Mahela Jayawardene hit an unbeaten 267 as Sri Lanka piled up the highest total ever on Indian soil to tighten the noose around the hosts in the first Test on Thursday.
Sri Lanka, who resumed their first innings at 591-5, went to lunch on the fourth day at a mammoth 708-5, an overall lead of 282 runs with five wickets in hand.
Wicket-keeper Prasanna Jayawardene smashed 134 not out during an unbroken 333-run stand for the sixth wicket as the tourists continued to batter India on a barren wicket that is proving to be a bowlers’ graveyard.
Sri Lanka, who have never won a Test in India, are expected to declare later in the afternoon to give their bowlers enough time to dismiss the hosts a second time at the Motera stadium.
India made 426 in their first innings after being reduced to 32-4 within the first hour of the match.
Sri Lanka’s total surpassed India’s 676-7 against the same opponents in Kanpur in 1986, which was the previous highest total in a Test match played on Indian soil.
The partnership between the two Jayawardenes was also the best ever against India for the sixth wicket, eclipsing the 250 by West Indians Clive Lloyd and Deryck Murray at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai in 1974-75.
India claimed the third new ball from the start of the day’s play, but it failed to contain the flow of runs.
Prasanna, who was on 84 overnight, reached his second Test century by edging Ishant Sharma to the third man fence for his eighth boundary.
Mahela, the ninth highest scorer in Test cricket, completed 9 000 runs when he reached 253 with a single to long-on off Harbhajan Singh.
All the four frontline Indian bowlers conceded over 100 runs with Harbhajan being the most expensive with 1-189 from 48 overs and leg-spinner Amit Mishra going wicketless for 183 runs from 52 overs. — AFP
