28 January,2009 02:39 PM IST | | AFP
Sanath Jayasuriya became the oldest batsman to hammer a one-day century as Sri Lanka posted a competitive 246-7 in the opening match against India today afternoon.
The left-handed opener cracked 107 for his 28th hundred at the age of 39 years and 212 days, beating the previous oldest century-maker, Englishman Geoff Boycott at 39 years and 51 days (v Australia at Sydney in 1979).
Jayasuriya also became the second batsman to complete 13,000 runs in one-dayers after Sachin Tendulkar (16,422) during his 114-ball knock, which included one six and 10 fours.
He bolstered the innings with a 118-run stand for the second wicket with Kumar Sangakkara (44) and 51 for the next with Thilina Kandamby (17) after the opening-over dismissal of in-form Tillakaratne Dilshan.
Dilshan, who scored a century in his team's series-clinching win in his last match in Pakistan recently, was run out for no score following a mix-up with Jayasuriya.
India, who elected to field after winning the toss, then had to wait for more than 27 overs for the next success as Jayasuriya and Sangakkara applied themselves well on a slow pitch.
Jayasuriya went for big shots after completing his half-century, once hoisting left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha over long-on for the first six of the match.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Sangakkara fell in a bid to step up the run-rate, uppishly driving Ojha to Suresh Raina at short mid-wicket after hitting just two fours in his 86-ball knock.
But there was no stopping Jayasuriya, who cut part-time spinner Rohit Sharma for two runs to reach his hundred. He eventually fell in the 40th over, caught by Munaf Patel at mid-off while trying a big shot off Zaheer Khan's full-toss.
Farveez Maharoof was the other main contributor, hitting one six and two fours in his 27-ball 35.
Scoreboard:
Sri Lanka:
T Dilshan run out 0
S Jayasuriya c Patel b Zaheer 107
K Sangakkara c Raina b Ojha 44
T Kandamby c Zaheer b I. Sharma 17
F Maharoof b I. Sharma 35
M Jayawardene c R Sharma b I Sharma 11
C Kapugedera run out 15
T Thushara not out 12
N Kulasekara not out 0
Extras: (nb2, w3) 5
Total: (for seven wickets) 246
Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Dilshan), 2-118 (Sangakkara), 3-169 (Kandamby), 4-171 (Jayasuriya), 5-204 (Jayawardene), 6-222 (Maharoof), 7-245 (Kapugedera).
Bowling: Zaheer 10-2-40-1 (w1), Patel 5-0-32-0 (w2), I. Sharma 10-1-52-3 (nb2), Ojha 10-0-52-1, Yusuf Pathan 7-0-32-0, Raina 4-0-16-0, R. Sharma 4-1-22-0.
