Jayasuriya - 'I played my natural game'
Sanath Jayasuriya quotes on his century
Wisden Cricinfo staff
07-May-2004
Sanath Jayasuriya scored 157 from only 147 balls in the first Test against Zimbabwe at Harare today. Here's what he had to say after the second day's play:
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On his own form
From the second Test against Australia I started to play my natural game and I have been in better form since then. There are little things that can go wrong when you play a lot of international games, which sometimes which you even don't know. I have been ironing out my faults with Owen Mottau individually since the second Test against Australia. It helped me a lot. He worked with me for a long period.
From the second Test against Australia I started to play my natural game and I have been in better form since then. There are little things that can go wrong when you play a lot of international games, which sometimes which you even don't know. I have been ironing out my faults with Owen Mottau individually since the second Test against Australia. It helped me a lot. He worked with me for a long period.
On today's innings
If I get into the 30s, 40s or 50s, I always want to get a big score. When I am batting well I always try to get big hundreds. The ball that I got out to bounced more than I expected. I don't set any targets when I go out to bat, but I will try to get as many runs as possible. Marvan [Atapattu] and myself know each other very well, and we were rotating the strike with singles and fast running between the wickets. That was essential because the outfield was not that fast. We were trying to convert twos into threes. We have a good understanding having opened in Tests and one-dayers.
If I get into the 30s, 40s or 50s, I always want to get a big score. When I am batting well I always try to get big hundreds. The ball that I got out to bounced more than I expected. I don't set any targets when I go out to bat, but I will try to get as many runs as possible. Marvan [Atapattu] and myself know each other very well, and we were rotating the strike with singles and fast running between the wickets. That was essential because the outfield was not that fast. We were trying to convert twos into threes. We have a good understanding having opened in Tests and one-dayers.
Before I got out he came up to me and said we have got 281, we'll try and get the 19 runs for the 300, but next ball, unfortunately, I was out. It was disappointing that we lost some cheap wickets. The middle order batsmen should have got more runs on the board as they had a good opportunity to do that today. It is a good pitch, but it is not easy to play shots. You have to play yourself in otherwise you don't find the ball hitting the middle of the bat. Once you get in you can get runs, but you have to occupy the crease longer here than in Sri Lanka.