And his successful combination with good friend Kumar Sangakkara helped Sri Lanka long remain a formidable team in in the international arena, particularly on home soil.
Jayawardene's top score of 374 -- the fourth highest individual score in test cricket -- came during a world-record partnership of 624 runs with Sangakkara, who scored 287. Eight years later, both played their parts in last week's win at Galle. Together, they'll likely lead the way again in Colombo in partnership for the last time in the five-day format.
"I don't think you can take anything away from the fact that Mahela has been one of the most elegant, most prolific batsmen not just of his generation but in the game in its entirety," Sangakkara said.
Jayawardene, who has posted 34 test centuries and 49 half centuries, always had a penchant for big scores and reveled on the Indian sub-continent. He has scored all his five test double-centuries close to home either in Sri Lanka, India or Pakistan -- and also a triple-century on home ground against South Africa in 2006.
Voted the International Cricket Council's best international captain in 2006 and the best test player in 2007, Jayawardene was considered the ideal team man and frequently guided Sri Lanka out of trouble in games. He was also a fine fielder with more than 200 catches in tests and one-dayers. Many were off the bowling of spinner Muttiah Muralitharan; test cricket's most prolific bowler with 800 wickets.
