Rain halts Sanath assault to the record books

Kolkata, Feb 8 (UNI) Only the rain Gods could come in the way of Sanath Jayasurya and another milestone after the batsman already notched up his highest at the Eden Gardens today enroute his unbeaten 63 when rain stopped the game here after 18.2 overs.

Sri Lanka placed at 102 for three looked comfortable as long as Jayasurya was wielding his willow. The fact that he did not have a good record against the Indians the Eden and his highest was 55 on this ground against Pakistan in the 1997 Independence Cup is already a thing of the past, if the match is not abandoned.

His previous best against India was 5 here in the 90-91 Asia Cup.

But the Marauder from Motera had other ideas as he walked into the middle of the coliseum today. The maverick bat paraded off to 63 from just 61 balls, and only a fine spell from Munaf Patel prevented it from being all one-way traffic.

Dravid's intention was probably to make use of any early life in a bone-dry pitch, but his bowlers took a while to grow in their wisdom. And the Lankans had raced off the starting blocks. Zaheer Khan started poorly, with Upul Tharanga stroking two beautiful fours. And when Munaf, on his first game back after a pallid performance in the Cape Town Test, came in, he was imperiously square-driven for four by Jayasuriya.

India's worst fear of a murderous assault at the hand of the Emerald of the Lankan batting rose.

Even as both bowlers eventually settled on to just short of a good length, Jayasuriya continued to punish the slightest transgression in either line or length. Munaf was clipped over square leg for four, and then glanced fine, before India got the breakthrough that they so desperately needed by sending back Tharanga.

Playing his 375th ODI he has already amassed 11442 runs destroying careers of several bowlers. He had announced his retirement in 2006 to be immediately showhorned back into the side. He performed poorly in England, but from the middle of last year the man bounced back in typical Sanath form and the assault continues.

UNI