Wisden overview
A fine technician with an excellent temperament, Jayawardene is the best batsman produced by Sri Lanka since Sanath Jayasuriya, and the rock on which their batting may be built for years to come. Perhaps mindful of his first Test, when he went out to bat against India at Colombo in 1997 with the scoreboard reading 790 for four, he has developed an appetite for big scores. His 66 then was followed by 167 v New Zealand in his fourth match and 242 v India in his seventh. It was the double-century that cemented him in the Test side; his one-day place was less certain until he scored heavily throughout 2000-01, a spell that included a hundred against England in Colombo. He has been vice-captain to Jayasuriya and is a long-term candidate to take over from him. Simon Wilde

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