One of the great cricketing rivals Arjuna Ranatunga against the Australians

The duels of Arjuna Ranatunga, Sri Lanka’s legendary captain, with the late and great Australian spinner Shane Warne was of the fiercest ever witnessed on and off a cricket field. Time and again, Ranatunga would taunt Warne with a flippant comment and relish it in the retelling as well. But inside all that nock-taunts lies a deep respect.

On Sunday, on the third and final day of Sri Lanka’s Test against Australia, Ranatunga had participated in an official tribute to Warne, who died this March, organised by the Sri Lanka Cricket Association.

Ranatunga pointed out Warne’s help when Sri Lanka were severely hit by Tsunami as the turning point in the Sri Lankans’ perception of the Australian legspinner.

“Everybody knows about the run ins we had on the field but off the field we moved on well. Sri Lankans weren’t big fans of Warne, but soon after the tsunami when he came over to help, people started appreciating him as he touched their hearts,” Ranatunga told reporters.

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