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Dashing left-hander Sanath Jayasuriya is the eighth player to be appointed captain in Sri Lanka's 17-year history as a Test-playing nation.

He takes over from Arjuna Ranatunga, who was easily the longest-serving and most successful captain ever produced by the country.

Ranatunga's run was for over a decade from 1988-89 and in that time he won 12 and lost 19 of the 56 Tests he captained in.

Only two captains in Test history has led their country on more occasions than Ranatunga - Australian Allan Border (93 Tests) and West Indian Clive Lloyd (74 Tests).

Ranatunga's record as captain in one-day internationals is also impressive. His 193 matches is easily a world record and in that time Ranatunga has led his country to 89 wins and 95 losses with eight no-results and one tie. The culmination of his 11-year career as captain was winning the World Cup in 1996.

Jayasuriya will make his debut as Test captain against Australia at the Asgiriya Stadium, Kandy on September 9 when the first of a series of three Tests is played.

Jayasuriya has led Sri Lanka in one-day internationals on one occasion - against Zimbabwe at the SSC last year when he made a century on debut and enabled his team record a four-wicket victory. Would he be able to perform a similar feat when he leads his country for the first time in a Test?

Sri lanka test captains down the years 1982-99

Captain      Period             P       W       L       D

B. Warnapura    1982-83         4       0       3       1
L.R.D.Mendis    1983-87        19       2       8       9
D.S. de Silva   1983            2       0       2       0
R.S. Madugalle  1987-88         2       0       2       0
A. Ranatunga    1988-99        56      12      19      25
P.A. de Silva   1992-99         6       0       4       2
H.P. Tillekeratne1999           1       0       1       0

Most tests as captain - record for each country

Country         Captain         P       W       L       D       T

England         M.A. Atherton   52      13      19      20      0
Australia       A.R. Border     93      32      22      38      1
South Africa    W.J. Cronje     44      21      10      13      0
West Indies     C.H. Lloyd      74      36      12      26      0
New Zealand     J.R. Reid       34      3       18      13      0
India           S.M. Gavaskar   47      9       8       30      0
Pakistan        Imran Khan      48      14      8       26      0
Sri Lanka       A. Ranatunga    56      12      19      25      0
Zimbabwe        A.D.R. Campbell 17      2       8       7       0