By IANS,
Mumbai : If ever a century deserved to win the World Cup, it was Mahela Jayawardene’s classic 103 in the final against India at the Wankhede Stadium here Saturday. Unfortunately, his hundred has become the first one in a losing cause at a World Cup final.
Jayawardene was at his best during his unbeaten 88-ball innings and give his team a fighting 274/6 batting first. Little did he know before the start of India’s reply that his effort and his team’s total would not be enough to stop the hosts from winning.
Jayawardene’s 14th One-day-International hundred also made him the sixth batsman to score a century in a World Cup final.
Adam Gilchrist (2007), Ricky Ponting (2003), Aravinda de Silva (1996), Viv Richards (1979) and Clive Lloyd (1975) are the others to have hit a century in a World Cup final and all ended up on the winning side.
“I am very proud of everyone despite the loss. Especially, Mahela who rose up to the occasion and put up a great hundred,” said Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara after the loss to India.
Jayawardene’s marvellous innings was testimony to his good form in the tournament. He started his campaign with a fluent hundred against Canada in the opening group match. He could not get to bat in the next couple of matches as Sri Lankan openers Tillakaratne Dilshan and Upul Tharanga were in stupendous form. He struck a fifty against New Zealand here in a league match last month.
Jaywawardene also led the side in the last edition in the Caribbeans, where they were again the losing finalists. His 115 against New Zealand in the semifinals at Jamaica stood out in the tournament.