can someone here tell me who was the oldest batsman to have scored a 200 in tests?(was it Haynes or Greenidge?)
I would genuinely like to know that.
Congrats to Jayasuriya
. At 35 he not only is good player, but like Lankan Skipper Atapattu said...'a genuine matchwinner on his day'. Flash back 96, when he was only a pinch hitter promoted to the top batting lineup by Ranatunga to make full use of the first 15 overs..quote Mike Bevan in his autobiography 'The Best of Bevan'.Sanath does not suffer from any lack of confidence, its just that his technique isn't suited for non Asian pitches, much like Hooper/Tresco are to their respective countries. Jaya is a maestro on the subcontinent's slower, less bouncy surfaces.
It is not too difficult to see why, if Sanath had not been a cricketer, he would have been an accomplished fencer, sallying forth towards his opponent, as he does when he dances down the wicket, with nimbleness of foot and alertness of eye. You can visualise the epee twirling dexterously in his quick hands and sense the swordsman`s acceptance of having his life hang by a string. The qualities of skill and daring form a rare combina- tion, perhaps suited more to a gambler than a top order batsman and yet, to see Jayasuriya bat is to see a finely crafted gambler at work, sensing an opportunity and thriving on it. Remember Bloemfontein, the heart of rightwing Afrikaner territory, Jayasuriya first rode the crest of a new revolution. Opening the batting against New Zealand, he scored 140, his first limited overs century.
It all started in the WC before which Jaya only averaged 13. And then came the World Cup 96. And Delhi. Jayasuriya made 79 from 76 balls, a pedestrian pace by recent standards but his partner- ship with Kaluwitharna had redefined the way the early overs would be played in one-day cricket.
What is most awesome about Jayasuriya is not the power behind his shots but the sense of predictability around the obvious danger of his approach.
Jaya may not be amongst the best of bats in the world, but he still holds his particular place in the minds of ODI cricket fans.
Sanath has test centuries at the Adelaide cricket ground, a double century at the Brit Oval also. He has also scored a 300!
