PROVIDENCE, April 2: Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene paid tribute to opener Sanath Jayasuriya for helping him return to his big-scoring ways in the World Cup victory over the West Indies.

After failing in the last two matches, Jayawardene scored a solid 82 against the West Indies on Sunday and shared a 183-run stand with Jayasuriya.

“Obviously, Sanath took a lot of pressure off me. He gave me the freedom to play risk-free, as straight as much as possible and just occupy the crease,” said the Sri Lanka skipper.

Jayawardene said Jayasuriya had been something special.

“I have seen quite a lot from Sanath, but I would rank this as one of the best. He has done it not just against small teams, in low-key tournaments, but in big tournaments, under pressure. That's what makes him so special.”

The Sri Lanka skipper admitted he would have fielded first had he won the toss after a rain-delayed start.

“I lost a difficult toss. That is the difficult part of this tournament. You can't play for the toss. Obviously, if I had won the toss, I would have fielded in those conditions.”

He dismissed suggestions of any planning behind West India captain Brian Lara's dismissal, a bizarre stumping off paceman Chaminda Vaas.

“It was not planned,” he said of Lara's dismissal for two. —AFP