OTD | Sanath Jayasuriya and Mark Taylor made their debuts for Sri Lanka and Australia respectively in 1989 

On this day in 1989, Mark Taylor and Sanath Jayasuriya made their ODI debut for Australia and Sri Lanka respectively on Boxing Day. While the duo did not have an impact on their side, they had a start to their incredible careers. While Taylor went on to become a great captain and a very good Test batter, Jayasuriya went on to become one of the greatest ODI players of all-time.

It was the first ODI of the tri series between Australia, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka at MCG. The home side batted first and posted a total of 228/5 on the board in their 48.5 overs. Mark Taylor opened the innings for Australia along with Geoff Marsh. His very first impression with the fans was not great, as Taylor scored 11 runs in 25 balls before getting dismissed to Ratnayeke. 

Chasing 229, Sri Lanka had a decent contribution from their Top 3. At one stage, the visiting side was 101/2 with Arjuna Ranatunga and Aravinda De Silva in the middle. The wicket of the latter started a collapse for SL. Soon after his wicket, Sanath got a chance to bat for the first time in his ODI career. He could score only 3 runs in 5 balls before getting dismissed by Merv Hughes.

Australia took wickets in regular intervals and closed out the game well. They reduced SL to a score of 198 runs and won the first match of the tournament by 30 runs. Taylor was the second highest run scorer of the tournament. In 9 innings, he scored 294 runs at a batting average of 32.66 and a batting SR of 58.56 including two fifties to his name. 

On the other hand, Jayasuriya scored 71 runs in 5 innings at a batting average of 14.20 and a batting SR of 54.61. It was only the start of their careers. Sanath went on to score 13430 runs and claimed 323 wickets in ODIs. He is the only player to score over 10000 runs and claim 300+ wickets in ODIs. Taylor became a great captain and formed a team that went on to dominate cricket for nearly a decade. 

Disclaimer: This exclusive news is based on the author’s insights, analysis, and intuition. While reviewing this information, consider the points discussed and form your own conclusions.

For more exclusive updates Visit BJSports to access Exclusive News that is only for you, incisive analysis, and updates, and to keep up with all of the latest information on your remarkable cricket favorite players and teams. To ensure you never miss out, join in on the fun right away!

Nolan

See Full Bio