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Wisden Online has released the 'Wisden 100', a new ratings system which evaluates the greatest Test batting and bowling performances of all time and two Sri Lankans have the honour of figuring in the top 100 of the batting and in the top 100 of the bowling.

Mahela Jayawardena's innings of 242 against India in the Asia Test championship match at the SSC in 1998-99 is ranked 91 in the batting list with a rating of 189.5. Off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan figures twice in the list for his career best bowling of 9 for 65 against England at the Oval in 1998, a performance which is ranked 11th with a rating of 223.7 and, for his figures of 7 for 84 against South Africa at Galle in 2000-01 which is ranked 69th with a rating of 195.7.

Anyone following Sri Lanka cricket since it achieved Test status two decades ago would certainly agree that there has been better innings played than Jayawardena's double century, that warranted inclusion into the Wisden top 100. Jayawardena was 21 when he made his career best score against an Indian attack comprising Prasad, Nehra, Kumble and Harbhajan Singh to become the fifth youngest to score a double hundred in Test cricket. Jayawardena's innings lasting 677 minutes was spread over three days and ensured a draw for Sri Lanka. But he had the fortune of being dropped on five occasion which somewhat took the gloss out of his innings.

Compare this innings to Roy Dias's chanceless maiden Test century (109) against Pakistan at Lahore in 1981-82 against a rampaging Imran Khan at his best (he took 14 wickets in that Test) and, one of 108 against New Zealand at the SSC in 1983-84 against Richard Hadlee, Lance Cairns and Ewan Chatfied, three of the best seam bowlers produced by New Zealand.

Then there is Aravinda de Silva's knock off 105 in 265 minutes against Pakistan at Karachi in 1985-86 which Wisden described as "a remarkable innings achieved on a pitch where mere survival was often difficult." De Silva was up against Imran Khan, Wasim Akram, Tausif Ahmed and Abdul Qadir.

The other knock which stands out is the 148 scored off 156 balls by Sanath Jayasuriya against South Africa at Galle in 2000-01 against Pollock, Kallis, Ntini, Klusener, Boje and Adams. Jayasuriya missed out on a century before lunch by a mere four runs and it was an innings which brought Sri Lanka its first Test win over South Africa. The Wisden list has aroused a lot of controversy and debate all-round where in certain instances, the ratings are not keeping with the quality of the opposition.

Taking all these factors into consideration, certainly the four innings played by the Sri Lankan batsmen mentioned above, would rank very much high above Jayawardena's double century.

The top 10 rated innings according to Wisden are: (1). 270 by Don Bradmon, Australia v England (Melbourne) 1936-37, (2) 153* by Brian Lara, West Indies v Australia (Bridgetown) 1998-99, (3) 154* by Graham Gooch, England v West Indies (Headingley) 1991, (4) 149* by Ian Botham, England v Australia (Headingley), 1981, (5) 299* by Don Bradman, Australia v South Africa (Adelaide) 1931-32, (6) 281 by Vangipurappu Laxman, India v Australia (Kolkata) 2000-01, (7) 188 by Clem Hill, Australia v England (Melbourne) 1897-98, (8) 132 by Azhar Mahmood, Pakistan v South Africa (Durban) 1997-98, (9) 100* by Kim Hughes, Australia v West Indies (Melbourne), 1981-82, and (10) 375 by Brian Lara, West Indies v England (St. John's) 1993-94.

India are rueing the exclusion of Sachin Tendulkar, regarded in contemporary cricket as the greatest batsman to emerge since Sir Donald Bradman.

Muralitharan has no peer when it comes to choosing the best performances by Sri Lankan bowlers. Throughout our Test history, we have struggled to produce a consistently match-winning bowler until the arrival of Muralitharan nine years ago. In that time, the spin maestro has produced some astounding bowling performances which has resulted in the country's present standing at No. 4 in the Wisden Test rankings behind Australia, South Africa and England. Although his two bowling performances doesn't come within the top 10 of the rankings, nevertheless, it is an achievement for him to figure twice in the list of 100. Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne whom Muralitharan is hotly in pursuit for the highest number of Test wickets, gets only a single listing at 45 for his 8 for 71 against England at Brisbane in 1994-95. However, off-spinner Harbhajan Singh figures on four occasions for his exploits against world champions Australia in the recent series at home where he snaffled 32 wickets, but there is no place for any great bowling performances by Australian pace ace Dennis Lillee nor for West Indian Courtney Walsh, the highest wicket-taker in Test matches.

The top 10 rated bowling performances according to Wisden are: (1) 9-113 by Hugh Tayfield, South Africa v England (Johannesburg) 1956-7, (2) 10-74 by Anil Kumble, India v Pakistan (Delhi) 1998-9, (3) 10-53 by Jim Laker, England v Australia (Old Trafford) 1956, (4) 8-126 by John White, England v Australia (Adelaide), 1928-9, (5) 9-52 by Richard Hadlee, New Zealand v Australia (Brisbane) 1985-6, (6) 9-57 by Devon Malcolm, England v South Africa (Oval) 1994, (7) 8-43 by Bob Willis, England v Australia (Headingley) 1981, (8) 8-43 by Hedley Verity, England v Australia (Lord's) 1934, (9) 7-54 by Bill O'Reilly, Australia v England (Trent Bridge) 1934, and (10) 8-71 by Graham McKenzie, Australia v West Indies (Melbourne) 1968-9.

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