Reliving Sri Lanka's last 5 Test encounters at the SSC

#3 A teary-eyed farewell to remember, Sri Lanka vs Pakistan, 2nd Test, 2014

Mahela Jayawardene left the entire SSC teary-eyed as he bid farewell to Test cricket

It probably remains the worst moment in life. Despite knowing that the inevitable has to occur; that the loved ones have to depart, the moment it finally arrives is a moment of tough acceptance, followed by a serene nostalgia.

And so it happened during the 2nd Test match against Pakistan in 2014, when Mahela Jayawardene, one of Sri Lanka’s most revered gentleman finally decided to bid adieu to Test cricket, a format in which he had persevered and excelled in for well over a decade.

Batting first, Sri Lanka scored 320 guided by Upal Tharanga’s 92 after which Junaid Khan ripped through the batting order, snatching up 5/87.

Pakistan managed to take a slender lead in the first innings on the back of Sarfaraz Ahmed’s 103 and Ahmed Shehzad’s 58. But the efforts were overpowered by Rangana Herath’s astonishing spell in which he picked up 9/127- which was not only his best figures but also the best figures for any left-arm bowler in the history of the game.

However, it was meant to be Jayawardene’s moment and as Sri Lanka took the bat a second time in the match all eyes unanimously shifted towards him as he readied himself to bat the very last time in whites.

As Kaushal Silva fell with the score reading 79/2, the packed to capacity stadium accorded a thundering welcome to Jaya, as he is fondly called, hoping for an encore. The former skipper did not disappoint, pairing up with Sangakkara a last time to score 54, as the famed duo put on 105 runs for the third wicket.

By the time he was dismissed off the bowling of Saeed Ajmal, Sri Lanka was well on course for a formidable second innings total, which gave Pakistan a tricky 261 to chase.

Other than Sarfaraz’s 55, no Pakistani batsman could score more than 32 and as Herath once again ripped through the line-up with yet another 5-wicket haul; Sri Lanka rode their way to a memorable win after 5 years at the SSC, giving Jayawardene the perfect tribute.