy brought out the best in Jaywardene. He was exemplary in leading from the front. Whether it was his gritty, match-saving effort at Lord’s in 2006 or murdering the bowlers with the brilliant 374 against South Africa, he was like a general leading from the front. It looked like an inspired choice as Sri Lanka looked a different unit under his leadership. The drawn Test series in England and New Zealand and the journey to the final of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 were the major highlights.
Two moments define his genius: His knock in the semi-final of the 2007 World Cup was an education in acceleration as he opened up at the end after a sedate start. The other came in the final of the 2011 World Cup. It was quite a contrast from the above-mentioned knock as he kept ticking the score over and facilitated the increase in the run rate as the innings progressed. It was unfortunate that he ended up on the losing side, but he provided examples of his ability to rise to the big occasion.
Jayawardene is a formidable run-making machine at home – no questions. On batting-friendly surfaces in Sri Lanka, his appetite for runs has been gluttonous. However, it must be said that there is a pronounced difference in his home-away track record as numbers below reveal:
|
T* |
Runs |
Avg |
100s |
50s |
Highest |
|
| Overall |
127 |
10030 |
50.91 |
29 |
40 |
374 |
| Home |
70 |
6292 |
62.92 |
20 |
29 |
374 |
| Away |
57 |
3738 |
38.53 |
9 |
11 |
275 |
*includes the Lankan first innings of the ongoing 2nd Test against SA
Sri Lanka don’t play too many matches overseas. It is interesting to note that despite playing international cricket for over a decade, Jayawardene hasn’t featured in a Test at Melbourne, Sydney, Perth or Adelaide. All said and one, its inexplicable how a batsman blessed with Jayawardene’s technique and temperament hasn’t had a record that is befitting his talents.
At 33, Jayawardene is in the twilight zone of his career. And he will be the first to admit that unless he substantially improves his overseas record, there will always be a reluctance to categorise him alongside modern greats like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Ricky Ponting and Kumar Sangakkara.
The likes of Tendulkar and Dravid have shown that its possible to lift one’s game even past the age of 35. Like Dravid, Jayawardene is a thinking cricketer. And there is no reason that he cannot rectify the mismatch in his home-away record.
Perhaps, Jaywardene’s best is yet to come!
(Nishad Pai Vaidya, a 21-year-old law student, is a club and college-level cricketer. His teachers always complain, “He knows the stats and facts of cricket more than the subjects we teach him.”)
