“The pitch is likely to favour spin from the outset,” said Jayananda Warnaweera, curator of the ground at the rebuilt Galle stadium – the venue for the third and final test between Sri Lanka and England which begins on Tuesday.

After an exhilarating test match in Kandy, the Colombo test last week was an anti-climax, barring a few individual performances: the wicket was flat, the prospect of a result was slim and finally the weather intervened to bring the match to a premature close.

Just one minute – try to decipher the surname Jayawardena. If one takes a direct translation, it may read as --setting up a win and improving on it. From the time the incumbent Lankan skipper Mahela Jayawardena sat majestically upon the cricketing throne one may say that he has lived up to his name.