All-time combined India-Sri Lanka ODI XI

#2 Sanath Jayasuriya

Sanath Jayasuriya - the 'marauder from Matara' was highly destructive

Sanath Jayasuriya might not have hogged the limelight for the first seven years of his ODI career but his blitzkrieg in the 1996 World Cup played a massive role in Sri Lanka eventually winning the tournament and thereafter, made him indispensable.

In the tournament, he launched an all-out attack on the bowlers right from the outset, decimating them and crushing the morale of the opposition. Teams boasting of at least one attacking opener may be a common sight in today's cricket but it was Jayasuriya's daredevilry and success that highlighted the need and value of having such a player at the top of the order.

With him at the crease, there was little respite for the bowlers. He smashed the ball in all directions but his lofted shots over deep square leg and cuts over point that sent the ball racing to the boundary like unstoppable missiles were, in particular, a treat to watch. In a career spanning more than two decades, 'the mauler from Matara' scored more than 13,000 runs. And then, there is the small matter of 300 wickets which his valuable left-arm spin helped him bag. Jayasuriya will partner Tendulkar as the opener on our side.