Loved beyond boundaries

by Aravinthan Arunthavanathan

When AB De Villiers strides out to the middle, the crowd at Chinnaswammy stadium in Bengaluru chant ABeee, ABee. When Lasith Malinga is at the top of his mark at the Wankhede in Mumbai, the echelons echo Maliii….Maliii…. AB De Villers and Malinga are top notch members of an elite coterie in international cricket, who are revered outside their land of origin. The membership in this elite circle extends to a select few like Sir Vivian Richards, Sir Ian Botham in the past to Chris Gayle, Kieron Pollard and Kane Williamson at present. The most recent entrant to this club is Kumar Sangakkara who seems to be captivating the English with his charisma. Kumar may seem to the inventors of Cricket that he is more English than most English. Exuding elegance and captivating with charisma Sangakkara has obtained membership in the elite club interestingly post retirement. However, Kumar isn’t the first such Lankan to be adored in an alien land.

Immigration encounters abroad are not the pleasantest of experiences for any traveler. It does not get any worse when you have made an unknown blunder in your documentation and end up in a soup. It was exactly the case for yours truly in Kolkata two years ago. A lengthy delay seemed inevitable. The immigration official was calling his superior to escalate the issue. The line was not reachable. Luckily that day I was wearing a Sri Lankan cricket T Shirt. It’s my go to clothing when travelling because of the comfort more than anything else. Yet that was good enough for us to start a conversation on Cricket. There was no mention about the present but the past. Unsurprisingly the dominance of a dynamite southpaw from down south was the central topic. Thankfully, I remembered the minute details which many would not regarding Sanath Jayasuriya’s exploits against our neighbors. Surprisingly, immigration official reminded me even more. We stuck a cord instantly. The superior was not even needed. The parting words were “Well Afterall you are from Sanath Jayasuriya’s land, pay attention to detail the next time you come.” I do not know Sanath in person, but he was my savior that day. Every time ever since, there hasn’t been a single visit where I haven’t encountered an Indian who adores Sanath’s exploits. The adulation he garners in a cricket loving nation with surplus of home bred demigods is beyond admiration. If Sangakkara connects with English through charisma and class Sanath was blockbuster material in India through brutal butchery and methodical massacring of Indian attacks during his career. Sanath was a villain to India who was too good not to be liked. Those who witnessed it know it.

Sanath’s rise to prominence came at the Kotla in New Delhi in a 1996 World Cup group game. Sanath’s evisceration of the Indian attack announced to the world loud and clear that Sri Lanka were not push overs anymore. The same year Sanath notched his first century against India at a packed Khettharama making a mockery of another Indian total built around a Sachin century. In the years that followed since 1996 every year saw Sri Lanka play India. Often a Sanath century was a highlight. The 151* in Mumbai, 189 in Sharjah were some of the stand outs during this period. However, since relinquishing leadership in 2003, Sanath’s inconsistencies with the bat became a topic of interest. In 2004 with pressure mounting the skipper Marvan Atapattu was adamant Sanath would come good soon during the Asia Cup in Colombo. Soon Sanath delivered a majestic century in losing cause in a must win game for India. The following period saw fluctuating fortunes for Sanath. Despite winning a game with a dislocated shoulder against India in Dambulla, a lean patch in a disastrous tour of India saw him being left out of a Sri Lankan squad for the first time towards end 2005. Sanath soon rose from the doldrums with a magnificent series against the English in 2006 which helped the audience witness the Matara mauler being reborn and serve Sri Lanka with supremacy till the end of the 2007 World Cup. However afterwards it was a plunge for Sanath. In 2008 Sanath’s place was hanging under the knife. A scintillating century for Mumbai Indians against Chennai Super kings in the inaugural IPL had given rays of hope. The Asia Cup in Pakistan in 2008 had the potential to be the end for Sanath if he failed to deliver. A century against a not so strong Bangladesh was never going to suffice in the long run. When Sri Lanka faced India in the final it was do or die for Sanath. The final is a game which is recollected for the Ajantha Mendis magic which scripted one of Sri Lanka’s best comeback wins. However, in the midst of it, the master blaster’s masterclass is often overlooked.

Having taken first lease of the wicket Sri Lanka got off to the worst possible start. Sanath sold down the river, his opening partner the consistent Sangakkara, who by now had taken over the mantle of being Sri Lanka’s leading batsman by sending him back halfway through a single. Despite the early setback Sanath was not deterred. He carried on his signature way flaying Ishant Sharma and RP Singh to all parts of the ground. Trademark square drives over cover, cuts through third man, pulls over square leg coupled with cute glanced down the leg meant Sri Lanka were off to a solid start. Sanath took a particular interest in Irfan Pathan smashing him for more than 15 runs in the eleventh over. However, a cluster for wickets at the other end meant the Indians were all over the Lankans like a rash. India had seen enough of Sanath in the past. Sanath ensured he reminded them of what was in store by galloping to his half century pulling an 86mPH short delivery from Ishant with disdain over square leg for a six. This was a 39-year-old in the twilight of his career smacking a young pace bowler who had wreaked havoc down under only a few months prior. It was not just a shot but a statement of supremacy. Sanath received a stroke of luck immediately afterwards as he survived an ugly cross batted shot off Ishant missing the stumps and RP Singh missing a skier at mid-on. RP Singh would soon rue the miss with what was to follow. What followed was carnage.

Jayausriya greeted Singh in the most disdainful manner dispatching his for two consecutive sixes over the bowler’s head and long off in the 16th over. The next two balls provided no response for the bowler as they were mercilessly manhandled by the master over covers for consecutive boundaries. As if leaving the leg side untouched was a shortcoming Jayasuriya closed the over with a six over square leg. The over fetched 26 runs and MS Dhoni and India knew the game was far from over. RP Singh was not the first Indian bowler to suffer at the hands of Sanath. Manoj Prabakar, Venkatesh Prasad all had suffered the wrath of Sanath’s willow. But what stood out was all of these bowlers belonged to different generation yet were not spared of Sanath’s mauling. A single batsman dishing out the same to bowlers across generations was truly admirable.

A gentle nudge down to square leg off Virender Sehwag helped Sanath to his 27th ODI century. It was a gentle nudge but there was nothing gentle about the knock. The sheer brutality of the knock was proven by the fact that his century came up in the 24th over and the team score was only 150. Sanath had notched 2/3 of the total score. Finally, when Sanath departed in the 36th over for 127 well-made runs he had scored more than 40% of the team total. A knock of such dominance in a final where the rest of the team faltered was true reflection of how good Jayasuriya was. Whilst Mendis dealt the killer punch later in the day Sanath’s contribution was truly magnificent.

This was not the first time, neither was it the last. Sanath would notch up his final international century in 2009 and another 99 the same year when his career was going down south. It was knocks of such nature with dominance that captured the attention of fans even in a passionate country like India. It is no surprise that his deeds are recollected even today with so much of adulation.

Sanath Jayasuriya was good enough to be loved in his own backyard. He was too good, not to be loved beyond the confines of his country. But being accepted to a coterie which cultivated cult following in a cricket mad nation like India, is the true testimony to the greatness Sanath Jayasuriya exhibited. In an era of social media where access to our favorites’ living rooms is just a fingertip, away being adored in foreign lands is still admirable. But to have achieved the same when even on field exploits were accessible only through print media and television was beyond remarkable. Sanath was not only a national but regional asset in his prime. Like the legacy of Richards, Bothams and Tendulkars, the legacy of Jayasuriya will live forever and we as Sri Lankan fans were truly blessed to have existed in an era to witness the master blaster’s brilliance.