Happy Birthday Sanath Jayasuriya: Top moments from his iconic career

When Sanath bowled

#2 6 for 29 vs England, 2nd ODI, England in Sri Lanka, 1993

During the initial stages of his career, Jayasuriya was better utilised as a bowler who could bat a bit. Later he transformed himself into a top-order batsman but his bowling continued to be very effective as his tally of 421 international wickets places him in the league of best all-rounders.

Four years after his ODI debut, at a period earlier than when he first started getting known for his ballistic approach with the willow, it was in the second ODI of the England tour of Sri Lanka at Moratuwa that Jayasuriya ripped apart the English attack with his guile and recorded his finest performance with figures of six for 29 in 9.5 overs.

Hardly a front-line bowler then, the slow-left arm spinner in young Jayasuriya snapped two crucial partnerships and ran down the rest of the order for 6 for 29, ending up as the star performer of a very weak attack. England were literally taken to pieces at a mere score of 180 and Sri Lanka won the encounter convincingly by eight wickets. It was Jayasuriya's first Man-of-the-Match performance.

Jayasuriya would go on to make several match-winning scalps later on in his career as well, but this one game would easily go into the best moments of the cricketer's career.