The 1996 Singer Cup, the first major tournament following Sri Lanka’s historic World Cup triumph, was set against the backdrop of anticipation and curiosity. Held in Singapore, this triangular series promised fresh narratives in the rapidly evolving world of ODI cricket. However, few could have predicted the carnage that would unfold on the reserve day of the rain-affected opening match between Sri Lanka and Pakistan.
Aamir Sohail, leading Pakistan, won the toss and made the fateful decision to field first. In theory, it seemed a prudent move—chase a target under the lights on the ground with short boundaries. But theory seldom accounts for the phenomenon that was Sanath Jayasuriya. Alongside Romesh Kaluwitharana, the explosive duo that had redefined power-hitting in the World Cup, Jayasuriya once again turned the first innings into a spectacle of destruction.
The Onslaught Begins
The very first over set the tone, with Jayasuriya dismissing Waqar Younis’s deliveries with disdain, lofting and cutting with equal brutality. Mohammad Akram, sharing the new ball, fared no better as Kaluwitharana matched his partner’s aggression. Within three overs, Sri Lanka had plundered 40 runs—an ominous sign of what lay ahead. Kaluwitharana's whirlwind 24 off just 10 balls included two fours and two audacious sixes before he perished to Waqar, caught by Saqlain Mushtaq. But his departure barely stemmed the tide.
Jayasuriya, undeterred, continued his assault. He made a particular target of Akram, peppering the mid-wicket boundary with a series of ruthless strokes. Pakistan scrambled for control, turning to their trump card, Saqlain Mushtaq, as early as the eighth over—an unusual move for the time. Yet, even the wily off-spinner struggled to contain the rampage.
Sohail himself stepped in, attempting to stifle the left-hander with his slow left-arm spin. What followed was an unforgettable episode of sheer domination. The 14th over became the stuff of nightmares for the Pakistani captain, as Jayasuriya dismantled him for 30 runs—four consecutive sixes, a no-ball, a single, and a wide—setting a record for the most expensive over in ODI history at the time. By the end of the fielding restrictions, Sri Lanka had amassed a staggering 150 runs.
A Century for the Ages
As Jayasuriya continued to plunder the attack, the manual scoreboard briefly deceived the crowd, registering his century an over prematurely. A single off Aaqib Javed in the 15th over was thought to have sealed the landmark, but it was in the following over, with a push towards the off-side off Saleem Malik, that history was officially made. His 48-ball century shattered Mohammad Azharuddin’s record (62 balls) for the fastest ODI ton.
Jayasuriya’s innings was as much a testament to his audacity as it was to his method. He blended brute force with impeccable placement, ensuring that even well-set fields became redundant. His knock of 134, laced with 11 fours and 11 sixes, set yet another record—most sixes in an ODI innings, surpassing Gordon Greenidge’s previous best of eight. Eventually, his fireworks ended with a miscued shot off Saqlain, caught at short third man by Akram, but the damage had been done.
Despite a sluggish innings from Asanka Gurusinha (29 off 56 balls), a late cameo from Kumar Dharmasena pushed Sri Lanka’s total to 349 for nine. Saqlain, the sole Pakistani bowler to escape humiliation, bowled with some degree of control, but his teammates bled runs at an alarming rate.
Pakistan’s Brave Chase
Pakistan’s response was spirited, underscoring the absurdity of the run-fest. Despite losing wickets at regular intervals, they remained in contention, the short boundaries aiding their cause. Saleem Malik and Inzamam-ul-Haq struck vital half-centuries, and contributions from others ensured the required run rate never spiralled out of reach. Yet, Sri Lanka’s cushion of runs proved insurmountable, and Pakistan fell 35 runs short, finishing at 315 all out.
The match produced a fourth record—664 runs in aggregate, the highest match total in ODI history at the time. It was an encounter that encapsulated the changing landscape of the format, where brute power was emerging as a decisive weapon. Jayasuriya, the chief architect of this shift, had made an emphatic statement—ODI cricket was no longer just about accumulation; it was about outright dominance.
Legacy of the Encounter
This match was not just a statistical marvel but a defining moment in modern ODI cricket. Jayasuriya’s innings exemplified the new wave of fearless batting that would soon become the hallmark of limited-overs cricket. The influence of this game extended beyond numbers; it reshaped team strategies, forcing captains and bowlers to rethink their approach to power-hitters.
For Sri Lanka, this performance solidified their post-World Cup momentum, proving that their triumph earlier in the year was no fluke. For Pakistan, it was a stark reminder of their vulnerabilities—especially in handling aggressive batsmen in fielding-restricted environments. It also signalled the evolution of ODI tactics, where pinch-hitting was no longer a mere experiment but a necessary weapon.
The Singer Cup may have been a routine triangular tournament, but this match immortalized it as a defining chapter in limited-overs cricket. And at its heart was a fearless Sri Lankan opener who, with every audacious stroke, was reshaping the game’s future. Jayasuriya’s heroics in Singapore were more than just a remarkable individual feat; they marked the dawn of a revolution in ODI batting, a precursor to the high-scoring, aggressive cricket that dominates the game today.
Thank You
Faisal Caesar
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