When he walked out as Sri Lanka's No. 3, his eighth batting position in 24 ODI innings, Seekkuge Prasanna had an ODI average of 9.19. No one would have imagined that he would come within one blow of breaking one of Sri Lankan cricket's most cherished records.
On April 2, 1996 in Singapore, Sri Lanka played their first match since the country's World Cup win, in Lahore. Liberated by the moment, Sanath Jayasuriya doubled down on the methods that had contributed to Sri Lanka's most famous day, and ravaged a 48-ball century.
The record has held for two decades without serious challenge: besides Jayasuriya himself, no other Sri Lankan has scored an ODI ton in under 70 balls. Yet Prasanna belied his lack of batting pedigree to come closer than anyone else.
His very first ball hinted at the violence that was to come. An offspinner from Andy McBrine looped up invitingly, and was smited over long off for an emphatic six. The shot spoke of how the situation empowered Prasanna to heave from ball one: he was promoted up the order after Kusal Perera and Danushka Gunathilaka had added 147 for the opening wicket.
Each of Prasanna's heaves over the legside boundary seemed more emphatic than the last. If the shots lacked finesse, they made up for it with timing and power: one nonchalant pick-up off Boyd Rankin over square leg was particularly imperious, seeming to mock the man stationed for the exact shot.
