Tillakaratne Dilshan followed Muttiah Muralitharan’s first-day heroics with a superb hundred, the third of his career and certainly the best, as Sri Lanka tightened their grip on the first Test at Galle

Charlie Austin09-Mar-2004Sri Lanka 352 for 6 (Dilshan 104, Jayawardene 68) lead Australia 220 by 132 runs
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Tillakaratne Dilshan: his second century in three matches, and undoubtedly his best © Getty Images
Tillakaratne Dilshan followed Muttiah Muralitharan’s first-day heroics with a superb hundred, the third of his career and certainly the best, as Sri Lanka tightened their grip on the first Test at Galle. Dilshan scored 104 as Sri Lanka piled up 352 for 6 to finish the day with a invaluable 132-run lead. The pitch is wearing fast, and Australia have their backs to the wall.Since being drafted back into the team for the second Test against England last December, Dilshan has scored 63, 100, 83 and now 104 in four consecutive innings. But just as impressive as the volume of runs is the manner in which they have been scored. Once again he was authoritative and attacking, using his feet skilfully to the spinners and seizing upon any opportunity to score.Dilshan struggled briefly at the start, especially against MichaelKasprowicz, who came close to trapping him lbw on a couple of occasions, and he was dropped on 96 by Shane Warne at first slip. But, having settled, Dilshan swept Sri Lanka past Australia’s total of 220, adding 75 in 121 balls with Mahela Jayawardene (68) and 100 with Hashan Tillakaratne (33).He was perhaps most impressive against Warne – on whom Ponting relied heavily throughout the day – although a flowing cover-drive and regal pull off consecutive deliveries from Jason Gillespie will live long in the memory. Unlike Australia’s batsmen, who lost their wickets in a blaze of cross-batted shots, Dilshan hardly played a sweep all day. Even when Warne came around the wicket he was quick enough on his feet to loft a magnificent straight six.Sri Lanka’s position would have been even stronger had Jayawardene notthrown away a solid foundation with a moment of madness in the afternoon. He produced a flurry of boundaries to speed past fifty for the 20th time in his career, but then tried to flat-bat a good-length delivery from Andrew Symonds through the covers. Matthew Hayden pouched a simple catch at point, and Symonds celebrated his first Test wicket.But there was little other joy for the Australian bowlers in the afternoon. As Dilshan bedded down with Tillakaratne, and Ponting chopped and changed his bowlers, persevering with a strict spin-seam combination throughout much of the day, the only reason for Australian supporters to cheer was the arrival of a cooling sea breeze.Warne finally broke through after tea, trapping Tillakaratne on the crease with a legbreak (298 for 5). Ponting immediately called for the new ball, in the 96th over, with Sri Lanka’s lower middle-order finally exposed. But Thilan Samaraweera (21 not out), handicapped by a torn groin and batting with a runner, carefully laid the foundations of one of his adhesive specialities. Dilshan, however, did not survive to the close, as he top-edged a hook off Kasprowicz (323 for 6).Kasprowicz and Warne had been entrusted with the ball first thing. They bowled tightly from the outset and Sri Lanka, clearly trying to consolidate on the advantage won yesterday, scored just 37 runs in the first hour. Kasprowicz snatched an important wicket too, clinging on to a sharp one-handed return catch off a firm push-drive from Kumar Sangakkara (92 for 2).

Justin Langer dives and Dilshan’s innings comes to an end© Getty Images
Marvan Atapattu, meanwhile, dug in on the slow pitch. He forced away one elegant high-elbowed back-foot drive off Kasprowicz to the boundary behind square, but was otherwise content to accumulate his runs with pushes and neat clips. But the entry of Gillespie created more problems. Atapattu came within a whisker of being bowled as he shouldered arms to a delivery that jagged back from outside off stump. Next over, straight after a sweetly timed leg-side flick, Gillespie found the inside-edge as Atapattu chopped onto his stumps for 47 (123 for 3).Jayawardene showed more adventurous intent at the other end, slapping Warne through extra cover on one occasion and also sweeping one for four. But Warne was also settling into his groove, probing away from over and round the wicket, and keeping Jayawardene on his toes.Dilshan’s arrival at the crease was followed by another bowling change.Gillespie, who bowled a superb spell of 1 for 12 from six overs, wasreplaced by Kasprowicz. Dilshan had a couple of narrow escapes, surviving a close lbw shout off Kasprowicz and then getting into a tangle with a well-directed yorker. However, David Shepherd, pale-faced under the scorching mid-day sun, kept his finger firmly down as Dilshan batted Sri Lanka into a very strong position.