Double-centurion Mahela, a role model for any youngster (2 March 1999)

2 March 1999

Double-centurion Mahela, a role model for any youngster

Sa'adi Thawfeeq

To score a Test double century at the relatively young age of 21 years is what dreams are made of. How many young cricketers would aspire to achieve that feat.

Among contemporary players not even India's Sachin Tendulkar or West Indian Brian Lara had the honour of scoring a double hundred at so young an age. Lara was 23 when he made his first double century (which was also his maiden Test hundred). Tendulkar, at 25 and veteran of 68 Tests, has yet to convert any of his 19 century's into a double hundred. His highest score is 179.

For Mahela Jayawardene to score a monumental 242 in only his seventh Test and at the age of 21 years, 278 days speaks volumes of his potential and capabilities. He is easily the youngest Sri Lankan to achieve this figure, the previous player being Aravinda de Silva at 25 years, 76 days when he scored 267 against New Zealand at Wellington in 1990-91.

The youngest player to score a double century in Test cricket is Pakistan's Javed Miandad who made 206 against New Zealand at Karachi in 1976-77 at the age of 19 years, 141 days. West Indian great George Headley made a double century at the age of 20 years, 315 days against England at Kingston in 1929-30.

The stylish right-hander from SSC playing on his home ground put the Indian attack to the sword and saved his captain Arjuna Ranatunga from any embarassment when Sri Lanka passed the follow-on mark and finished only 33 runs behind India's massive first innings total of 518 for seven declared.

It was not Jayewardene's fault if the Indian fielders were to allow him the luxury of five dropped chances. He made the most of it and made them pay dearly for it.

"We were losing wickets constantly and we had to get those runs badly. So at one stage I took some risks and I had a fair bit of luck. When the catches kept going down, I thought it could be my day, and I just went on batting," said Jayewardene.

"I realised that I was concentrating and playing well. But it was a bit hard at times to concentrate because of the heat. That was the time I played some loose shots," he said.

Jayewardene was helped to a great extent by his team mates who urged him to keep going each time he returned to the pavilion during breaks. That he kept his concentration going for 11 hours, 17 minutes was largely due to them.

"They told me not to keep looking at the scoreboard, because that would only put more pressure on me. I just batted and once in a while I looked up at the board because we were losing wickets regularly. They told me to concentrate on batting session by session and things like that. It helped me," said Jayewardene.

"Sometimes I took it by water breaks, sometimes session by session or otherwise, five overs at a time. When the bowlers were bowling well, I concentrated five overs at a time. When I was relaxed I took one hour or maybe a water break, and sometimes a session," he said. Batting for so long in the middle was no easy task. Jayewardene admitted that over the last two years since he came into the national team, his fitness level had improved vastly.

"My physical fitness has gone up and that has helped me a lot to be mentally fit. You have to be mentally fit to stay out there under hot conditions," said Jayewardene.

Getting to his century with a six was not what something Jayewardene had pre-planned.

"It was just that the bowler Harbajan Singh threw the ball up and the field was in, so I took the chance," said Jayewardene. However the double hundred was reached under totally different circumstances.

"I saw the short ball from Harbajan and the moment I got a thick edge I knew it was not a good shot. My heart was in my mouth when I saw Venkatesh Prasad getting his hands underneath it. But I was lucky he dropped it. I think I owe Prasad one," he said. Jayewardene was on 198 at the time and moved to his double century with that miss.

However Jayewardene picked the 167 he scored against New Zealand on a treacherous pitch at Galle Stadium last year as the better of his two Test hundreds. The magnitude of his knock in only his fourth appearance in Test cricket could not be underrated as the next best score by a teammate was just 36. "The conditions there were much harder and I was under a lot of pressure," he recalled. A tour to Australia has also tightened up his game.

"Australians play their cricket hard. They are tough and they won't let you go at any stage. You have to play really hard. Going to Australia has made me mentally stronger. My hundred at Adelaide against England was a good one. That innings brought back all the confidence," said Jayewardene.

It certainly did. For on his return, Jayewardene hit a career best 217 not out for SSC against Colts at the SSC grounds, and almost a fortnight later, he has improved on it with 242.

A product of Nalanda College, Jayewardene broke into the limelight in August 1995 when he made a century on his first-class debut - 160 for Sri Lanka Board under 24 against South African under 24 at the Bloomfield grounds.

It was no surprise that Bob Woolmer, who was coach of the South African under 24 side, thought a lot of Jayewardene, especially when his side had future South African players like Shaun Pollock, Lance Klusener, Jacques Kallis, Roger Telemachus and Nicky Boje.

Jayewardene further enhanced his reputation when as a teenager he scored twin unbeaten centuries (100 and 106) and took five wickets for 72 as an above average first-change bowler for SSC in their Sara trophy game against Colts at Havelock Park in 1996-97.

Making his Test debut the following season against India at the R. Premadasa Stadium, Jayewardene's 66 was an assured knock but it was totally overshadowed by the mountainous scoring led by teammate Sanath Jayasuriya who made 340 in a world record team score of 952 for 6 declared.

By making him the vice-captain of the Sri Lanka team for their Asian Test championship match against Pakistan at Lahore this week, the national selectors have seen Jayewardene's potential as a future Sri Lanka captain. He is an ideal role model for future generation of cricketers to follow.

340 - Sanath Jayasuriya, v India (R. Premadasa Stadium) 1997-98

267 - Aravinda de Silva, v New Zealand (Wellington) 1990-91.

242 - Mahela Jayawardene, v India (SSC) 1998-99.

225 - Roshan Mahanama, v India (R. Premadasa Stadium) 1997-98.

223 - Marvan Atapattu, v Zimbabwe (Asgiriya Stadium) 1997-98.

213 - Sanath Jayasuriya, v England (Oval) 1998.

201* - Brendon Kuruppu, v New Zealand (CCC) 1986-87.

Source :: Daily News (https://www.lanka.net)