Jayasuriya sounds grim warning bell

They didn’t know it then. But wake-up time was just a few minutes away, in the second over. The accurate left-armer Syed Rasel, who had pinned India down so effectively, watched helplessly as Jayasuriya deftly flicked one to the square-leg fence, and then looked on in awe as the fourth ball of his next over soared over the mid-wicket fence and crashed into the stands.

The echo from that one shot would have been heard miles away in southern Trinidad, where the Indians were going about their net session. Wasn’t this the same opening attack that had made the best of Team India fumble? Weren’t these the same conditions under which Team India had struggled to get going last week?

This time, the swing was all about the menacing arc carved by Jayasuriya’s bat as it came down again, again and then again on the battered Bangladeshis.

Till a strong twinge on the back of his left thigh had him hobbling while crossing over for a run in the 25th over, his team at 137/1, and then walking back to the dressing room — the Lankans obviously didn’t want to take any chances before the big, India game on Friday.

But by then, Jayasuriya had said what he had wanted to. With 83 resounding runs, in just 77 balls, six fours and four sixes. He later returned to complete his century with two consecutive sixes off Razzak before eventually falling (109 off 87 balls: 7×6, 7×4).

Spearhead Mashrafe Mortaza, who had made Virender Sehwag look like a novice the other day, was cut into pieces; Rasel was scarred by another huge six in the 10th over. And the first ball of Abdur Razzak, the left-arm spinner who had taken three Indian wickets and put a lid on their middle overs, was square cut without a second thought.

India were 24 for one after 10 overs against Bangla on that shocking Saturday, Lanka were 63 for no loss today — 50 in just the ninth over. Even some classy Bangladeshi fielding didn’t help. How can it, when Jayasuriya was dealing only in sixes — two more came off Razzak’s next over.

There was a slight blip, though, when Upul Tharanga failed to keep a hard cut down against the other left-armer, the veteran Mohammed Rafique, and watched the 24-year-old Aftab Ahmed take a blinder in mid-air, popping up the ball volleyball-style and then holding on with his left hand before he hit the ground. 98/1, the hundred came four balls later, and Lanka were back on track.

By this time, the Indians had wound by their practice session in Couva, one hour away, and had been informed about the Lankan start. Kala nag? We will know on Friday.

SCOREBOARD

Sri Lanka: W Tharanga c A Ahmed b M Rafique 26, S Jayasuriya c H Bashar b A Razzak 109, M Jayawardene c A Ahmed b S Hasan 46, K Sangakkara c T Iqbal b S Rasel 56, C Silva not out 52, R Arnold not out 5; Extras (lb 11, w 10, nb 3) 24; Total (4 wickets; 50 overs) 318

Fall of wickets: 1-98, 2-202, 3-261, 4-300

Bowling: M Mortaza 10-0-66-0, S Rasel 10-0-58-1, A Razzak 10-0-86-1, M Rafique 10-0-48-1, S Hasan 10-0-49-1