"These guys played in different conditions altogether" - Jayasuriya lauds de Silva and co. for bettering Sri Lanka's 1998 triumph at The Oval
Sri Lanka interim head coach Sanath Jayasuriya rated the effort of Dhananjaya de Silva and company's triumph at the Oval over the nation's iconic win at the same venue in 1998. The visitors pulled off a stellar eight-wicket in the series finale recently to mark their first win in England in a decade.
Sri Lanka had pulled off one of their greatest Test wins at the time by defeating England by 10 wickets in 1998. Jayasuriya played a huge role in the victory, scoring a mammoth double hundred and bowling a marathon 28-over spell in the second innings.
Off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan starred with 16 wickets in the match, which included a record nine-fer in the second innings. In addition, veteran Aravinda de Silva also chipped in with a sublime 151.
Playing a key role in both iconic overseas triumphs, albeit in a different capacity, Jayasuriya was asked to compare them following the culmination of the series. The former player stated that the current squad had it tougher because of the tricky conditions with respect to the pitch as well as the overcast conditions.
"About 27 years ago we won here, under Arjuna [Ranatunga]. Murali [Muthiah Muralidaran] got about 16 wickets, I got a double-hundred, Aravinda [de Silva] got a 150. It's a place we'll never forget - The Oval," Jayasuriya said during the post-match press conference.
"But these guys played in different conditions altogether. It was tough conditions, with the grass, the weather, and everything was cloudy and cold. All credit to these boys. The fielders fielded well and the batsmen took responsibility in the second innings," Jayasuriya admitted.
Sri Lanka were behind by 63 runs at the end of the first innings, and were seemingly headed for a series whitewash. However, an inspired bowling display in the second innings, much like the iconic 1998 triumph, saw the visitors bowl the opposition out for just 156.
"It's a joy to talk about them" - Sanath Jayasuriya on Sri Lanka's pace attack
The pacers were primed to play a huge role in England, and they did not disappoint. Asitha Fernando finished as the leading wicket-taker of the series, while Lahiru Kumara also made a significant impact with his express pace.
Sri Lanka's decision to drop Prabath Jayasuriya for the Oval Test was met with surprise, but the pace quartet justified their selection with a memorable display.
"It's the first time we went with four fast bowlers, and we went with that because of the conditions here, and all of them went beyond 100% in their efforts. It's a joy to talk about them. Our second-innings bowling was remarkable - they stuck to the plan and got them out in under 35 overs, all out for a little more than 150," Jayasuriya said.
"Asitha Fernando was outstanding right through the series. Rathnayake was really good as a newcomer - he bowled really well. Vishwa Fernando - the way he bowled in the second innings is absolutely what we wanted," he added.
Sanath Jayasuriya's stint as interim coach has been a memorable one. Taking over from Chris Silverwood after the 2024 T20 World Cup debacle, the former player's tenure began with a 0-3 whitewash against India. However, it was followed by a memorable 2-0 win in the ODI series.