Mahela
Jayawardene came within 26 runs of Brian Lara's record for
the highest Test score of 400 in Tests, Kumar Sangakkara fell
13 short of his first triple-hundred in Tests. But the two
had other plans while they broke all previous records in test
cricket and first-class cricket as they put on the highest
partnership for any wicket in any aspect of the game with
624 runs. This third-wicket partnership broke the previous
record of 576 runs for the second wicket also set by two Sri
Lankans – by RS Mahanama and ST Jayasuriya.
After
every hour a record tumbled. First they broke the highest
partnership record for the third wicket for Sri Lanka, and
then they hunted down the highest third wicket partnership
ever. Still they did not stop and went on to break the record
for highest partnership ever in test cricket, soon followed
by the first-class record of 577 by Vijay Hazare and Gul Mohammad.
Finally Jayawardene made the highest individual score for
his country as he made 374, just 26 short of Brain Lara’s
record of 400 the fourth-highest individual score in test
cricket.
It
took them a massive 10+ hours as they reached the milestone
for what the two batsmen had battled so long for. From there
Jayawardene reached his first triple century only to see his
partner, Sangakkara, fall of the next delivery for 287, only
after improving his previous best of 270 against Zimbabwe.
Even
after seeing his favorite partner fall, Jayawardene did not
stop. When Dilshan walked in, he continued the mission. First
he went past the highest score for a Sri Lankan beating the
340 Jayasuriya managed in the 1997 Test against India where
the highest partnership record was also set. And then came
the 350. As the crowd built up in the ground, in anticipation
of witnessing a world record being surpassed, came the anticlimax,
with Jayawardene being bowled by Andre Nel. Sri Lanka declared
on 756 for 5, and the South Africans were just happy to get
off the field after being battered for over 200 overs.
But
as we all saw their happiness was short lived. South Africa
got onto a great start with the two openers, Andrew Hall and
Jacques Rudolph, combining in a 165-run partnership. The South
Africans provided stiff resistance but finally fell to the
world’s best off-spinner, Muttaih Muralitharan as his
6 wickets in the second innings to follow four in the first,
earned Sri Lanka a victory by an innings and 153 runs.
|
Sangakkara and
Jayawardene stroll past records with ease
Celebration
time! The record is finally broken
Mahela Jayawardene
acknowledges the crowd as he gets to 300
|
