When everything seemed lost and humilation staring at them, the twosome who have been in the thick and thin of Test cricket put their broad shoulders to the wheel and fortune was not long in coming.
When paceman Heath Streak was threatening to strike them down, Aravinda and Arjuna took him head on and after watching him closely got on top and flayed him where ever and every where they wanted that Heath began to took as if he were on a losing streak.
There is no denying the fact that Aravinda de Silva is the best batsman in the world today. Runs have been gushing from his bat over the years like the Hooka Falls in Taupo, New Zealand and today there is no other who could challenge Aravinda for this slot.
He is also the most feared batsman. Gone are the days when he walked out and blasted the bowlers all over. Instead what one sees now in Aravinda is responsibility writ in every stroke and move he makes. He is an example or in other words a role model and all young cricketers aspiring to make it to the big league must make it a point to watch him bat.
In this unbeaten innings of 143 he cut out all the frills and minimise all risks and settled down to playing an innings that would frustrate the bowlers and finally make him king. He was so anointed at the end of the game by the crowd who stood and lustily cheered him and his captain to the pavilion.
Consistency is the hallmark of a great batsman. And their Aravinda has maintained.
Skipper Arjuna Ranatunga has lived up to the 'Captain Cool' tag given by me and what a cool and calculated innings he played. He was not on the field for nearly four sessions suffering excruciating back pain. But he showed why he has been tagged the best captain in the world by playing a truly captain's innings inspite of the pain he suffered during his stay at the wicket.
With defeat looming most other mortals would have thrown in the towel. But not the captain and vice captain of Sri Lanka. They proved partners in progress and their record breaking 189-run stand for the sixth wicket was full of guts, determination, discipline and daring and they took their team to a victory from the jaws of defeat.
Ranatunga has underlined that he is indispensable to Sri Lanka cricket. He has realised that in addition to his captaincy he must also score runs to shut the big mouths of his critics. And this he did in grand style and it is hoped that his critics will at least now realise that they are fighting a losing battle in trying to strip him of his captaincy and gather out of the team.
Like good wine he is mellowing with age and the years to come we should see him leading Sri Lanka into the promised land - that of being the best Test playing nation by the year 2000.
While Sri Lanka are celebrating victory one must also spare a thought for the plucky Zimbabweans. New to the game of Test cricket, the Zimbabweans have raised their game tremendously from what we saw to them when they were previously here. Under the able guidance of skipper Alistair Campbell and coach David Houghton if they continue in the same vein they could get to the top league before long.
They have proved worthy competition and it was just one of those thins that deprived them of a victory which if it had come would have been hailed in all quarters.
Now we come to the surprise slotting of left arm spinner Don Arunasiri into this Test. In requesting for him skipper Arjuna Ranatunga proved the fact that those whose responsibility it is to pick, coach and promote spinners have sadly neglected their job.
Ranatunga as captain cannot go in with a weak attack and suffer humilation. It is he who has to face his critics when the team gets beat. Today he has only Vaas and Muralitharan to skittle the opponents. Once they have their off days everything is lost.
If Anurasiri had headed the bowling averages how come he was not included in the pool? This certainly is poor thinking. While he was given a more important role to play in the Zimbabwean first innings, he did not get a bowl on the fourth day. Need we say more?
Anyway we must congratulate Anurasiri fro endeavouring to prove himself. In the end Jayasuriya proved the better left arm spinner.