2023-08-27 10:27:21
The 624-run stand established 16 years ago, a team losing two wickets for 14 runs early in the game, stands at 638 for two wickets after 160 overs. But if you know that team is Sri Lanka and Sangakkara and Jayawardena are responsible for it, there is no exaggeration. Because they have made many saves before and after that which bring the world attention to the Sri Lankan team.
No batsman starts an innings believing that he can break the record for the highest individual score in Test history. The first thought that comes to mind would be to play an important role in passing the test. Jayawardena was given the responsibility of captaining the team by a very quick decision and was not there for long. In that sense, this innings was one of world-class perfection run after run, section after section and day after day.
If Jayawardena’s triple century and Sangakkara’s double century saw the Sri Lankan team win the Test, if there was any imperfection in that match, it was that Jayawardena’s innings ended just behind Lara’s 375 runs. Those batsmen who took the innings forward with effortless stroke play with ease and grace at the crease were truly a sight to behold. Neither batsman looked to hit the ball hard, instead settling into a comfortable routine after a period of caution earlier in the day and scoring runs at will. The records kept falling as the runs kept coming. The partnership thus surpassed the 576 runs scored by Sanath Jayasuriya and Roshan Mahanama against India as the best partnership in Test history.
They came together as Sri Lanka took 14 for 2 and spent 157 overs together, including Mahela Jayawardena and Kumar Sangakkara’s combined total of 624 runs. The world record in Test cricket was not the only thing that changed in front of that partnership that day, the Sanga-Mahela partnership of 577 runs for the fourth wicket, the best partnership in first-class cricket achieved by Vijay Hazare and Gul Mohammad for Baroda, became a legend.
While Jayawardena would have been very satisfied with those two days’ work, he would have been disappointed by the fact that he could not score another 27 runs, as this 27 runs missed a golden opportunity to surpass Brian Lara’s world record of 400 not out. However, Jayawardena managed to surpass Jayasuriya’s 340, which was the highest individual score by a Sri Lankan.
As the record of the best combination approached, the crowd of thousands hushed their voices and their tension levels grew exponentially. But they exploded as they got a four-run bye on the leg-side off Nicky Boje. We know it’s a record in Test cricket, in first-class cricket – it’s a special feeling to do something that no one else has done before – Kumar Sangakkara
This is how records stand as an inspiration and motivate us to break them.. Hopefully one day or the other some two will break this too – that’s cricket, that’s how it should go forward.
Written by: Vimal Daghatthuvetil
Credit: CricketPrantham 24 x 7
1693133418
#team #losing #wickets #runs #overs