Thirty years on, Asanka Gurusinha remains the first and still the only Sri Lankan to crack a Test hundred at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The milestone will be marked with a private function at Spicy Wicket Restaurant in Melbourne, with Gura’s close friend Aravinda de Silva gracing the evening as chief guest. Others have joined the Boxing Day honours board since — Kumar Sangakkara and Tilan Samaraweera among them — but Gurusinha’s century stands apart, forged in a losing cause, a lone hand against the tide.
Gura is also the only Sri Lankan to have scored a Test hundred at MCG with Tilan and Sanga’s efforts coming in South Africa.
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The 1995 MCG Test is remembered as much for controversy as courage, infamous for the no-balling of Muttiah Muralitharan before a crowd of 55,000. Sri Lanka were playing catch-up against a fearsome Australian attack and it was Gurusinha who became the tourniquet, stopping the bleeding. His six-hour vigil yielded 143 runs, his career-best Test score and spared Sri Lanka the ignominy of an innings defeat.
Boxing Day was a landmark in Sri Lanka’s cricketing journey, though Arjuna Ranatunga’s side barely landed a punch until Gurusinha dug in, back to the wall, pads scuffed and resolve hardened. For a fleeting moment, it even appeared Sri Lanka might set Australia a target north of 200, a mirage, perhaps, but one created by sheer defiance.
Sri Lanka were within touching distance of wiping off the deficit when Gurusinha fell. His exit opened the trapdoor. What followed was a dramatic collapse as the last six wickets tumbled for 55 runs, Shane Warne running through the tail like a hot knife through butter. Gurusinha, meanwhile, walked off with head held high, having shown grit and flair in equal measure.
A couple of years after his MCG heroics, Gurusinha settled in Melbourne, a city he has now called home for nearly three decades.
That knock has drawn praise from all quarters. Aravinda de Silva rated it among the finest innings by a Sri Lankan overseas, while captain Arjuna Ranatunga said Gurusinha’s self-belief was such that whenever he occupied the crease, Sri Lanka fancied their chances.
The bruising 1995 tour of Australia toughened Sri Lanka’s spine. It convinced them they could compete with and beat the Australians. Three months later came the payoff: World Cup glory, sealed by a seven-wicket win over Australia in the final. Gurusinha played a pivotal role with a half-century and Ranatunga later called him the unsung hero of the World Cup triumph.
Fresh out of school, Gurusinha was fast-tracked into the national side, making his Test debut at 19 as a wicketkeeper-batter. His sound technique and appetite for putting bowlers to the sword soon saw a role reversal. Handed the key No. 3 position, he flourished, scripting several famous wins.
Until Kumar Sangakkara arrived, Gurusinha was the best No. 3 the country had produced. Blessed with the ability to hit the ball a mile, he was again asked to reinvent himself for the 1996 World Cup, this time as the anchor, allowing stroke-makers like Aravinda and Sanath Jayasuriya to cut loose. He accepted the brief, albeit reluctantly, and executed it to perfection, earning admiration from team-mates and opposition alike.
