To the people who have loved him, Mahela Jayawardene has never seemed like an A-lister. Almost 20 years after he became a celebrity, he has remained, unmistakeably, a man of the people

The Sri Lanka team had spoken about keeping emotions in check in Mahela Jayawardene's final match, but they will relish the chance to bid him farewell with a 2-0 series win, Kumar Sangakkara said

Kumar Sangakkara's wave of the bat after falling for 58 triggered worries about whether he was set to quit Test cricket

Mahela Jayawardene's farewell innings was not his most fluent, but at the end of it all, there was no wistful lingering or sentimentality - just a typically restrained acknowledgement of an exhilarating ride

Mahela Jayawardene has won matches off his bat, and thrilled crowds from around the world, but he has never been about the tidy, round numbers

Rangana Herath marked out Kaushal Silva's sharp work to dismiss Younis Khan as a key moment on Friday

Rangana Herath may lack the turn of a Murali or the guile of an Ajmal, but his immaculate set-up has still left many batsmen scratching their heads

There are very few batsmen in international cricket who play each ball so differently from the next like Upul Tharanga, who continues to polarise fans with such an approach

Angelo Mathews hailed Mahela Jayawardene's influence on Sri Lanka's dressing room on the eve of his farewell Test

On the eve of Mahela Jayawardene's final Test, his team-mate, best friend and fellow batting superstar Kumar Sangakkara speaks about what made him, and them, tick

Right-arm seam bowler Lahiru Gamage has been called up to the Sri Lanka squad as injury cover for Shaminda Eranga, who has developed inflammation in his hip following the first Test against Pakistan

A maiden Test hundred, a century at Lord's, a triple against South Africa, and a 180 when his team-mates floundered are among Mahela Jayawardene's virtuoso performances

He was an artiste who crafted the most technically demanding shots to perfection but lived for the pure adrenaline of battle

Faith was all the explanation Angelo Mathews could give for a day in which the weather itself colluded with the hosts, who sped to a thrilling seven-wicket victory, to take the series lead in Galle.

The ground slowly filled and the tension slowly built, even the clouds held off from bursting as Sri Lanka closed in on a memorable win

Kumar Sangakkara has always adapted his game over the years, and at present, each and every part of him is conditioned towards run-making

Years of keeping wicket to Muttiah Muralitharan and plain good vibes have been behind Kumar Sangakkara's ability to mute Saeed Ajmal and succeed against the Pakistan attack, the batsman said after hitting his 10th double-hundred

Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene are both undisputed legends of the game. Their standing in Sri Lanka, however, goes far deeper than that

Kaushal Silva's meticulousness is evident in his play and his mannerisms, while Upul Tharanga's carefree elegance is like a breath of fresh air, until he gets a little too lazy

Once again this year, despite having the opposition under the cosh, Sri Lanka's attack allowed a position of strength to slip away from them