Sri Lanka on top as experimental rule tested out
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Mahela Jayawardene equalled Don Bradman's record of nine centuries at one venue. (Reuters: Anuruddha Lokuhapuarachchi)
Centuries from Malinda Warnapura, Mahela Jayawardene and Tillakaratne Samaraweera guided Sri Lanka to a strong 4 for 422 on the second day of the first Test against India overnight while the new experimental third umpire laws got its first hit out.
Opener Warnapura scored 115 from 202 balls with 14 boundaries while skipper Jayawardene compiled a stylish 136, an innings spanning 259 deliveries including 10 fours and a six.
The pairing of Warnapura and Jayawardene added 155 runs either side of lunch as India's bowlers were forced to toil hard throughout the first two sessions.
Samaraweera, who put on 148 with Jayawardene, continued the Sri Lanka run spree until the close of play, finishing unbeaten on 111 from 187 balls with 16 boundaries.
Third umpire referrals tried out
Tillakaratne Dilshan was unbeaten on 20 after earning a reprieve under a new experimental rule allowing players to seek a second opinion on umpiring decisions.
He was on 1 when given out caught behind off left-arm fast bowler Zaheer Khan by English umpire Mark Benson, but asked the official to review the decision.
Benson consulted TV umpire Rudi Koertzen before changing his decision on the basis the ball had not made contact with the bat.
However, later replays after the decision suggested Dilshan was fortunate to still be at the crease.
Earlier in the morning, India trialed the new system against a not out lbw decision for Warnapura off Harbhajan Singh.
Koertzen agreed with Benson again after replays showed the ball would have missed leg stump.
Teams are allowed three unsuccessful appeals per innings.
Equalling the Don
Jayawardene's century was the 23rd of his career and his ninth at the Sinhalese Sports Club, a record for the most centuries at a single venue that he now shares with Australian great Donald Bradman.
"This has been a very friendly venue for me over the years and this pitch is a very good batting pitch," Jayawardene told reporters.
"If you get settled in on a wicket like this it is quite easy to graft your runs, and I was a bit lucky today as they dropped a couple of chances," he added.
"We'll make sure that we've got enough runs to put plenty of pressure on them and then we'll see what our bowlers can get out of the pitch."
Missed opportunities
India's bowlers were frustrated by a flat and slow pitch during a wicket-less morning session.
The closest they came to dismissing Warnapura was when he was caught and bowled by Khan off a no ball on 55.
Jayawardene had a let off, also on 55, when wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik dropped an edge off Anil Kumble.
Warnapura finally departed after the lunch break with Harbhajan finding spin and bounce to give Rahul Dravid a simple catch at slip.
Sri Lanka would have lost their second wicket of the session had Karthik not grassed a second chance off Kumble, this time off Jayawardene on 93.
India's fielding lapsed again in the evening session as Samaraweera, on 53, escaped when a difficult short leg catch was dropped off Harbhajan.
Karthik finally made amends for his two dropped catches by clinging onto a Jayawardene edge in the final session as Sharma, armed with the new ball, produced an unplayable delivery that swung in and cut away off the seam.
- AFP/Reuters
