Premadasa track not conducive for Tests: Tendulkar

However, he took care to add that his statement should not be taken to rob Sanat Jayasuriya and Roshan Mahanama of their efforts. “It was a great effort by them physically and mentally, to bat for well over two days,” he explained.

Tendulkar said that if one were to see more of such wickets in Tests, then youngsters taking to the game would all like to become batsmen. “Ninety nine out of hundred would take to batting, with the one remaining probably taking to wicket-keeping,” he reasoned out.

He said it was “a very strange experience” playing on the Premadasa track and said he was disappointed that he had won the toss. Asked to spell out the reason for his disappointment, he explained: “If I had lost the toss, we would have batted second. And we could have gone on and on like the Sri Lankans. When we batted, we were looking to score quickly and declare as our aim was to win the Test”.

Reflecting on his own bowlers, the Indian skipper said that he was not covering up for their poor display but at the same time gave credit to the spinners for showing the “mental preparedness” to bowl in such unhelpful conditions for long.

Sri Lanka manager Duleep Mendis washed his hands off when asked how his country went in for such tracks when their thrust was to win Test matches. “We just play on whatever wickets we are given to play on,” he replied.Sanat Jayasuriya said he was a “bit disappointed” that he came so near to breaking Brian Lara’s record but took the heartbreak quite philosophically.His answer to critics devaluing his efforts because of the flat wicket was: “The wicket was dead, alright. But it still takes a lot out of you physically and mentally to last over two days”.

He admitted the pressure of expectations was too much on him today. He said that he was flooded with good wishes from people all over the country, and one of the overseas greetings came from Mohinder Amarnath”.

While the stadium was choc-a-bloc with people who had come in anticipation of Jayasuriya breaking Lara’s Test record, Jayasuriya’s parents were not at the ground. “They never come to see me play,” he revealed.

BCCSL GESTURE: The Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka rewarded Sanat Jayasuriya and Roshan Mahanama with a cheque of US $ 25,000 for their record-breaking second wicket stand of 576. Their stand was the best for any wicket in Tests and the second highest for any wicket in first class cricket.