Ahmedabad, November 19: Sri Lanka took control of the opening Test against India on Thursday after Mahela and Prasanna Jayawardene extended their sixth-wicket record overnight stand to 351.
The tourists declared their first innings closed 40 minutes after lunch at 760 for seven for a lead of 334 with over four sessions left, putting them in position to win a Test in India for the first time.
Former captain Mahela Jayawardene, 204 overnight, fell after lunch for 275 while his namesake Prasanna recorded a career-best 154 not out to help Sri Lanka (591-5 overnight) post the highest innings score in India by any team.
Sri Lanka added 169 for the loss of two wickets on a record breaking day when Mahela Jayawardene became the ninth batsman to reach the 9,000-run mark in Test cricket.
The two Jaywardenes tormented a listless Indian attack in a productive first session before the former skipper fell in the third over after lunch, bowled by Amit Mishra when he gave the leg spinner the charge.
The tourists declared after Dammika Prasad (21) fell to off-spinner Harbhajan Singh after adding 34 with wicketkeeper Prasanna Jayawardene, giving themselves 135 overs to push for a victory.
Earlier, centuries by Rahul Dravid (177) and skipper Mahendra Dhoni (110) helped India recover from 32 for four and post a healthy 426 after choosing to bat first in the three-Test series.
Opener Tillakaratne Dilshan stroked his fifth Test century of the year on the second day to set up Sri Lanka’s strong reply.
India took the third new ball at the overnight score without effect as Mahela Jayawardene, who recorded his sixth double hundred on Wednesday, toyed with the bowling.
Prasanna, 84 overnight, recorded his second Test century, and the fifth century of the match, when he guided pace bowler Ishant Sharma to the third man fence in what was another frustratingly unproductive session for India.
—Agencies