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Lasith Malinga in New Zealand

Vice Captain Kuma Sangakkara in full flight in New Zeeland

The Sri Lankan captain believed that his team had a great chance of pulling off another victory following the early wickets of Virender Sehwag, Sourav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar and Yuvraj Singh.
�Rahul Dravid and Dhoni batted well and they took singles pretty well to keep up with the run rate. Dravid�s innings was a calming influence and his innings really made a difference. If we had taken a wicket at that time we would have had a good chance to win the game.�
Even then skipper Jayawardena said that the efforts of pacemen Nuwan Kulasekera and Dilhara Fernando were really encouraging as they brought the Lankans back into the game through some inspired bowling. Kulasekera captured the prize scalp of Sachin Tendulkar while Fernando got rid off the out of form opener Virender Sehwag and Yuvraj Singh.
Skipper Jayawardena also defended his decision to bat first after the match was delayed by half an hour due to the overcast conditions. He added that it was a good wicket to bat but unfortunately they lost too many early wickets.
The Lankans lost their top three batsmen Sanath Jayasuriya, Upul Tharanga and Kumar Sangakkara within the first three overs and were reeling at six for three wickets at one stage.
The Sri Lankan captain said that his middle order batsmen however did a fantastic job to help them get a decent score of 230 runs at the end. �This was a good score to defend but we did not bowl that well during the later stages of the innings�.
He was also pleased with performance of left hander Russel Arnold who returned to form with a battling half century having collected just 85 runs from his previous seven one day internationals.
Skipper Jayawardena also defended the decision to include Dilhara Fernando ahead of Lasith Malinga saying that it was their policy of giving every player the opportunity to make an impact during this tour. Fernando bowled a hostile opening spell to push the Indians on the back foot before returning figures of two wickets for 43.
The Sri Lankan captain said that the team would now make an all out effort to pull off the next match and win the series which will give them a psychological advantage going into the World Cup next month in the West Indies.
Sri Lanka and India are drawn in the same group along with Bangladesh and debutants Bermuda for the ICC World Cup in the Caribbean on March 13.
Meanwhile Wednesday�s one day international between Sri Lanka and India turned out to be a huge success to the organizers the Goa Cricket Association following their infamous ticket scandal which took place during the last one day match between India and England in April 2001 where 128 genuine ticket holders were stranded outside the Nehru Stadium.
But this time no one got canned, nobody was left stranded outside the stadium and there seemed to be no sign of the duplicate tickets that were reported to have printed during that match.
Even then the Goa Cricket Association was not prepared to take any risks as the Government had deployed a huge amount of policemen for this game in and around the Nehru Stadium.
As a result the trial of many a sensitive criminal cases in Margao had to be adjourned in the Sessions Court for want of police personnel to escort the under suspects trials from the jail premises to court.
Many a senior government officials in the District were unavailable throughout Wednesday as they were deployed for magisterial duties at the Nehru Stadium.
Vishakapatnam , Thursday.

Murali aiming for Warne's record

CRICKET: Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan reportedly wants to return to Australia next year and risk fresh taunts over his bowling action to break Shane Warne's Test record.
Muralitharan trails the retiring Australian leg-spinner by 32 wickets heading into 2007 and senses a perfect opportunity to eclipse Warne in Australia, where his bowling has come under heaviest scrutiny. Muralitharan plays two Tests against Bangladesh in June before arriving to face Ricky Ponting's champion team in two Tests next November.
Australia has provided the most haunting memories of the 34-year-old spin wizard'sinternational career. He has been called for throwing on two tours in Australia, prompting him to boycott Sri Lanka's 2004 tour.
Even Australian Prime Minister John Howard joined in by labelling him a "chucker". When Muralitharan returned last year for the ICC Super Series and the Sri Lankans' one-day campaign, he was targeted by fans and received an official reprimand from ICC match referee Jeff Crowe for gesturing to the crowd.
But Muralitharan wants to play in Australia in November with one firm objective - to surpass Warne once and for all.
"I'm definitely coming to Australia next year," Muralitharan told the Sunday Telegraph from New Zealand, where he has faced new queries over his action from former New Zealand captain Martin Crowe. "I came out for the VB (one-day) Series last year and I will be there again," he said.
"The Australian people are okay. Some are nasty but most are very good to me. "I have proven my action out there. I have done many Tests, so I don't care if people want to question me."
Muralitharan, who finished the 2006 calendar year with a personal-best 90 wickets, has a reasonable chance of eclipsing Warne in Australia. Warne is expected to extend the gap between the pair in his final Test appearance against England that starts in Sydney on Tuesday.
Should Muralitharan bowl up to his average of nearly nine wickets a Test, he could take 20 wickets or more against Bangladesh and leave him needing 15-20 wickets in Australia to pass Warne.
"I'm taking it one Test at a time. We play Tests in Brisbane and Hobart so I hope to do it in Australia."Warne believes Muralitharan will be the first man to take 1,000 Test wickets.
SYDNEY, Sunday, AFP

Sanath Jayasuriya will be remembered for all time

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.

