Mahela Jayawardene remains the only player to score a century in a losing cause in a World Cup final. His outstanding knock of 103* was overshadowed by India’s thrilling six-wicket victory in the 2011 World Cup final.
The 43-year-old spoke about the knock to the ICC, who shared a video of the same on the 2011 World Cup final’s 10th anniversary.
Mahela Jayawardene said in this regard:
Coming in to bat at No.4, Mahela Jayawardene scored an unbeaten 103 off just 88 balls against India. His knock powered Sri Lanka to a competitive total of 274/6. The former right-handed batsman, who has 19 ODI centuries to his name, is clear about the one which is closest to his heart.
Mahela Jayawardene hit 13 fours during his knock, the most by any batsman on the day. He expressed satisfaction with the way he conducted himself in Mumbai, admitting that the century will always be bittersweet for him.
“I honestly don’t think I mistimed a single ball” - Mahela Jayawardene
Mahela Jayawardene came out to bat when Sri Lanka were struggling at 60/2 after 16.3 overs. He picked up the scoring rate from ball one and stitched together a solid 62-run stand with skipper Kumar Sangakkara.
His quickfire partnerships with Nuwan Kulasekara and Thisara Perera shifted the momentum towards Sri Lanka.
Reminiscing about the knock, Mahela Jayawardene admitted he felt right at home from ball one.
Mahela Jayawardene agonizingly missed out on the World Cup as MS Dhoni fired India to victory. The Sri Lankan legend will be seen in the Mumbai Indians dugout during IPL 2021.
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