Boria Majumdar
Mahela Jayawardene captained Sri Lanka in two World Cup finals, scoring a dazzling century in a losing cause in 2011. He subsequently coached Mumbai Indians in the IPL with great success. One of the finest thinkers on the game, he spoke to Boria Majumdar in this special World Cup episode of Backstage with Boria, on topics as diverse as Sri Lanka punching above their weight, Rohit Sharma the captain and India-Pakistan in front of 100,000 in Ahmedabad.
Excerpts from the conversation:
Boria: First question … 2011, the last time the World Cup was played on our soil, your hundred, it almost took it away from India. Thoughts about that hundred?
Jayawardene: Yeah, thank you for having me, first of all. Yeah, I think it was an amazing World Cup final. I remember walking into that stadium, the crowd, the atmosphere, everything was amazing. When the Indian boys came out to for the warm-up, you know, the chanting of “Sachin, Sachin, Sachin” just kept on going. I can’t remember when it stopped, probably when he got out in that second innings. I thoroughly enjoyed my effort. You know, tough conditions. We managed to put a decent score on the board and then, you know, we thought we were in control for most of that final. Up until they started putting up a few partnerships and we realised there was dew and our spinners couldn’t get anything going. The Indian batting line-up was quite strong. I think the only way we could have controlled them was by picking up regular wickets, which we couldn’t. I think I have the record of scoring a 100 in a losing final. I think I’m the only one who’s done that. Good memories, bad results.
Boria: Sri Lanka, if I take a look at ICC tournaments, always punching above their weight, whether it’s 2011, whether it’s winning [the World T20] in 2014. Why? I mean, how does this happen time and again, that Sri Lanka excel in ICC tournaments? Have you been able to figure that out?
Jayawardene: I think that that generation of cricketers had a taste of winning big tournaments, and we had a unique group of players as well. I think coming from the ’96 World Cup, we had the belief in our ranks, you know, that we could win tournaments, win World Cups. Apart from 1999, we got to the semifinals. And apart from that, I think in a 10-year span, we went to the three T20 (2009, 2012 and 2014) and two World Cup finals (2007 and 2011). So, that group had that belief. We had some amazing cricketers in that squad. I think it was all about the belief. Tactically, we set ourselves up quite well in certain conditions.
The way we approached the T20 game, we had a very good bowling unit. I think we rallied around that bowling unit – the likes of Murali, Vaas, to start with, and then Lasith came on to the scene. Ajantha Mendis, Dilhara Fernando, Nuwan Kulasekara, Rangana Herath – we had a very good attacking bowling group, which kept on challenging any batting line up. We had some unique batters as well.
Boria: If I take the Asia Cup last year, whether it is Pathum [Nissanka], whether it was Dilshanka Madhushanka … everybody stood out at that point in time. The country was going through a bit of a crisis, and that victory was far more than a cricketing victory. It brought smiles to the faces of everybody in Sri Lanka. How important was that? And how do you rate the current bunch?
Jayawardene: It was very important. I think this group of players, that was the biggest tournament win up to date. I think we had a bit of a low time between 2014 and 2020, until this young group of players were put together by the selectors. And that was the biggest victory, the Asia Cup. The character that they showed, and the way they played. They had a few injuries, but the young guys who came into the squad stood up. And I believe they have that kind of confidence now going into this World Cup as well. The same group of guys, they have three or four years of good experience playing in a couple of T20 World Cups together. A couple of young guys who have come in and given a little bit more, especially Dilshan Madushanka, the left-arm fast bowler. I firmly believe that bowling units are very, very important in major tournaments. They are the ones who actually win you championships. And if you can keep everyone healthy going into this World Cup, I think we got a fairly good chance, especially playing in Indian conditions.
Boria: You’ve been there, done that with the Mumbai Indians in the IPL. Maheesh Theekshana was on my show and he said that because all of these players play IPL for different teams, whether it’s Gujarat, Mumbai or Bangalore, this will give them a clear idea of the conditions and that will help. Your thoughts?
Jayawardene: Absolutely. Then the confidence factor is there. They know the grounds, the surfaces. I mean, it’s a different format, but the similarities are there and you know the conditions quite well. Once you get familiar with that, I think that’s definitely an advantage. And we’ve seen that with other foreign players who come and play in the IPL, how they approach when they come to the subcontinent. The mindset completely changes because they do have that confidence of playing a lot more than they used to in the past.
Boria: I have to ask you a few questions about India because you’ve been around, and you know these guys. Thoughts on Rohit as captain, because never has been a tournament where he will be under more pressure. India have not won an ICC tournament for 10 years. Sourav [Ganguly] on my show said this might define Rohit’s legacy. You’ve coached him. How important is this? How does he deal with it?
Jayawardene: I think he’s going to deal with it just fine. I mean, Rohit is a straightforward character. I mean, the Rohit that I’ve known at Mumbai is immune to that kind of pressure. He just goes about doing what he thinks is best. And I don’t see him taking any other approach. Whenever you play for India, that pressure is always going to be there.
They have a very good competitive unit if everyone stays healthy. And he’s going to approach it with a very positive mindset. I honestly don’t think that he will feel that pressure. I mean, if you see him handling press conferences and all that, he’s quite a chill character.
Boria: So, what we see is what we get? I mean, it’s not a put-on?
Jayawardene: It is not. I mean, he’s a good thinker of the game and he understands what needs to be done. Tactically, he’s savvy. He’s a much more instinctive captain. But he does prepare himself pretty well. I mean, when he’s going into matches and tournaments, that preparation is there as a captain. So, but, you know, like any good captain, you need to play the moment. And I think that’s what he does.
Boria: A word on Virat Kohli. How do you see him, because he’s back in form after a lean patch?
Jayawardene: I think he’s going to be a massive player for India in this World Cup and probably the most experienced apart from Rohit. He’s gone through that cycle and would have seen what Sachin [Tendulkar] had to go through during that period. And would have learned from that. And I think he’ll be just like Rohit. I think they’re very mature competitors and they will take it in the right spirit and play and enjoy. I mean, the whole point of World Cups and these big tournaments is that you need to enjoy them. If you don’t enjoy it, it becomes a bit of a burden.
Boria: Mahela, I’m asking you this question as a legend of the game. India versus Pakistan. When you sit on the outside, India versus Pakistan on Indian soil in a World Cup with 100,000 people in Ahmedabad. Can you set that up for me?
Jayawardene: It’s going to be tough to set that up. I think the build-up is always going to be amazing. I mean, the uniqueness is that India and Pakistan don’t play that often. I mean, Ahmedabad, what a venue. It’s going to be amazing fixture. I think both teams will feel that pressure on the World Cup stage. As neutrals, we’re going to enjoy that encounter. I think Pakistan have a very good young team, which has been together for some time. They’ve been playing some really good, consistent cricket. And India has the experienced players and the same kind of strength. In home conditions, they’re a formidable opponent. So, I’m looking forward to that.