Sa'adi Thawfeeq: R Mahanama completes 2,000 runs in Tests (31 Mar 1997)

31 March 1997

Roshan Mahanama completes 2,000 runs in Test cricket

By SA'ADI THAWFEEQ

Sri Lanka Test opener Roshan Mahanama reached a much belated milestone in his international career, when he completed 2,000 runs in Test cricket during his knock of 65 in the second innings of the second Test against New Zealand at Hamilton.

Mahanama went to New Zealand with a tally of 1857 runs from 39 Tests and achieveD the milestone in his 41st Test (70 innings), which is the slowest by a Sri Lankan in reaching 2,000 runs.

The quickest to the mark was Aravinda de Silva who performed it in 2,000 runs in 33 Tests (54 innings).

Mahanama becomes the fifth Sri Lankan to cross the mark, after Arjuna Ranatunga, De Silva, Asanka Gurusinha and Hashan Tillekeratne.

The right-handed opener crossed the 1,500-run mark in his 27 Tests (44 innings), but after that went through five low scoring series without topping the half-century mark even once.

In fact, his innings of 65 at Hamilton was his first fifty in 25 Test innings since scoring 63 against India (Ahmedabad) 1993-94.

That series in India, was Mahanama's best in his Test career which began against Pakistan at the CCC grounds in 1985-86. He aggregated 282 runs (avg. 47.00) and crossed the fifty-mark in each of the three Tests.

By way of runs, Mahanama's highest was accumulating 291 runs (avg. 97.00) in the home series against New Zealand against whom he scored two successive Test centuries, including a career best 153 at the Tyronne Fernando Stadium in 1992-93. All three of his Test centuries have been completed at home. His highest Test innings abroad is 85 against Australia at Hobart in 1989-90.

Mahanama's average of nearly 30 makes him an ordinary batsman by international standards, which accounts for the fact that he has yet to make a Test century on foreign soil. That could be his next ambition for his figures doesn't justify his talents.

Since converting himself from a middle-order batsman at school to open the batting for his country, Mahanama's had eight opening partners - Sidath Wettimuny, Brendon Kuruppu, Dammika Ranatunga, Athula Samarasekera, Chandika Hathurusingha, Duleep Samaraweera, Sanath Jayasuriya and Asanka Gurusinha.

The longest liaison Mahanama's had, is with Hathurusingha with whom he has opened in 18 Tests.

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