On world map

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. No master technician

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

Brave Lankans bring English cricket to its knees

CRICKET: In an article on Saturday, which was the second day of the final Test between Sri Lanka and England, headlined-The Daily News' was spot on - in the concluding paragraphs I said: 'When the final ball is bowled, I hope that the Lankans would have beaten the overrated Englishmen and forced their biased media to headline their stories - Brave Lankans bring English cricket to its knees.I further said that Jayawardene and his troops have it in them to do just that. And that is exactly what the Lankans did. Trailing 0-1, any other team would have found it difficult to come back, considering that they were playing on wickets and conditions not familiar to them.
But not the Lankans admirably led by Mahela Jayawardene, and with superb team effort, not only did they bury English cricket in the dust at Trent Bridge, but proved what they can do the Lankans can do better. Spin ace Muttiah Muralitharan who has always been a newsmaker, was once again in his now familiar act, that of not only running through opposing batting line-up, but also making a mockery of their batting.
It was sad to watch the much vaunted England batsmen surrender and collapse in the timid and sad manner they did. Muralitharan made the batting look silly at times, foxing them with his doosra that had their batting greats looking like kids lost in the woods.
It was a mesmerising spell by the great off spinner. He would have performed a similar act in the Second Test had the Lankan batsmen given him a few more runs to play with. But that the Lankans did the Englishmen in their own den is great and they could savour this victory, which was cleanly won for a long time to come.
When Sanath Jayasuriya was tossed in for this Test there were a few murmurs. Although he failed with the bat, unfortunately he was undone by the umpire in the second innings he showed his importance by making his presence felt with the ball.
The wickets of Flintoff and Plunkett which he captured in the first innings and the final wicket of Monty Panesar to signal Sri Lanka's win would have been sweet music to the ears of this one-time much feared master craftsman.
But what happened to Jayasuriya on his arrival at Heathrow Airport was a sad tale.
It would not be good to single out names in this epic victory but I would be failing in my duty if I don't mention the names of captain Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara, Upul Tharanga, Dilshan, Chaminda Vaas and Chamara Kapugedera. Lanka's victory is all the more great considering that it was achieved against the Ashes winning England team, and a team that was highly overrated and thought to be invincible.
England will no doubt come back gritting their teeth to try and devour the Lankans in the five one-day internationals beginning with the opener at Lord's on June 17.
But if the Lankans perform to capacity and the way we know they can, then they can maintain superiority and bag the Englishmen.
If the Lankans perform the one-day requirements to perfection, then they can once again hold their heads high and proudly stand on the victory podium at the end.
Sri Lanka advance one place up
Sri Lanka's feat of drawing the three-match Test series with England 1-1 has seen them move up one place in the ICC Test Championship table. The team captained by Mahela Jayawardene gained two rating points as a result, with a 134-run win at Trent Bridge cancelling out England's six-wicket win at Edgbaston.
The series stalemate, which also included a drawn first match at Lord's, has lifted Sri Lanka to 97 points and level with New Zealand, but they move into sixth place when the figures are re-calculated to three decimal places. Sri Lanka is now just four rating points behind fifth-placed South Africa.
For England, the news is not so pleasing. It was the third series in succession since last summer's Ashes success against Australia that they failed to win and it has cost the side one rating point, seeing them slip to 112.
That means that the gap between England and Australia, who top the ICC Test table, has been extended to 19 points, and it also means that the margin between England and third-placed India is now just one point.
Mahela showers praise on young team
CRICKET: Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene showered praise on his young side after they had come from being 0-1 down in the three-Test series to beat England by a compelling margin of 134 runs in the third and final Test at Trent Bridge, Nottingham here Monday to share the series 1-all.
England set a challenging total of 325 in more than five sessions of play collapsed inside two to be dismissed for 190 in their second innings.
"It is great to win one away from the subcontinent. England are playing good cricket. We knew it was going to be a very tough series. Working with the young guys they have been brilliant and they want to learn," said Jayawardene savouring the rare success away from home for his team. "We were patient with them.
We will make mistakes but that is the way to go forward. A lot of young guys put their hands up and performed. The senior guys also stepped onto the plate. Vaasy (Chaminda Vaas) throughout the series with the bat and the ball in the final game, Murali (Muttiah Muralitharan) and Kumar (Sangakkara) did a lot of hard work. It's been a great team effort with the young guys," said Jayawardene.
"This win is much sweeter for the way we fought at Lord's. I thought we kept the series alive. We made a lot of mistakes at Edgbaston not batting well in the first innings and not putting enough runs on the board for Murali to get to work," he said. Jayawardene is only the second Sri Lankan captain to record a Test win in England. Under
Arjuna Ranatunga captaincy Sri Lanka beat England by ten wickets in 1998.