All Sri Lankans were watching the match and were witnessing in suspense the possible offer of light when Aravinda was 98 not out. Would he accept this offer at 98 not out? Geoffrey Boycott at the commentary box had this to say: ''Oh, he's coming out. 98 not out. You'll have to get wild horses to get me out, I tell you six horses would not have dragged me off 98 not out.'' Sunil Gavaskar quipped in, '''I think not six wild horses, quite a lot more. You needed a crane to get Geoffrey Boycott off the wicket.''
Aravinda neither requires cranes nor horses to pull him out his love for the country superseded all egoism. We all knew that Aravinda we know will sacrifice a Test Century - for his country. He did it. Aravinda we are proud of you - not for the 109 not out you scored but for accepting the offer of light for Sri Lanka.
At a time of happiness I beseech all cricket lovers not to forsake Aravinda or more important, Arjuna Ranatunga and his team if they fail the next time.
It is very necessary that we are more with them at times of adversity. One question we have got to ask ourselves is whether we have been reasonable with our lads. They have done so much for the country but if they fail to deliver the goods they are always taken to task.
Sometimes they are accused of things that they will never even think of in their wildest dreams. Aravinda has been no exception but on the contrary a prime target. The contract he was offered a year ago to play in South Africa would have brought him a fortune which could certainly not have been measured by Mercedes or Ferarris. Instead he decided playing for the country was far more important.
So my dear cricketing sons of Sri Lanka led by Arjuna the calm, collected and astute leader continue your good work and let the bat and ball do the talking.